Today, our project will officially come to an end. After a fantastic two-year journey, despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, we could not be more grateful and proud of the results achieved.
The project enhanced the competences of 29 youth workers:
- increased knowledge and skills to intercept and support young people at risk/in social withdrawal;
- improved understanding and ability to manage situations of youth distress and related relational dynamics;
- the competence to strengthen the primary (family) and secondary (friends) social network of young people in conditions or at risk of social withdrawal through prevention and awareness-raising initiatives;
- knowledge of the dynamics and characteristics of the phenomenon of voluntary social isolation and the ability to identify the warning signs of the phenomenon;
- the ability to plan, implement and evaluate information and prevention actions on the phenomenon, to be addressed to young people, schools, families and civil society;
- knowledge of how to activate and/or contribute to intervention networks to support the enhancement of social skills and the reintegration of young people at risk or in conditions of voluntary social isolation.
Furthermore, the participants improved practical skills (e.g., planning and organization, project management), analytical skills, learning to learn, interpersonal and social competences, emotional skills and cultural awareness and expression competences.
The participants co-developed the ePublication "Social isolation: strategies for identifying, preventing and combating the phenomenon", collecting the results of the Focus Groups "Youth: peer relations, the risk of isolation and prevention" and KHIK IT international seminar. The ePublication was read by more than 2.000 people.
What was the impact our project?
About 4,000 people were outreached and/or engaged throughout the project, including participants in the Focus Groups, unique visitors to the project website, followers of the project's social media accounts, participants in the project presentations and knowledge transfer events, and readers of the ePublication.
The project contributed to the professional and personal development of 29 youth workers participating in the mobility. In particular, the project allowed them to:
• acquire good practices from other countries;
• acquire practical skills relevant to their profession/professional development;
• increase the quality of their projects;
• strengthen, extend or build a professional network.
For the participants, the project also resulted in:
• an increase in participation in social and political life;
• an increase in interest in European topics;
• increased awareness of European values and EU multiculturalism and increased sense of belonging to the EU;
• greater commitment to work against discrimination, intolerance, xenophobia or racism and the inclusion of disadvantaged people.
The project generated a positive impact on participating organizations in terms of:
• increase in know-how and acquisition of good practices to intercept and integrate young people at risk or in conditions of social isolation;
• introduction of new practices and tools for the empowerment and inclusion of young people within their activities;
• enhancement of the personal and professional skills of their youth workers;
• increase in their ability to work at a European / international level.
Furthermore, volunteers, trainers and youth workers of the participating organizations involved in the preparation of the project activities and the internal meetings for the transfer of the project results benefited from:
• greater understanding and awareness of the phenomenon of voluntary social isolation;
• an enhancement of skills related to their role in the organization (i.e., management of projects co-financed by the EU, training, communication).
For youth workers, youth leaders and youth project managers participating in the Focus Groups and involved in the dissemination activities of the project, the project determined:
• increased awareness and knowledge of the phenomenon of voluntary social isolation;
• acquisition of strategies and good practices to intercept and support young people at risk or in conditions of social withdrawal.
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