HESL, Author at HESL Ireland

Environmental Activism, EU Elections & Entrepreneurship: Erasmus+ Youth Project Kick-Off in Toulouse

We just came back from Toulouse, France for the kick-off meeting of our Erasmus+ Youth Project connecting environmental activism, the EU elections & entrepreneurship! Our French coordinator hosted us and our partners from Romania, Portugal, Denmark and Italy on the 27th and 28th January to discuss the first 12 months of our groundbreaking project “Youth Eco Activism in the EU”. The Project ‘Youth Eco-Activism in the EU‘ is a KA220 youth project designed to raise awareness of the climate crisis among young people and equip them with the tools to take initiative and address these issues. Specifically, the project’s goal is to guide youth in creating their own social enterprises focused on mitigating climate change and to encourage more young people to engage in climate action through youth-led activism and participation in the EU elections in June 2024. The project involves young people and youth workers from France, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Denmark. It includes local activities and 2 youth mobilities in 2024. Partners will also create two practical guidebooks on online activism and EU elections, and a platform with information to set-up youth-NGOs. The project has a Facebook page and Instagram page updated with all ongoing and scheduled activities. The Meeting – Day 1 The first day of our kick-off meeting delved into essential aspects of the project. The meeting opened with the partner introductions and the revision of the project’s objectives, timeline and target groups. This ensured a clear direction for our collective efforts in the coming months. Partners moved on discussing the core elements of the first 12 months of the project. We focused on brainstorming topics and approaches for the first module of activities and resources on Youth Online Activism. Local activities are about to start in all partner countries to create The Toolkit, a comprehensive guide to online eco-activism. This will equip our youth with the tools needed to make a meaningful impact in the digital realm. After lunch, we went in depth regarding the second module – Impacting the EU Agenda. We discussed the arrangements of the first 5-day mobility of the project. Young people will have the chance to go to Denmark, discuss the role of the EU and visit the EEA! Stay tuned on our social media to learn how to apply. We ended the meeting discussing the development of the project’s “Guidebook for youth political engagement”, strategic dissemination plans and documentation procedures. The Meeting – Day 2 The second day was dedicated to the exploration of Toulouse! We visited the main city centre and its landmarks, allowing for informal interactions and fostering a sense of connection among partners. All partners are thrilled to start involving enthusiastic young people and youth workers in our project. We truly believe this will be a transformative journey for youth and our communities! The next step will be activities in preparation for our youth project mobility on environmental activism and the EU elections. This will take place at the beginning of March in Copenhagen! So do you want to take part? Contact us and stay tuned for more information on our Facebook and Instagram page!

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New Erasmus+ School Project on Peace and Democracy – Kick off in Ireland

HESL

We just met our partners from Italy, Turkey, Greece and France for the first meeting of the Erasmus+ school project on peace and democracy in Ireland! About the project “Building and supporting sustainable peace, social justice and democracy among young” is a KA210 school project educating secondary school students in humanitarian values through art, sports and social sciences. Thanks to the mobilities, they will be equipped with competences in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. About the meeting The meeting kicked off with the partners introductions and the outline of the project’s objectives and expected results. We then scheduled all the project international mobilities for this and next year. These will involve 2 teachers travelling to Italy in March and Greece in October. Next year, they will be travellling to France in January 2025 and Turkey in April 2025. We moved on establishing clear responsibilities among partners and discussed the mobility activities, the evaluation process and the project budget. The meeting ended with an insightful workshop on the etwinning platform that we will be using during the project. While in Dublin, partners also took part in some cultural activities in the city centre. We took them on a walking tour, passing by the main city landmarks and ending at the iconic Guinness Storehouse. The meeting resulted in all partners having a clear understanding of the project’s procedures, objectives and timeline, allowing us to carry out another successful project! If you are a secondary school and are interested in taking part, feel free to contact us! Check our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on this and other Erasmus+ opportunities! Do you want to take part in more Erasmus opportunities? Find out our teacher training courses, here.

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Kicking Off the Erasmus+ Youth Project on Theatre and EU Elections in Ireland

HESL

We had an exicting time hosting the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ youth project on theatre and the Eu elections in Ireland! On the 10th and 11th of January, we met our partners from Germany, Greece and Portugal to organise the activities planned for the first 9 months of the ON STAGE project! The project ‘Social Theatre for the Active Generation in the EU’ (ON S.T.A.G.E) is a KA210 youth project designed to empower young people (aged 18-30) in Germany, Ireland, Greece and Portugal to engage with political issues through theatre. It aims to promote civic engagement among disadvantaged youth, especially for those from ethnic minority backgrounds. They will develop critical citizenship skills and be encouraged to advocate for change by voting in the European elections, increasing their social participation. The projects includes local activities and 2 youth mobilities in Greece and Germany. Partners will create useful resources, including a project website, a Guidebook on participation in the EU elections for youth and Youth worker Toolkit on youths’ socio-political inclusion. The project has a Facebook page and Instagram page updated with all ongoing and scheduled activities. The meeting – Day 1 The first meting day of our project on theatre and the Eu elections in Ireland started with partners introducing their work with youth. We also provided an overview of the upcoming project activities and partners’ roles, consolidating the project’s objectives and expected results. We moved on discussing the effective strategies to reach the target group and involve them in the local youth activities. These will support the creation of the practical “Guidebook on participation in the EU elections for youth”. We also agreed on set dates for the online theatre sessions and the first youth mobility in April in Greece. The meeting ended with an exchange of good practices and a plan for dissemination and collaboration. The meeting – Day 2 The second day started with a cultural tour of Dublin! We explored the city centre, passing by the city centre and the main city landmarks. We ended the day with a visit to the famous Jameson Distillery! The meeting helped us set the groundwork for the project’s success! We look forward to start preparing young people for the forthcoming European elections through theatre! Are you curious about the project and would like to take part? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, we will soon post information on how to sign up!

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Kicking Off the Erasmus+ Youth Project on Eco-Tourism in Dublin

HESL

We just hosted the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ youth project, “Eco-tourism for Social Entrepreneurship, Health, and Well-being” in Dublin! On the 28th and 29th of November, we met our partners from Estonia, Portugal, and Romania to discuss the implementation of the first 9 months of the project that is now live! The project ‘Eco-Tourism for Social Entrepreneurship Health and Well-Being Among Youth‘ is a KA210 youth project that aims to empower young people in rural and urban communities to engage with their green areas and take innovative action towards fighting climate change through the promotion of ecotourism. The project involves young people and youth organisations from Estonia, Ireland, Portugal and Romania, which will be involved in local activities, webinars and 2 mobilties. During the project, a booklet, a website and an app will also be created. The project has a Facebook page and Instagram page updated with all ongoing and scheduled activities. Day 1 The first day of Eco-Tourism meeting in Dublin started with partners introducing their work with youth and outlining the project’s objectives and expected results. We also provided an overview of the project activities for the initial nine months, highlighting key milestones and target groups. We moved on discussing the local youth activities to be carried out for the development of the “Booklet on Eco-tourism”. These will take place from January to March 2024 and will involve youth in the creation of sustainable tourist routes. We also started to plan the first youth mobility scheduled for April 2024 in Estonia. The meeting ended with an exchange of good practices and a plan for dissemination and collaboration. Day 2 On the second day, we took our partners on a cultural tour of Dublin! We explored the city centre, passing by the main city landmarks. These included the Dublin castle, the Molly Malone statue, Grafton Street, the Trinity College and the Spire. The day ended with a visit to the iconic Guinness Storehouse Museum. The kick-off meeting in Dublin marked the start of an exciting journey towards sustainable eco-tourism and youth social entrepreneurship. We look forward to starting our local sessions and gathering young people’s ideas on the topic for community development! Do you want to take part in our local and international activities? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, we will soon post information on how to sign up!

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Erasmus+ Youth Exchange for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

HESL

We just got back from our mobility at the Cavan Centre, Ireland! Our young people from Ireland, Turkey, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Germany had a lot of fun during our youth exchange for aspiring entrepreneurs! We spent 10 marvellous days, from 19th to 28th September, learning about entrepreneurship, implementing our ideas and exploring other cultures. The Project Social Entrepreneurial Skills for Advancing Employability (SESAE) is an Erasmus + project that aims to raise awareness about entrepreneurship among European youth through fostering entrepreneurial skills, sharing best practices and promoting social responsibility. The project involves organisations and youth from Ireland, Ukraine, Germany, Georgia, Moldova and Turkey, and fosters intercultural dialogue among youth. The mobility Day 1 – 19th September Our youth exchange for aspiring entrepreneurs started on Tuesday, when we travelled to the Cavan Centre. Once there, we all got to know each other through team building activities and each group presented their sending organisations. Participants also received an introduction about the Cavan Centre, the house rules, the mobility plan and the Youthpass. Then, the Irish participants held a workshop on sustainability and eco-friendly practices to adopt during the mobility. Day 2 – 20th September Wednesday was Germany day! The German team delivered a workshop session to introduce the group to the topic of entrepreneurship. During the session, we got acquainted with some basic vocabulary and discussed the different types of entrepreneurship. We also talked about key entrepreneurial skills and reflected upon our own competences. In the afternoon, participants took part in a teambuilding group activity, scaling the high ropes that pushed them outside of their comfort zones. The second day ended with the first cultural night hosted by Ireland and Germany, who introduced their countries, played games and shared fun facts and stories. Day 3 – 21st September Thursday was Turkey day! They started off the morning with a great workshop about social and cultural entrepreneurship! Participants got the chance to think about current challenges on a given topic and come up with an enterprise idea to solve them. After lunch, the Turkish team led each country group in creating and performing short theatre plays, centred around cultural challenges that characterised their countries. The day ended with a visit from a local young entrepreneur. She gave a very inspiring talk about her experience and also answered participant’s questions about the set-up process and the issues she faced. In the evening, our Turkish and Georgian teams entertained us during their cultural night with traditional cuisine and dances! Day 4 – 22nd September Friday was Ireland day! The group went back to Dublin in the morning and visited Bradog Youth Centre. Participants got the opportunity to learn more about the Irish youth work system. Two of the Irish young participants showed them around and gave some interesting insight into their own contribution to the centre’s activities. In the afternoon, the Irish team took the lead and guided the group on a Dublin city cultural tour prepared by them. They also gave some brief explanations for each landmark they visited, which included the Spire, GPO, O’Connor Street and Bridge, Trinity College Dublin, Molly Malone and the Temple Bar! In the evening, we went back to the cavan Centre and had a delicious barbeque night! Day 5 – 23rd September Saturday was Ireland and Ukraine day! The first session was led by our Irish youth team, who divided participants in country groups and assigned them a small research on successful entrepreneurs in partner countries. Each group had to create an innovative way to present their chosen famous enterprise and convince participants to work for them. The German team received the majority of votes and won the competition! You can find the result of their research in our free Guidebook here! The rest of the day was organised by the Ukrainian team! They explained the key points to consider when creating a start-up and guided a thought-provoking debating session about the challenges and choices of an entrepreneur. In the afternoon, the group participated in an energetic team building session that helped reinforce the team’s spirits and connection. After dinner, the Ukrainian team delivered a very insightful meditation session combining typical relaxation methods with a reflection session about our relationship with money, as this was related to being an entrepreneur. Day 6 – 24th September Sunday was Moldova day! The Moldovan team prepared a well structured workshop where participants were divided into country teams and came up with very detailed enterprise ideas that combined their personal interests and skills with social issues in their community that they are keen to address. They also drafted a specific business plan and SWOT analysis. This allowed them to consider the different aspects to set up an enterprise. You can find all their ideas in our free Guidebook here! The Moldovan ended their day with an inspiring reflection and debate on how the lifestyle and culture from our countries can influence in a positive and negative way our business ideas. In the evening, we had the third and final cultural night hosted by Ukraine and Moldova. Day 7 – 25th September Monday was Georgia day! The morning started off with discussion sessions on given topics about entrepreneurship. This was followed by theatre performances, where the Georgian team divided participants in groups and provided them with a typical situation that entrepreneurs face. Each group came up with a short play and the rest of the participants had to guess the situation represented. In the afternoon, they conducted other workshops on social entrepreneurship and understanding the regulations linked to starting a social enterprise. After dinner, we participated in an exciting campfire night in the grounds of the centre! Day 8 – 26th September Tuesday was focussed on exploring European opportunities for young people and discovering new EU initiatives! Participants took part in an interactive workshop, where they first discussed how this project was connected to the European Year of Skills and second researched and presented European Year of Skills events in their

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The Voice Of Youth | Erasmus+ Transnational Project Meeting in Keila, Estonia

HESL

On the 18th and 19th of October, we met our new partners from Estonia and Hungary for the kick-off meeting as part of the Erasmus+ project on youth journalism! The transnational project meeting (TPM) for “The Voice og Youth” took place at the Keila Youth Centre, bringing together passionate youth workers who laid the groundwork for an original initiative to empower young people. The project ‘The Voice of Youth’ is a KA120 youth project involving young people from Ireland, Estonia and Hungary, which aims at promoting youth journalism in local communities. Young people will develop key media and digital competencies, confidence and critical thinking skills thanks to the e-platform that will be developed during the project. Day 1 The first day started with a round of presentations of each partner organisation and their work. The host gave us a tour of Keila Youth Centre and showed us their impactful work with young people, setting the tone for the project’s mission. Partners then discussed the project details, timeline, and budget. We also brainstormed ideas and strategies for the project’s material development. Partner roles were assigned and plans for the e-platform content creation were laid out. These encompassed the choice of topics to address and the video types and length to create during the project’s lifecycle. After lunch, our coordinator explained the main features and production of their local ongoing youth newspaper, a key inspiration for this project. The meeting ended with the initial arrangements for the next youth activity, scheduled for February 2024. Day 2 The second day gave us the opportunity to explore Tallinn. Partners took a cultural tour of the city, which provided a unique opportunity for cross-cultural exchanges. Two young people from a local youth centre in Dublin also joined us in Estonia. They had an insight into how the project is run and got the opportunity to meet some Estonian young people! The next activity for this Erasmus+ project will take place on the 9th and 10th February 2024 in Dublin! We are excited to host our partners and organise memorable activities for young people focused on youth journalism! Do you want to join us? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information on this and upcoming Erasmus+opportunities. We have plenty coming up in 2024!

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Up-Root Eco Democracy | Erasmus+ Transnational Project Meeting in Kristianstad, Sweden

HESL

Our team just got back from our first Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) for our project Up-Root Erasmus+ project! We had the chance to meet our partners from Sweden, Turkey, Portugal, and Denmark in Kristianstad, Sweden, and to delve into the intricacies of the project and our upcoming activities! The project Uproot Eco-Democracy is a KA120 youth project including Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Turkey, and Denmark. It aims to empower youth by increasing awareness about the EU, democratic processes, and climate change. With the upcoming European Parliament elections in mind, the project aims to enhance youth participation in democracy. The project hopes to instil a sense of responsibility and activism among the youth, equipping them with the tools to shape the future and address the pressing issue of climate change. Up-root has a Facebook page and Instagram page updated with all ongoing and scheduled activities. Young people will be engaged in local activities, online webinars and two mobilities in Denmark and Turkey in 2024! Day 1 The focus of the first day of the TPM was to get to know the project and project partners. Our host, B-Creative, introduced themselves and their work, followed by each project partner. We discussed the primary objectives of the project: promoting democracy, increasing EU awareness and fighting against climate change. We defined our target group, which consists of Swedish, Irish, Turkish, Portuguese, and Danish youth aged 18-30, and key stakeholders. We ended by discussing project management and logistics, including communication strategies, budget allocation, project timeline, and planned activities. Day 2 The second day of the meeting delved deeper into the project’s activities, with a particular focus on the project mobility for young people in February in Copenhagen. We had a closer look at the local activities to be implemented before the mobility, as well as strategies to effectively engage young participants. We defined best practices on youth work, particularly in tackling climate anxiety and promoting civic engagement. We ended by refining our social media dissemination strategy so as to reach a broader audience and engage with youth. We look forward to meeting our partners in person again, as well as getting to know their youth participants involved in our Up-root Erasmus+ project! Check out our FB page and Instagram for regular updates on opportunities and activities for young people!

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Erasmus+ Event | Shape Your Future

HESL

On the 4th May 2023, we held our final event for the Erasmus+ Shape Your Future Project in Dublin! More than 30 participants took part and learned about the project resources and activities. The Project The Shape Your Future project was designed to help disadvantaged young people find opportunities in the labour market and develop entrepreneurial skills. The project also targeted youth workers and its resources helped them work with youth more effectively both in-person and online. The project involved 5 partner countries: Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania & Spain. It included the organisation of 5 mobilities for youth workers and young people as well as the creation of 3 resources: the platform, the mobile application for Apple and Android, and the booklet. The event 37 young people and youth workers from Ronanstown Youth Service and Lucan Youth Service took part in our Erasmus+ event last week. We started off by presenting the Erasmus+ programme, the project objectives, the local activities and the mobilities we organised during the project. We moved on to introducing the outupts and we asked them to test the resources created. They gave us very valuable feedback on usability, content and possible use at their youth centres. We are proud to announce that the Shape Your Future website and application was successful among participants. Young people were interested in the job and erasmus opportunities they found in the platform. Youth workers found the courses and the resources very useful for the activities with their cohort. We also distributed the booklet containing 40 non-formal activities for youth workers’ future sessions with young people. What’s next Although the Shape your Future has come to an end, the resources will be available online on the Shape Your Future Platform! You will find available job, volunteering and youth exchange opportunities from around Europe to apply for. You can also take 3 free courses on employability and entrepreneurship and download the booklet. We also have other upcoming mobilities and local activities as part of our Erasmus+ projects! Stay tuned on our FB page to take part in our opportunities, fully founded by the Erasmus+ Programme!

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Erasmus+ Shape Your Future – Final Meeting in Portugal

HESL

Last month, we met our partners at the 5th and final Erasmus meeting in Lisbon for the Shape Your Future Project! The Transnational Project Meeting was hosted by our Portuguese partner, the European Association of Young Educators, on the 24th and 25th of February 2023. The Project Shape Your Future is focused on the social inclusion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their integration into the labour market. The project also targets youth workers and responds to the challenges of working with youth online. The platform, application and booklet will help young people find existing work opportunities and develop their entrepreneurial skills. The Meeting Our Romanian coordinator kicked off the two-day meeting by introducing us to the Apple version of our mobile app. The app is now available on both Google Play Store and Apple store. On the app, young people can apply for and stay updated on work opportunities on the Shape Your Future Platform. After creating an account on the platform, you can also apply for the opportunities via the app more easily! We also planned the multiplier events that will take place in April in all partner countries. We will disseminate the project to a broader range of young people and youth workers and share results with stakeholders. We concluded the meeting by discussing the success of the online training course in January, which was organised by all partners and included many young people from each country. We also had the chance to discover the lovely city of Lisbon. We got to taste Lisbon food and experience Portuguese culture together. Despite this being our final erasmus meeting, the project resources will stay available online after the end of the project. We also have more opportunities coming up! So stay updated on our FB and instagram page to take part in future activities!

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