YOUTH FORUM 

Participate in the final event of our project Connecting you(th)

Following the call for projects, our Youth Forum has selected 14 organisations that facilitate mutual encounters and overcome social divisions among young people through projects supported by the Foundation P&V. 

Come and discover these good practices and the journey of the young people of our Forum on 19 April! Each organisation has worked at its own level to overcome social divisions through 4 themes: inclusion, education, promotion of entrepreneurship and citizenship, culture and media, or sport 

Wednesday 19 April from 12.00 - 17.30 in the Beursshouwburg – Subscribe 

With its "Connecting You(th)" project, the P&V Foundation aims to overcome social divisions among young people. The project consists of two parts: a call for projects and a youth forum. This project, which was carried out with the support of the National Lottery, is an opportunity for twenty young people aged between 16 and 23, from different backgrounds and from all over Belgium, to gain experience in active citizenship. 

Composition and purpose of the Youth Forum

Our Youth Forum consists of a heterogeneous group of Belgian young people aged between 17 and 23 who did not know each other beforehand. They differ in terms of education, migration background, place of residence, interests and hobbies, etc. 
On the one hand, we want to enable this diverse group of 20 young people from all over Belgium to understand the regional and local realities of our country, let them identify the breaking points and try to find solutions for them. In other words, to empower young people and let them become an actor in the social debate. On the other hand, we want to bring the good practices from the call for projects that effectively bridge gaps and/or foster social cohesion to the attention of policy makers and the general public, during our final conference and through further dissemination.

Preparation of the Youth Forum

During two preparatory weekends, the young people of the Youth Forum were trained and coached to fully fulfil their role as members of the Youth Forum. For that aim, they were given sessions on citizenship, which gaps there are in society, how to debate without conflict, how to look at a problem through different glasses, ... The youngsters got to know each other better through fun and cultural activities. They had the chance to meet academics, social entrepreneurs and coaches. All these people and workshops provided the young people with tools to be a member of the Youth Forum.

Evaluation of the winning projects

Following the selection and implementation of the projects in the call for projects (from February 2022), it is time to move on to evaluation and reflection. This first stage starts in Ghent, Flanders. On the programme of the Youth Forum: workshops on the evaluation of projects and scenarios for the future of society, visits to projects, and fun activities! 
The weekend started with a visit to Ghent Basketball, where youngsters from the Youth Forum were able to play against Ghent youngsters. The non-profit organisation Touché, with coach Wesley, came to talk about how to help make the world positively aggressive. The youngsters also learned about the obstacles and achievements of organisations such as iDrops that that aim to build bridges between neurodiverse and neurotypical young people. They were enthusiastic about the cultural projects of the youngsters of De Kazematten and the encouners between the youngsters of LEJO and the young scouts of FOS. Finally, a visit to the S.M.A.K. opened up a new world for them, that of contemporary art.

Thanks to our partners: National Lottery, Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER, and S.M.A.K. who contributed with financial support, space or time to make this project possible.

What’s next?

The next step will take place from 3 to 5 February in Namur for the visit of a number of projects supported in the Walloon region, the lessons learned of the projects already visited, and the preparation of the final conference on 19 April 2023.

Project supported by the National Lottery

 Keep (KEY ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES)

The Erasmus+ program aims to support actions in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027. It helps organizations to work in international partnerships and to exchange innovative practices. 

Context

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, access to education is more essential than ever for a speedy recovery, promoting equal opportunities for all. As part of this recovery process, the Erasmus+ program is taking its inclusive dimension to a new level by promoting personal, socio-educational and professional development opportunities in Europe and beyond, with the aim of leaving no one behind. Supporting and facilitating transnational and international cooperation between education, training, youth and sport organizations is crucial to empower citizens with key competences, combat early school leaving and enable the recognition of competences generated through formal, informal and non-formal learning are acquired. This cooperation facilitates the dissemination of ideas, the transfer of good practices and expertise, and digital capacity building, thus contributing to high-quality education and strengthening social cohesion.

The KEEP project

The P&V Foundation participates in a consortium of 6 institutions coordinated by France Education International from 4 countries (France, Belgium, Poland and Greece) in the framework of an Erasmus+ project. The title of the two-year project is: "Key Engaging Educational Practices used by secondary school teachers to keep connected with their students following the COVID-19 pandemic" (KEEP).

Objective

The aim of KEEP is to share the good practices applied by secondary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain contact with students and reduce the risk of early school leaving.
The P&V Foundation is charged with Objective 1 - "Situational review", with the aim of providing an overview of the evolution and impact of education policy and digital strategy in the four partner countries since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to identify the factors and obstacles to effective distance learning for all.
The work will conclude with a European good practice report on innovative methodologies used by teachers to keep in touch with learners also from a distance, in the fight against early school leaving and in a context of digital divide.
 

Project progress and outcomes

Phase I

Led by Foundation P&V in Belgium, this report presents the national measures that enabled education systems to adapt and maintain quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Belgium, Poland and Greece. 
It is the result of the first year of project implementation. During this year, the partners collected data and analysed the state, regional and local measures implemented in schools. This first deliverable of the consortium identifies the main challenges faced by the education systems of the partner countries in recent years, including truancy, learning gaps and remedial programmes in distance learning situations.  

Download the rapport : Education and the Covid-19 pandemic a situational review of five Regions

Phase II: The Keep Project

The KEEP project continues to move forward with the final stages, in Warsaw for the final objectives, and in Brussels for a national symposium.The year 2023 will be dedicated to hosting events to disseminate the results of the KEEP project. A conference will be organised in each participating country. In Brussels the first results at national level will be presented on February 15.The project will be closed in May 2023 with a conference in Paris that will highlight the final recommendations of the project to national and European education stakeholders. 

At national level, a conference will be held in Brussels on 15 February:

What can we learn from the (long-term) experiences in different countries and how can we align short-term emergency responses with investments into long-term (educational) objectives, so that we can take full advantage of the opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic and learn from them?

On 15 February, we want to give the floor to a number of people from different fields about the (longer-term) impact of Covid-19 on young people (in Belgium). What conclusions can be drawn from the different strategies adopted by schools, teachers, social organisations, policy makers, .... ? What is still needed to bridge the digital divide? What challenges do we face?  Conference with Kristof De Witte ( KUL), Sara Lou ( MolenGeek)

Interested? 

If you wish to participate in this conference, do not hesitate to register:  Programme 

Partners:

• CIEP France (France Education International)
• University of Paris France
• Panepistimio Patron Greece
• Instytut Badan Edukacyjnych Poland
• GIP Formation tout au long de la vie France
• P&V Foundation.