VirtuEU
VIRTUEU – Virtual Exchanges for Active Citizens
Funding Programme
ERASMUS-EDU-2022-VIRT-EXCH-IPA
Project Number
101111907
Duration
36 Months
Overall Budget
474,644 EUR
Countries
Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Germany, Greece
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VirtuEU
VirtuEu is a Virtual Exchange programme, focusing on bringing together young people from different countries, allowing them to participate regardless of any obstacles that may prevent them from being part of such a programme. It aims to create activities in the form of a non-formal educational curriculum, to achieve the empowerment of youth towards their capacity to become more active and open to participation. These activities will highlight core European Values and provide real examples, tools, and methodologies (e.g., participation processes, bottom-up approach, etc.) of how to transport their will to positively contribute to society into real initiatives. It is foreseen to enroll in Virtual Exchanges and bring together 2500 young people from Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and European Countries, cultivating a common approach to active citizenship in the framework of a united Europe.
The project focuses on young people, who study in HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) in European and Western Balkan countries through online and offline non-formal educational activities.
Objectives of the project
- Promoting European and universal values of democracy, peace, freedom, solidarity, and collaboration among young people in Europe and Western Balkans, strengthening their identity as active citizens and residents of Europe, and providing them with adequate skills that will improve their employability chances.
- Provide new teaching and learning approaches, within the framework of virtual education and training, to HEIs.
- Increase engagement of youth at all levels of civic participation and become able to embrace their role as the main driver group of social change.
- Strengthen universal and European values, promote at the same time the European way of thinking and living among citizens of Europe and Western Balkan Countries.
- Provide young people with opportunities and means to express themselves and their opinions, become active, and contribute to the community.
- Ensure equal participation in multicultural extracurricular activities of youth regardless of their demographics, social background, and/or any socio-economic obstacles.
- Increase capacity and collaboration among educational actors (HEIs), to achieve their role as shapers of young people in more than one dimension (academic, civic, societal, individual, etc).
Expected Results and Outcomes
- 500 students from Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, and EU States (Portugal, Greece, Germany and others) will participate in the Virtual Exchanges
- 250 experienced facilitators will be trained on the developed and validated curriculum
- Approximately 10.000 other students will be receivers of the key messages of the project.
- Development of a network of 50 stakeholders
Project Activities
- Design a competence-based curriculum focusing on active citizenship and civic participation to address challenges like low engagement and distrust in governmental structures.
- Incorporate a European perspective, referencing the EU charter, structures, European history, and commonly used EU approaches.
- Conduct extensive research to identify the specific needs of the target groups among partner HEIs’ students.
- Deliver subject-specific training to facilitators, enhancing their ability to organize and conduct Virtual Exchange sessions.
- Schedule 300 Virtual Exchange sessions to ensure multinational and multicultural elements, promoting in-depth skill development.
Project Partners
- UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO – UAVEIRO (PT)
- KOLEGJI PROFESIONAL I TIRANES – KPT (AL)
- EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY OF TIRANA – UET (AL)
- ALBANIAN UNIVERSITY – UFO (AL)
- UNIVERSITETI METROPOLITAN TIRANA – UMT (AL)
- INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE MITROVICA – IBC-M (XK)
- UNIVERSUM COLLEGE – UC (XK)
- UNIVERZITET MEDITERAN PODGORICA PRIVATNA USTANOVA – UNIM (ME)
- EUROPAISCHER VERBAND BERUFLICHER BILDUNGSTRAGER – EVBB (DE)
- MITROPOLITIKO COLLEGE ANOYMI EKPAIDEYTIKI ETAIRIA (GR)