We had teased it: we did it! International Horizons submitted to the ERASMUS + Youth Agency in Paris, not 1, but 4 KA2 European projects – strategic partnership!
Youth Equity at Work
My favorite (Seb!): this project was born from the observation that there is a consequent increase in investments in disadvantaged youth, but still as much unemployment and social exclusion of this public. Also, it is that the problem is not financial, but either with regard to the accompaniment of young people, or legal: International Horizons and its partners decided to tackle the problem from a legal point of view. The goal is to make an inventory of European directives and national laws, with the aim of issuing non-breaking recommendations to all the countries of the Union, in order to create legal levers to encourage the hiring of underprivileged young people.
Fight Amalgams
New public for us: young Europeans under 10 years old. This project was born out of an observation in our international placement activities: it is easier to find an internship for a ‘Paul’ than for a ‘Karim’, and also out of our clients’ comments regarding certain European countries. In Western Europe, there are still too many clichés and amalgams: between Muslims and Arabs, Balkans and poverty or Roma and Romanians. For this project, we have built a very special partnership: a writer from Turkey, an illustrator from Serbia and an association that works for the integration of Roma in Romania. The goal? To create audio books for young people, to help them to undo the amalgams, and make them disappear.
Gay Emergency
Simple and efficient project. The observation here is to see that some of our young people from the LGBTI+ community do not want to approach certain countries because of a lack of security: we decided to create a website, which allows to anonymously contact the closest mobility association and/or LGBTI+, in case of a feeling of insecurity abroad. The site does not ask for any data, and the contact is made anonymously, both for the young person if he wishes to be discreet, and for the association, if the situation of the LGBTI+ community is complicated in his country.
Undertake to Learn
One of the most COVID friendly projects: a platform that allows companies and educational institutions to work together remotely. Or, how to accelerate e-mobility in COVID time. The project was born out of several observations: some young people, despite financial aid, do not have the means to be mobile. Teachers are struggling to find companies to get young people to work on concrete cases. Companies are unable to recruit internationally when they are geographically located in an unattractive area. So U.T.L. answers to all: companies publish their problems online – under a specifically constructed path on the site -, teachers can show their interest: as soon as two establishments from two different countries are connected to the company, the challenge begins: students will work, jointly, and in English, on real company issues, when teachers will be able to make students work their theoretical skills through these same challenges!
Why these projects?
They are still only projects: it remains to be seen whether they will be selected by the ERASMUS + Youth Agency! We decided to carry these projects, because we sincerely believe that they can be useful to the Community: yes, it is also a financial compensation, however you will admit that 500€ per month to manage such a project [compensation offered within the framework of ERASMUS +], it is not El Dorado. Since the launch of International Horizons, I have been willing to involve it in social projects, and ERASMUS + is an excellent way to benefit from a strong and direct impact on the communities targeted through the projects. Results in a few months … to be continued !