G-Labs – Communitarian Labs Project
This proposal connects skills development and inclusion through creativity and the art with another problem that emerged because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent restrictive measures implemented in European countries such as lock-downs, social distancing, mobility restrictions and other measures established limitations on movement, on assembly, on public gatherings and on free speech, limiting, by consequence, the actions of Young Civil Society Organizations (YCSO) and exacerbated the lack of access to information and disengagement among disadvantaged youth.
G-LAB brings aims to foster active citizenship and notably empowering disadvantaged young people, These will be achieved by experiencing arts and creativity processes that will
therefore increase their skills and capacities required to show creative leadership of self and others and negotiate entry into the world of employment.
Tthe specific goals of this project include:
1. Support disadvantaged youth’s civic education and development by connecting skills development and inclusion through creativity and the art, with particular focus on socially
disadvantaged groups (ethnic minorities, migrants, LGBTQ community, youngsters with disabilities, etc)
2. Create a methodology that combining arts and creativity, mobilizes disadvantage groups to participate in online civic spaces
3. Create a community-based guide for Civil Society Organisation (CSO) to help them replicate the methodology and, by applying activities where young people experience arts and creativity, develop young people’s confidence, self-awareness, self-presentation, and increase young people’s skills and capacities required to show creative leadership of self and others and negotiate entry into the world of employment.
4. Promote and increase the engagement of young people in Young Civil Society Organizations;
5. Provide a new response to mitigate problems caused by the pandemic, one of them being the negative impact on civic participation of youngsters.
6. Increase the ability of community organisations to mobilize and support their communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with strong focus on disadvantaged youth, namely by training these local organisations to mobilize young people’s coping mechanisms to help them mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
7. Raise public awareness of the right of young people to have their voices heard and give CSO tools to support young civic participation.
Some Outputs are to be available upon the project implementation, namely:
“Report on the current trends, key issues, and recommendations to involve disadvantaged youth in civic participation through virtual environment laboratories, Methodology to mobilise disadvantaged youth’s online civic participation, piloted in 6 different European countries and involving more than 120 young people_1 course curriculum to train educators, youth workers, educational leaders and support staff to use the methodology and Virtual Communities, available in 5 different European languages (ENG, TK, FR, PT, IT)_Different training materials, available in 5 different European languages (ENG, TK, FR, PT, IT), piloted in 6 different European countries and involving more than 72 professionals_6 Reports on the Train the Trainer pilot courses (one per country partner)_ 1 A Guide for Community-based organisations on how to use Virtual Laboratories with disadvantaged young people.
The Project was designed based on real needs. During the project it is expected to increased participation in European project experiences and active involvement of target groups in learning & empowerment solutions design to promote the active citizenship, social inclusion and solidarity of all young people. At the project completion, one of the biggest expected impacts is the increment in youths’ skills and capacities to show creative leadership of self and others and negotiate entry into the world of employment. Expecting rich results, we will
then influence policies that engage, connect, and empower Young people, with strong focus on those that are in disadvantage. They are in such a disadvantaged and vulnerable situation that has multi-roots that claims for a holistic approach. Also, one of the main priorities of this project is social inclusion.
For further information please look up our website: https://www.glab-initiative.eu/