Auteur/autrice : Silvia Buzzetti

© European Union, 2021

Open-up to Europe thanks to the Erasmus+ accreditation !

Posted on | by Silvia Buzzetti

EU’s Erasmus+ programme is becoming more accessible and easier to implement, thanks to new tools that facilitate the application process for organizations. Four SOS GROUP structures have seized this opportunity and obtained an Erasmus+ accreditation, a simpler way to access European mobility activities.

The Erasmus+ Accreditation: an easier gateway to Erasmus+ mobility 

For more than 30 years, the Erasmus program has offered the possibility to European students, apprentices, trainers, job seekers and young graduates to go abroad and do travel and study trips throughout Europe.  

Since 2021, the Erasmus+ program has become even more open and accessible thanks to the Erasmus+ Accreditation, a simplified way to apply for grants from the Erasmus program. Once accredited, organizations can ask mobility grants during seven years (2021-2027) without having to apply for a mobility grant each year. That gives the possibility to awarded candidates to travel in Europe and around the world, in order to open up to cross-border exchanges, observe new practices, carry out training periods and cooperate between professionals of the same sector in foreign countries. 

The Erasmus+ Accreditation shows the European Union’s political will to open mobility opportunities to a larger number of participants and a wider range of organizations.   

Thanks to the Erasmus+ accreditation, four SOS GROUP organizations will have access to European mobility opportunities 

In October 2020, four SOS GROUP organizations obtained the Erasmus+ accreditation. 

Plateforme-i, Acta Vista, Pulse and Silver Fourchette now have the possibility to send their staff and beneficiaries on training and professional trips throughout Europe between 2021 and 2027.  

Focus on the accredited organizations: 

– Plateforme-i implements programs for inclusion in employment, in order to offer support to young people who are struggling to enter the professional world. Through European exchanges, Plateforme-i aims to improve social inclusion by spreading its programs beyond the Paris region. 

– Acta Vista is a non-profit organization specialized in professional integration and training through the preservation of endangered historical heritage sites. Acta Vista’s staff and trainees will discover complementary training methods in the field of heritage renovation, thanks to European mobility opportunities. 

– Silver Fourchette is a program that promotes a balanced and environmentally friendly diet for seniors. By opening-up to Europe, Silver Fourchette’s teams will improve the educational quality of their content and create new pedagogical teaching methods. 

– Pulse is a non-profit organization that aims to create pathways towards entrepreneurship as a lever for inclusive and sustainable development, in Africa and Europe. By sending its staff abroad, Pulse will adapt its expertise to the international context and increase the skills of its teams.  

The four organizations will therefore discover new working methods and benefit from cooperation between European partners.  

Save the date!  

Erasmus+ Accreditation next application deadline is 19 October at 12:00 p.m.  

Your organization wishes to benefit from Erasmus+ mobility opportunities with one of the SOS GROUP accredited organizations? Please reach out to: 

Contact: chloe.gallien@groupe-sos.org – Director of European projects at SOS GROUP 

or 

europe@groupe-sos.org 

Photo by © European Union, 2021 

© European Union, 2021

Let’s act together, for a fairer and more sustainable Europe

Posted on | by Silvia Buzzetti

Since its creation, the European Union has always heated political debates and has often been accused of being too distant from its citizens, with no social policy and struggling to coordinate Member States in front of the social and ecological challenges of our time.

Nevertheless, the European Union has put in place concrete and accessible tools to finance, develop and promote social practices and sustainable projects. The SOS GROUP strongly believes that the actors of the social and inclusive economy play a crucial role in building a more sustainable and fairer Europe.

ACTING IN FRANCE AND WORLWIDE

For 35 years, the SOS GROUP has been a major player in social and inclusive entrepreneurship, by developing innovative new solutions for a greener and more caring society. Every year, SOS GROUP actions affect 1.7 million people in France, in Europe and around the world.

Our experience shows us that the challenges we face in France are similar to those of our neighbours in Europe. This is why the SOS GROUP is firmly convinced that it is necessary to collaborate with other European countries and European social economy actors.  

Our five core European ambitions are:

  • The acceleration of the ecological transition ;
  • The promotion of professional inclusion ;
  • The support of education for all;
  • The development of an inclusive digital transformation ;
  • The promotion of gender equality ;
  • The fight against stereotypes.

 

EUROPEAN ACTIONS: THE SOS GROUP IS ALREADY MOBILISED

SOS GROUP has already developed more than 20 projects with 19 European countries, financed by European programmes. Here are some examples:

EAT@HOME, IMPROVING HEALTHY FOOD AMONG SENIORS

The Silver Fourchette team (SOS GROUP – France) is conducting the Eat@home project, in partnership with 4 European organisations (Pour la Solidarité -Belgium, UNA 47 – France, Bras dessus Bras dessous – Belgium, ODPS – Portugal).

Its ambition is to delay the loss of autonomy of the over-60s, by proposing them healthy eating practices and gourmet meals, that are adapted to their physiological needs. Eat@Home also aims to provide answers to the problems of undernutrition among the elderly.

 

RENEWS: PROMOTING MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATION IN EUROPE

The association Artemis (SOS GROUP – France), which is specialised in the prevention of radicalisation, is currently coordinating the ReNews project, together with four European partners: Institute for Strategic Dialogue (United Kingdom), Civis Polonus (Poland), Tink (Turkey) and MOUVEMENT UP (SOS Group – France).

The Renews project has been created from a very current observation: the rise of social networks has increased the use of Internet among young people, who are now more exposed to disinformation, hateful content, and conspiracy theories.Through Renews, the partners aim to develop solutions (creation of articles, videos and podcasts) to these problems at a European scale.

COMPANIONS IN AGROECOLOGY: TRAINING EUROPE’S NEW GENERATIONS IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

The association Fermes d’Avenir (SOS GROUP – France) aims to promote an agricultural model that is more respectful of the living conditions of our farmers and the environment. To do this, Fermes d’Avenir has a mission: to train the next generation of farmers to practice sustainable agriculture methods.

Through four workshops, the « Companions in Agroecology » project aims to develop and improve the skills of farmers on various topics, such as agroforestry, horticulture or soil fertility assessment methods. This will be done in collaboration with three European partners (Vert d’Iris – Belgium, MAP – Belgium and Rete Humus – Italy).

EUROPE, AN EXPERIENCE AND SAVOIR-FAIRE TO SHARE

SOS GROUP wishes to further expand its network of partners in order to develop new European cooperation projects with a strong social impact. Today, the Group works with more than 19 European countries. SOS GROUP has both solid expertise in obtaining European grants and is in contact with the national contact points for European funding programmes.

Are you interested in working with SOS GROUP?

Do not hesitate to contact our European team dedicated to EU funded projects, at: europe@groupe-sos.org.

Photo « The Future is Europe » © European Union, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

GROUPE SOS SOLIDARITES ARTEMIS/ASSFAM IS LOOKING FOR PARTNERS – CALL FOR PROPOSALS, ERASMUS+ 2021, ACTION 2: STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR ADULT EDUCATION

Posted on | by Silvia Buzzetti

You are an actor in the audiovisual field? Your organization works with young NEETs and wishes to commit to an encouraging and helpful European project? Join us!

Groupe SOS Solidarités ARTEMIS/ASSFAM is now looking for European partners to set up a project that aims to increment skills of professionals who work with young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

The project aims to give professionals the necessary tools and skills to enable them to carry out a pedagogic pathway that re-engage NEETs through audiovisual workshops and Media and Information Literacy education. Groupe SOS Solidarités ARTEMIS/ASSFAM wants to respond to an Erasmus+ Call for Proposals, which will be published in early spring, and intends to receive Erasmus+ funds, in the framework of Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education. To carry out this project, ARTEMIS/ASSFAM is in search of European partners.

We are looking for partner organizations located in European countries, especially those where NEET rates are significantly elevated (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Italy).

We are searching for :

  • Organizations that offer training in the audiovisual and digital media fields, with no entry requirements;
  • Organizations that have an expertise in audiovisual creation with young people;
  • Organizations who work with young NEETs.

Groupe SOS Solidarités ARTEMIS/ASSFAM in brief:

Groupe SOS Solidarités ARTEMIS/ASSFAM carries out information, awareness-raising activities on the prevention of radicalization and on the dangers of hate speech, fake news and online conspiracy theories, as well as collective actions towards autonomy and citizenship. Moreover, ARTEMIS/ASSFAM holds workshops and training sessions dedicated to critical media education.

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

Educators working with young NEETs will:

  • Strengthen their skills in the audiovisual field and in Media and Information Literacy education;
  • Acquire an innovative and efficient pedagogy to re-engage young NEETs;
  • Develop their network with other professionals in Europe who support NEETs, vocational training actors and organizations that act for Media and Information Literacy education.

Young NEETs will:

  • Re-engage themselves in a learning process through a fun, concrete and attractive activity;
  • Develop soft-skills (public speech, self-confidence, building and defending arguments);
  • Increase their knowledge of Media and Information Literacy and become cyber citizens;
  • Discover audiovisual professions.

Project’s partners will:

  • Exchange good practices;
  • Develop new European pedagogic pathways to re-engage young NEETs.

This project will be carried out in 6 main phases: identification of good practices between consortium members; creation of specific tools for professionals; training of professionals; local experimentation of the pedagogic pathway in partner countries; conclusion of the experimentation; publication and dissemination of the pedagogic pathway to other European structures working with young NEETs.

If your organization is interested in this project and would like to participate, please do not hesitate to contact:

GROUPE SOS Solidarités ARTEMIS/ASSFAM : myriam.cherkaoui@groupe-sos.org

Chloé GALLIEN – Director of European Projects europe@groupe-sos.org

For more information about SOS GROUP’s Europe Team and its projects, please visit https://sos-group.org/in-europe/

 

ACTA VISTA IS LOOKING FOR EUROPEAN PARTNERS – CALL FOR PROPOSALS, ERASMUS + 2021, ACTION 2: Strategic partnerships for vocational education and training

Posted on | by Silvia Buzzetti

You are an actor in the renovation of historical heritage and wish to commit to an inclusive and supportive project? Join us now!

ACTA VISTA is currently looking for European partners to carry out a project that aims to foster the alliance of labour market inclusion and heritage safeguarding in Europe. ACTA VISTA wants to respond to an Erasmus+ Call for Proposals, which will be published in early spring. The association aims to receive Erasmus+ funds, in the framework of Strategic partnerships for Vocational Education and Training action and needs European partners to implement its project.

We are actually looking for partners such as:

    • Three counterpart structures in other European countries which are already working on the combination of heritage and inclusion.
    • One pedagogical partner.
    • One cross-functional partner.
    • One research center.
    • One partner in charge of gathering the consortium.

ACTA VISTA in brief:

ACTA VISTA is an association specialized in professional integration and training through the preservation of endangered historical heritage sites. The association was founded in Marseille in 2002 and it supports more than 500 job seekers every year, by training them to preserve and restore historic monuments. In this way, people experiencing difficult circumstances regain confidence and set the stage for their social and professional inclusion.

What we expect to achieve:

ACTA VISTA estimates that the link between professional inclusion and the heritage sector is too little exploited in Europe. For this reason, ACTA VISTA would like to develop solutions to promote the alliance between heritage restoration and social and professional inclusion through training at the European level. We aim to foster the alliance of labour market inclusion and heritage safeguarding in Europe.

Objectives of the project

    • Fostering active inclusion through heritage in Europe;
    • Fostering heritage safeguarding through active inclusion;
    • Fostering environmentally friendly practices in heritage restoration.

Beneficiaries of the project and its main phases

The target audiences of our project are all the people and structures that work at the intersection of heritage and inclusion sectors: educators, socio-economic support workers, site managers, etc.

This project would be carried out in four main phases: exchange good practices, use these best practices to design training modules, experiment the co-constructed training modules and disseminate these good practices to other European structures active in the renovation of heritage, in European political institutions, European lobbies etc.

If your structure could be interested in the project and would like to participate, please do not hesitate to      contact:

Coline PELISSIER – European Development Manager – coline.pelissier@actavista.fr

Pâquerette DEMOTES-MAINARD – Head of Education & Culture projects paquerette.demotes@actavista.fr  

Chloé GALLIEN – Director of European Projects europe@groupe-sos.org

For more information about SOS GROUP’s Europe Team and its projects, please visit https://sos-group.org/in-europe/