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DSH Positive Choices
Start date: Apr 1, 2015, End date: Mar 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Aims: The aim of the project is to create a best practice training resource representing a synergy between partners from different cultural backgrounds, working in different fields of education, training and youth. The BPTR will be useful for those working in Higher Education, Youth Work, School Education, in addition to those who work in a clinical setting. Six participants from UK, Greece (x2), Lithuania, Romania and Turkey, will exchange workshops (x2) to develop a common understanding of Alexithymia, Deliberate Self Harm and Suicide in Young People and to up-skill those working with young people in different fields of education, training and youth, in order to address the Europe 2020 agenda regarding poverty and social exclusion, in terms of the reduction of early school leaving and improvement of academic attainment in young people. Objectives: We will create a resource of best practice non-formal training bringing together different approaches in young people's well being support within the participant countries. This resource will include a comprehensive evaluation of the different practices exchanged and exploited during the lifetime of the project. At each partnership meeting (6 in total), the host partner will present 2 one-day workshops of best training practice in terms of how they help young people explore their feelings and empower them to make positive choices - to take more control in their lives. Each workshop will include a contribution from a young person to talk about their lived experience, having been the recipient of the host's workshops prior to the meeting. This resource will be presented at a final international conference in March 2017 in Siauliai, Lithuania. Context / Background: Early School Leaving and Low Academic Achievement is a priority of the Europe 2020 agenda, in terms of addressing issues of poverty and social exclusion. Six participants: PADMA (UK): Mental Health Charity working with young people in schools ZISPB (Lt): an NGO providing social and educational initiatives in the field of vocational rehabilitation for disadvantaged groups, especially young adults SSP&MH (El): Non-profit scientific organisation providing high quality psychiatric support services and promotion of social inclusion in young people, particularly those with mental health issues BEHDER (Tr): NGO working in field of Youth to improve health at local, regional and national levels AUTH (El): Higher Education Institute using art therapies and workshops in the field of youth BUCOVINA (Ro): NGO working in the field of education and young people Description of Activities: Each partner will bring a total of 3 persons to each externally hosted learning activity / transnational meeting (15 "mobilities" each partner); each partner will host a learning / transnational meeting. Methodology in carrying out the project: Each partner will prepare 2 one-day workshops in presenting their best training practice; emphasis being on the "bite-size" learning activities that can be practised, taken away, implemented and then evaluated prior to the next round of learning activity. Evaluation to take place immediately after each meeting. Partners will share their learning with colleagues, who will evaluate the shared learning. Each participant will complete "learner diaries" following each partnership meeting to record the impact of the learning on their own personal and professional development. Local delivery of the workshops (translated into own language) will also be evaluated in order to address "fitness for purpose". Description of results: Short bite-size learning workshops & implementing the workshops upon return from the partnership meeting and evaluating them, will build substantive records regarding the impact of delivering the shared workshops within partners' own working practices, and further afield to stakeholders in the fields of education training and youth. Impact: We will present an evaluated resource of shared best training practice at the final international conference and make available on the project web site. Each partner will make recommendations and report of activities to supplement the impact shared training has had and to explore the potential for developing an accredited common training programme that can be mapped to the EQF. Each partner will create an informal community committee to include a mental health professional, teacher, parent association member, young person (from school committee or youth committee) and a local authority young people service to build bridges between people in need and our specialised services to support future sustainability initiatives. Longer term benefits: We will explore the potential for the project to become a development of innovation in its own right, following completion of the project. Long term, we see the outputs of the project to become embedded in the daily practices of each partner organisation.
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