The Fourth Industrial revolution brings wide automatization in various fields, so people with low skills become less competitive in the labour market (The EP resolution on creating a competitive EU labour market for the 21st century, 2015). Entrepreneurship, intercultural competence, collaboration, complex problem solving, sustainability and social innovation becomes necessary characteristic for young person prosperous life.There is strong evidence that graduates are more likely to participate in innovation processes if their studies involve working with practical knowledge and authentic problems (Educating HE Students for Innovative Economies, 2013). Use of appropriate teaching techniques might help to solve these challenges.According to that, the goal of the project is to encourage students to acquire needed competences through participating in internationalised internships programme (working with a group of students from different countries via web-based applications), which would involve solving real-life problems in order to create societal value through implementing social innovations (ambition is to spin-off those proposals as new projects, programmes, organisations or companies in partner countries).For this several tasks needs to be done: prepare internationalized internship methodology, social innovation implementation framework and run two rounds of internationalised internships: first (pilot) for evaluating produced results qualitatively in order to improve them and the second one to evaluate and improve scalability of project results.All partners will be involved in every activity to some extent because consortium has chosen iterative IO creation process. Every intellectual output will have a core team working with the product and leading organization from that team, other partners will have ‘friendly critic’ role. There will be 2 intellectual outputs developed IO1 - internationalised internship methodology (guidelines for the implementation of internships, recommendations for supervisors and mentors, quality assurance guidelines); IO2 - social innovation implementation framework (guidelines for social innovation implementation, recommendations for social innovation mentors, practical innovation toolbox, impact evaluation and quality assurance recommendations).The Consortium is composed of 4 organisations from 3 different countries, which brings to the project diverse experience and background. 3 forward-looking universities, who emphasize innovation, creativity and societal impact and social partner which is fostering the development of a knowledge-based society has know-how which covers all crucial parts of the project approach: focus on social innovation, intercultural competence, involving social partners and practical application of developed initiatives in real-life.As some partners have already established some separate parts of whole project approach in their institution, co-creation of overall framework for the internationalised internships and social innovation implementation will be based on respect for university autonomy and inclusion of different institutional and learning cultures.Project consortium aims to create a self-sustaining process of internationalised internships programme and believes that this project will serve as a pilot for preparation of internationalised internships programme, thus fostering international collaboration between participating universities and their relevant social partner networks. In order to sustain this process after the project end and to make it easy to scale and apply for different institutions consortium aims to produce framework for internationalised internships which would be inexpensive to sustain and beneficial for participating organisations. Thus, internships will be based on international groups of students working in their respective countries and collaborating via web-based tools.Focusing on real-life problems will strengthen students' capacity and skills to solve complex problems with sustainability principal at the core. Innovative internship method will encourage students to create social innovations as solutions to tackle real-life problems, thus equipping students with the necessary entrepreneurial skills. Universities (mentors) and social partners which will directly participate in internship process will build their know-how on implementing such model of internship and acquire needed understanding and skills in order to produce social value-oriented process with real-life outcome. Thus, leading universities to provide more learning opportunities for students and social partners will result in more effective internships.Implementation of social innovations will foster civic engagement, raise awareness about selected problems and will help to improve the status quo of particular field in national or international context, which will provide benefits for relevant stakeholders (e.g. municipality, citizens) and society.

<< Background >>EC public consultation on the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) showed that 95% of respondents believe that pandemic marks the point of no return on how technology is used in education. Yet, the promise of digital education to be fulfilled. Teachers are pointing out that the biggest challenge during online education is to engage students. It is especially true when we speak about primary students. One of the reasons they mention is the lack of relevant, interactive and easy to use online content. Research in Lithuania conducted before the pandemic showed that 95% of 1-5 years olds have at least half an hour of screen time each day. In the same study, 40% of parents said that their children use the internet, i.e. YouTube (https://www.mediavaikai.lt/). The numbers increase with age. No coincidence that out of the 10 most paid YouTube stars in 2019 two are below ten years of age.The two main project target groups are the primary education TEACHERS and PRIMARY STUDENTS. TEACHERS need relevant knowledge, useful ready-made teaching materials and various educational tools. TALIS survey shows that less than 40% of teachers were ready to use digital technologies in teaching. Teachers require various tools for several purposes. First, they need support for digital student engagement. Secondly, knowledge and tools related to media and information literacy which they can adapt and use according to their own needs. Last, but not least - help for integrating MIL skills into the subject curriculum. PRIMARY STUDENTS need attractive online learning methods in order to keep their attention and focus. Building strong student-agency in primary classes will benefit students in later stages. It will strengthen their capacity to act as autonomous learners. Media and information literacy skills and their acquisition should be tailored to their experience and connected with their life situations. Else, it will not be relevant. PARENTS’ role in digital learning is also changing. They are the ones who must provide support for their children. In this project, PARENTS will not be a separate target group, but their impact and need for help will not be underestimated.<< Objectives >>The objective of the project is to create a toolbox with a twofold purpose: digital education engagement (including pedagogical material for teachers, best practices, etc. and also basic content for data privacy, effective communication with students, etc.) and media and information literacy (including online, offline and mixed material tailored to specific age group and their needs, integration with other subject guidance, ready syllabi for lessons, etc.) parts. It will help effectively facilitate the learning of critical thinking skills. Project activities are built around co-creation exercises in which teachers will be involved in the creation, testing and improvement stages.The Toolbox will consist of three key components:1. Teacher needs-based tools, easily transferable and implemented in activities with children at school (engagement and media and information literacy);2. Training content to support teachers;3. A digital space for teachers to learn from one another and share their best practices or initiate joint activities, projects related fields.<< Implementation >>Project activities are built around co-creation exercises in which teachers will be involved in the creation, testing and improvement stages.The objective of the project is to create a toolbox with a twofold purpose: digital education engagement (including pedagogical material for teachers, best practices, etc. and also basic content for data privacy, effective communication with students, etc.) and media and information literacy (including online, offline and mixed material tailored to specific age group and their needs, integration with other subject guidance, ready syllabi for lessons, etc.) parts. First of all, partners will map already existing experiences and teachers' needs in each partner country. The objective of this task is to gather resources on digital education engagement and teaching media and information literacy in primary education and identify good practices and tools already in use. Based on results partners will develop the initial version of tools (alpha version), making sure it reflects the diverse needs of teachers Then, partners will prototype an initial set of tools (minimum viable product) and will try out the tools under real conditions at a very early stage of design, in order to correct and adjust them progressively. After that, partners will expand the toolbox version - in accordance with the tools, the consortium will develop two guidelines. The guidelines for student engagement and the guidelines for teachers and schools’ administrators (specific instructions to guide them to systemic implementation of media literacy in school through administrative and multidisciplinary approach). Thus, the Beta version will be ready to test. The consortium will also pilot this version in schools and based on collected feedback will develop the final version of the Toolbox. To support teachers the consortium will develop an online training module. Before developing the first version of the training module, partners will conduct a survey on teacher needs. It will include an inspirational collection of best primary students engagement practices and material that explain the main aspects of media and information literacy enriched with primary students compatible examples. Then based on the produced report the initial version of the training module will be developed. Partners will test the relevance of the training content and format (digital training course). For testing, the consortium will select a diverse group of teachers, with different experience in the topic. Based on collected feedback partners will develop the final version of the online training module. Also, self-check tools for teachers to evaluate their engagement methods and for schools regarding media and information literacy learning and teaching will be developed.Moreover, digital space for the learning community will be created. The community of teachers will be formed to foster the sharing of good practices for developing media and information literacy skills and encouraging cooperation with colleagues. To better disseminate and sustain project results, partners will organise media and information literacy and learning engagement (MILLiE) convention.<< Results >>Main project results: (outputs):media and information literacy tools (online and offline)primary student engagement toolstraining material for primary student engagement in online/virtual learning and media and information literacyopen badgesthree media and information literacy and learning engagement (MILLiE) conventionsproject websiteteachers-practitioners contact baseat least ten press releases and articlespolicy brief for policymakerssix open educational resourcesMain outcomes:- training of 60 teachers in MILLiE conventions- 12 case studies and best practices from piloting and testing- improved collaboration and co-creation skills for teachers- more engaging and inclusive teaching methods for online education- increased motivation of pupils- an international community of primary teachersExpected impact:- teachers feel more competent and prepared to work virtually or blended- pupil attainment increased- raised awareness of media and information literacy importance in primary education- increased awareness of the necessity to integrate media and information literacy education to primary schools among policy-makers- heightened awareness of teacher training institutions to adapt media and information literacy skills provision for future teachers and provide the necessary focus on engagement.Impact on TEACHERS. The targeted teachers will benefit from the resources and tools to be offered and from the training content, that will be tailored to their specific needs. They will also have an opportunity to further stay in touch with an online community of teachers from different countries. Examples by their peers and exemplary success stories of creative and effective education can provide and strengthen the needed motivation and foster them to adopt more innovative pedagogies and afterwards share their experience. Moreover, teachers will have a need for continuous professional support, whether it will be encouragement from school administration or opportunities to use online learning material. Last but not least, teachers will be able to show to their classes that the technology and the digital world have an impact on their future and that the students - from an early age - can benefit by obtaining all the necessary skills for distinguishing valid and accurate pieces of information on the internet. Impact on STUDENTS. Students will be able to acquire necessary literacy skills for finding, analysing and evaluating information. Their civic engagement skills will be promoted within a familiar environment (both social (classroom) and digital (familiar platforms) and tools to express their voices on issues that matter to them and to help them assume a constructive, positive role in their communities. Moreover, it is expected that students' motivation and engagement will increase, resulting in higher academic achievement.

The D-TIPS project – Design Thinking In Primary Schools – aims to equip primary school teachers with the appropriate tools and methods to impart the design thinking approach to children in Europe. The development of critical cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking, reflection, self-regulation, and collaboration, are high on the agenda of all schools. It is though developing these skills in children that schools can contribute to mitigating major challenges in society.A key resource in developing those skills are the teachers; upgrading their educational practices and providing lifelong learning opportunities for them is a European priority. Training in design thinking can increase the resilience of both teachers and children when facing complex issues. Design thinking is not only a way of responding to problems, but a practice of reframing the problems (critical thinking) and a practice of co-creation (collective intelligence and cooperation). It is also a method of continuous improvement, a way of imagining the future and an approach to iteration through trial and error (problema solving). Through utilising design thinking we are able to of visualise concepts (visual learning) and bring them to life through building and making with our hands (learning by doing). Finally, and crucially, design thinking embeds empathy (emotional intelligence) within its processes; a means to manifest caring and understanding with the ones who will benefit from the solution.D-TIPS will focus on designing tools and methods developed specifically for primary school teachers, especially those who have no experience with design thinking. It will provide training for teachers in design thinking practices and a means of connecting them in order continuously hone their newly acquired skills.D-TIPS will develop a series of unique tools ranging from ready-to-use ones (easy to put in place - ‘plug and play’) to more advanced tools (both digital and analogue) that teachers can customize, adapt and change according to their needs, However, being equipped with effective tools does not ensure the proper use and know-how of these tools. Therefore, the D-TIPS toolbox has a strong training component in which the basic knowledge of design thinking principles as well as competency-based teaching will be provided to the teachers. In order to ensure the transferability and accessibility of knowledge created within (and beyond the project), our toolbox is supported by an online environment which will help to facilitate the creation of Design Thinking learning activities. We will also build and develop a transnational community of teachers with similar interests that will enable the sharing of best practices, understanding, and professional experience. The D-TIPS project itself follows a Design Thinking methodology. This means that we will co-create the tools with the teachers we work with, try them out together with other stakeholders and children in pilot schools, and iterate until we reach a series of appropriate, robust, and reality proof tools.The direct participation of 7 different European countries (project partnership: Spain, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands and Lithuania, and associated partners: Romania and France) will ensure the integration of differents aspects from different European educational systems. The D-TIPS methodology is based on a active participation of the “end-users” to the development of the materials, a logic of trying-out at a very early stage of design, a principle of iterative and progressive adjustment and finally a spirit of co-creation in which we do not design “for” but design “for and with” teachers and children. For this reason 4 parallel multiplier events will be organized in Spain, Belgium, Lithuania and Romania with the aim of engaging local teachers. And one Final event will be hosted physically in Spain (but online broadcasted) a knowledge exchange event to internationally spread our final results, lessons learned and discuss with educators, teachers, parents and policy makers about the positive impact of integrating Design Thinking in Primary education.We expect to reach at least 10000 educators (including teachers, managers, trainers and policy makers) during the Project duration. The design of the Toolbox as an online environment is aligned to our sustainability plan to ensure the engagement and use of the tools by stakeholders beyond the duration of the Project. To conclude, the D-TIPS project aims at contributing to the progressive transformation and renewal of education: (1) by empowering teachers with new competences and tools based on the application of Design Thinking in Primary Education - through the use of the D-TIPS Toolbox; (2) and by implementing new ways for children to learn and think: being more prepared to face uncertainties and challenges and helping them discover their role in shaping the future.

<< Background >>“Too Good To Go - Waste Free Economy Transformation for SMEs” Project Partners are already involved in several projects focused on pro-ecological behavior models and habits development and while getting immersed in the topic, they have realised that waste management is not enough, that we can have much more influence on stopping the climate change when we turn to more dramatic actions i.e. start introducing waste free economy models into our companies and our lives and take actions that contribute effectively to the sustainability transition. In the pre-project desk research conducted by Partners with the purpose to identify the elements affecting the ability to learn from the experience and from scientific evidence, Partners identified 4 main elements that hinder the change process to economy models supporting Green Deal philosophy of no waste:1. The lack of a direct, evident connection between the individual behaviour and its impact on possible environmental transition. It is difficult to perceive individual actions as linked to circular economy, feel responsible and react accordingly;2. The slow pace of change and the irregularities that are typical of circular economy. Humans are very bad in perceiving slow changes in the environmental conditions3. The feeling of impotence, especially when considering the size of the problem, and the lack of a clear way to address it as a small organisation. There is a lack of concrete proposals that single entities can accept and adopt, and a lack of social support promoting more acceptable behaviours;4. The lack of feedback about the effectiveness of the actions taken by the SMEs. SMEs would like to have information about the consequences of their actions and, in particular, to know if their changes have a real effect, if their commitment is shared by others (that is, if they are not the only ones) and which is the real collective contribution to the solution of the problem. Through the above reported analysis, the approach adopted by the Project has been designed for enhancing the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education and training for local communities by sharing approaches and supporting the dissemination of best practices on waste free economy. Moreover, the project determines how to best leverage existing resources for transition and to reconcile information from different sources. Finally, the project will offer complementary support to the more consolidated communication campaigns on waste free economy, by improving the capacities of all Partner organisations active in the fields of education and training, notably in the areas of environmental strategic development and targeted activities for specific groups.Needs & challenges SMEs are confronted with can be summed up as follows: - missing knowledge & understanding of the waste free economy processes in general & the introduction and implementation within the company in special- lack of awareness of waste free economy benefits & advantages for SMEs and for the environment of transition to waste free business models among SME managers & leaders- lack of positive & inspiring real-life good practice examples illustrating the transition process & providing recommendations & guidance to SME- missing information and even awareness of different and unique competencies needed for waste free business model transition - lack of materials, information & trainings customized to the requirements of SMEs who would want to start the transition process and get involvement of all staff in it<< Objectives >>Project objectives are correlated with the needs of the target groups; Partners want to focus on: SME leaders, managers, VET educators as well as Partner organisations’ employees. SMEs due to their agility are often a driving force behind huge changes and in the case of transformation from waste management business models to waste free ones, the necessary change will influence all aspects of organisations operations: internal and external.Based on the pre project analysis as well as intensive consultations within the Partnership, Partners will pursue 3 main objectives: 1. Encourage SME leaders to start the transformation process and develop Waste Free Economy Policies and Implementation Action Plans for their organisations and to set examples for other SMEs 2. Catalogue and develop SMEs’ leaders and Project Partners’ competencies necessary for successful transition to the Waste Free Economy, and encourage their development as sustainability change agents.3. Equip VET providers with ready made learning structures, best practice examples and tools to support the adaptation of their training offers to SME leaders and staff needs to develop the skills needed in the area of sustainable development.<< Implementation >>PROJECT OBJECTIVES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED VIA THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES & RESULTS:Ad Objective 1: Result 4 Waste Free SME Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) comprises an array of resources and tools needed to assure SME leaders that transfer to waste free economy model is worthwhile and doable. We believe that involving SMEs in Project tasks and dissemination activities will encourage their leaders and employees to enter the transformation process so they become change agents for their sector. Result 1 through Result 4 support that objective with tasks demanding involvement of SME leaders, staff, partners and their staff and setting a clear path for transformation with best examples (Result1), tools and processes for transformation planning and performance (Result 2), indispensable competencies {Result 3) and resources for their development (Result 4). Ad Objective 2:2nd objective is targeted mostly by Result 3 tasks, where partners explore in depth business models of successful organisations who have undergone waste-free economy transformation, to describe one of the sources of their success - the competencies of the people who are behind it (Result 1/Task 3, Task 4). The competencies are analysed and described as sets of behaviours, attitudes and knowledge needed at the managerial and employee level to pursue successful transformation. They constitute the basis for the content of the educational modules in Result 4 - the MOOC to be used for VET skills development and also are a practical tool for SME leaders and HR specialists to asses inhouse competencies and plan their development either on their own or through VET educators.Ad Objective 3:Waste Free SME MOOC (Result 4) is the source of knowledge about waste free economy with best practices from Result 1, a step by step guide for assisting SMEs in Waste free business model transition; with methods and worksheets developed in the Learning Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA) and procedures from Result 2, the Competence framework as a reference point for recruitment and development and a set of modules targeting the skills and knowledge from Result 3 indispensable in SME for successful transformation it is an excellent source of expertise for VET providers as well as SME managers who would like to train their staff on their own. CORRELATION OF RESULTS WITH PROJECT ACTIVITIESActivities of Result 1 will lead to development of Compendium of waste free economy transformation success stories from SMEsDuring the LTTA Partners will define the methods for incorporating waste free economy principles into business strategies. These will be later used in practice and verified in the course of implementation of Result 2: Step-by-Step Policies Portfolio and Action Plans development.Result 3: Competence model for new jobs required by SME waste free economy model transformation will be developed through 5 tasks supported by Partners’ analysis. Production of the MOOC (Result 4) will use adapted Results 1-3 deliverables and include developed waste free economy educational content.6 National Infodays in PL (2), IT, BG, HR and LT are planned on the months corresponding to implementation of the MOOC that will comprise all Results so that SMEs can see the path for waste free model transition.Transnational Project Meetings are correlated with the work on Results and are planned at key times for specific Results development.<< Results >>2Good2Go Project foresees the following results:1. Result 1: Compendium of waste free economy transformation success stories from SMEs2. Result 2: Step-by-Step Policies Portfolio and Action Plans3. Result 3: Competence model for new jobs required by SME waste free economy model transformation with indications for learning modules 4. Result 4 MOOC - “Waste Free SME” including adaptation of Result 1, 2 & 3 deliverables: a. lessons learnt and business casesb. a set of documents (templates/procedures) describing the implementation process for Waste Free Economy Policies with revised tools & evaluation conclusions with instructions to design and lead the transfer to the waste free economy model in a SMEc. competence model for new jobs required by SME waste free economy model which can be used for SMEs personnel development or recruitment d. knowledge modules to develop the specific competencies defined in Result 3. 5. ‘Let’s Not Waste’ LTTA provides knowledge, skills and tools for transition to the no waste economy model.6. 6 National Infodays in IT, PL (2), HR, LT and BG to share and promote 2Good2Go Results.Through active participation in LTTA and in Result 2 activities, 6 Partners will start developing 6 state of the art policies & action plans for introducing waste free economy model in their own organisations.Non tangible results:SMEs will:- learn about waste free economy concept and the influence they can have on environment, - develop the understanding that their actions matter and can set good examples when they adopt the methodology necessary for the transition to it and implement the transition process. Partners’ organisations staff will broaden their knowledge about waste free economy and the tools and methods for the transition towards it as well as their implementation and will start “living the change''.

Our society becomes ever more knowledge and innovation-intensive, thus rising new requirements for necessary competencies for people both in work and everyday life. The Fourth industrial revolution brings wide automatization in various fields, so people with low technological skills become less competitive in labour market (The EP resolution on creating a competitive EU labour market for the 21st century, 2015). Creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, basic technological literacy becomes a must for young person prosperous life. Future skills forecasts show that the greatest skill shortages could occur across STEM-related field. Europe continues to face a low number of students interested in studying or pursuing a career in the STEAM field. No different are consortium partner countries (Education at a Glance, 2016). According to the OECD research, pupils see STEAM as boring, not related with real life and hard to study. As another piece of research shows teacher is the main factor, who influences choosing STEAM related profession (K–12 education in STEM for America’s future, 2011). There is a lack of various guidelines for schools which would be based on real experience, practical knowledge and schools’ best know-how practices. According to the article, “teachers are highly effective when they feel supported. For example, if someone helps teachers identify areas of development, identify opportunities or paths for teachers to take on leadership roles, provide teachers with access to additional resources for the classroom, etc.“ (Promoting More Equitable Access to Effective Teachers, 2015). There must be a developed system for supporting teachers and helping them achieve better results, through trainings, guidelines and best practices sharing (Linking schools with science, 2011). The Consortium is composed of 6 organisations from 3 different countries, which have different experience within STEAM and science education fields and institutional diversity. These schools have different experience and practice on education, moreover, methods and even the structure of education systems is quite diverse. The diversity for this project is very important because it aims to adapt the guidelines to any country school. Other 3 organisations are education stakeholders. At least 20 000 people will benefit from this project. All partners will be involved in every activity to some extent because consortium has chosen iterative IO creation process. Every intellectual output will have a core team working with the product and leading organization from that team, other partners will have ‘friendly critic’ role. There will be 3 intellectual outputs developed IO1 - STEAM methodology (methodological framework for STEAM education, which will include STEAM manifestation models, state of the art analysis of existing modern technologies that are used or might be used in education (3D printing, robotics, virtual reality, etc.) and emerging trends (genetic engineering, augmented reality, etc.), STEAM readiness level model and self-check tool of STEAM implementation for schools), IO2 - STEAM implementation guidelines (will be practically-oriented deliverable, which will include guidelines for school-business-NGO-etc. partnership development, exemplary descriptions of using new technologies in education, a guide for integrating different school subjects, a template of STEAM implementation plan, etc.), IO3 – Best practices and open educational resources (will have the user-experience based template for gathering and sharing best practices and open educational resources). The project management relies on the basis of internal procedures, which follows ISO 9001:2000 quality standard. This quality management system includes the following key processes of organization: Quality management system; The management’s responsibility; Efficient resources management; Product realisation; The measurement, judgmental analysis, improvement. After the project education system as a whole, individual politicians or bureaucrats will have practical tools for implementing STEAM readiness level model nation-wide and also self-check tool for schools to understand at which point it stands at any given moment. Thus this might lead that created SRL would be adopted European-wide or nationally. The Project will have a long lasting impact (because of ‘hands on’ approach, which will ensure deeper understanding) in various areas (main areas stated in Impact part). Furthermore, this impact will be increased by project continuity and usage of developed material. The biggest impact is expected and wanted on a local level (schools and stakeholders). Continuing this position, consortium desires that all created material would serve not as ranking tool, top-down obligations, but as guidelines for school improvements, leaving for them to decide at which level of STEAM implementation they want or need to be.