Progress on the Path of Digitalisation

Background In "ProPaD - Progress on the Path of Digitisation" five volunteering organisations (IBG Germany, Egyesek Hungary, CBB Belgium, INEX-SDA Czech Republic and Lunaria Italy) were working together to advance on the path of digitalisation. All five partners are NGOs with a focus on the format of "international work camps"; all of them had so far used digital tools only as a complementary measure (for communication, recruiting or preparing volunteers, or as a partial element). The cooperation was intended to initiate new impulses and developments concerning digitalisation for the entire international work camp sector, to develop new formats and to reach additional target groups. Objectives The central project goal of ProPaD was the joint development and testing of digital tools in the work with volunteers and international volunteers as an important and necessary supplement to the existing offers of the partner organisations and work camp organisations in general. ProPaD focused primarily on training and further education for prospective and already active volunteer group leaders, as well as on concrete forms of digital volunteering in international groups that meet the relevant criteria of the international work camp format. The results have been developed in a form that has produced sustainable effects and products that will prove to be transferable and usable for all work camp organisations, and in some cases already have. The user base is not only limited to European organisations, but the products can in principle be used by work camp organisations worldwide. At the same time, the project debated the basic opportunities, possible applications and the limits and restrictions of digital approaches and tools for the organisations and laid the foundations for follow-up projects. We see ProPaD as an important contribution to the further development of European youth work and the professionals active there. Implementation The activities implemented were: + general coordination of the project + Preparation of detailed work plan + Creation of the beta version of the digital training for camp leaders (IO1): + Feedback processed and summarised. + Creation of final version of the digital training for camp leaders (IO1): + Creation of in-depths training modules "Inclusion" and "Interculturality" (IO2): + Review of milestones + Give more visibility to digitisation as an issue in international youth work. + Test run of the beta version of the digital training + Finalistion of the digital training (IO1+2) + Creation of online library "virtual work camps as a new format" (IO3): +Presentation and dissemination of the results +Conducting multiplier events for professionals of international work camp and youth exchange organisations in four project countries Achievements With the end of ProPaD, 3 concrete products are available that can be used by work camp organisations in Europe but also worldwide as tools for international youth work: 1. An English language digital training for group leaders in international workcamps. A concept for a blended-learning format was developed, which follows the principles of non-formal learning, is dialogue-oriented and is intended to enable prospective volunteer group leaders to successfully lead an international work camp. 2. Two in-depth modules on the topic of 'Inclusion' and on the topic of 'Interculturality' were designed. As digital training opportunities, both modules are available to active group leaders in particular, but can also be used by new group leaders. Both modules are easily accessible as a supplement to the existing training courses. In this way, they can independently acquire qualifications that enable them to work confidently and responsibly with volunteers with special needs and reflect on their own role and identity in an intercultural environment. 3. Experiences with completely virtual volunteering projects were collected, reflected upon and compiled in the form of 'best practices' and are now available in an online library.