Need to Connect

The partnership of the “Need to connect” project felt the need to analyze and address the societal challenge of loneliness among young mothers as they are most commonly primary caregiver in the pa...

The objective of the Need to Connect (NTC) project is to fight loneliness, empower and connect young mothers through creative and empowering training and networking. In the project partners developed curriculum and training program (Open Educational Resources – OERs) based on results from Need-analysis focusing on giving the young mothers the opportunity and capability to impact and help other mothers in similar situations. The overall objective was to raise awareness of issues among young mothers in Europe, to develop OERs that can be used as a tool for empowerment and connection by all interested parties, and to build up a national sustainable community/platform of young mothers.

The Need to Connect project included three project results, six multiplier events, one learning, teaching and training activity and a final conference held as part of the training where mothers presented their experience of participating in the project.

Activities and methodologies; The project used the methodology of a Need/GAP analysis to define and gather information about young mothers in partner countries, gaps in service/support to young mothers and to better understand the needs of young mothers. The need analysis was also used as networking, reaching out to young mothers in interviews and surveys conducted as well as outreach to stakeholders through interviews. Based on Need analysis partners developed the curriculum, training program and open educational re-sources, piloted by all partners except Vilnius University. The pilot training was estimated to cover 30 hours of learning in total. After the pilot OERs were developed into a online training forum, that can be used by all young mothers and or stakeholders on the NTC platform. The Need to Connect platform was developed before the pilot training including content in English and all partner languages as well as content gathered by the partners like the results from the Need/Gap analysis, training material, curriculum. The NTC community and training platforms were developed as part of the pilot training as well as partners identified relevant existing platforms that could adapt and implement project results. All materials developed in the project are available and open for key stakeholder, municipalities, educational center or others to use.