EXPEERTS.club expands Diversity & Inclusion

The concrete objectives of the project were to provide safe learning spaces for women, enhance their career readiness, promote best practices in career and leadership, foster inclusion and diversi...

The concrete objectives of the project were to provide safe learning spaces for women, enhance their career readiness, promote best practices in career and leadership, foster inclusion and diversity in women's networks, provide education on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and expand EXPEERTS' and JAMBAs reach and impact through the inclusion of women from different backgrounds and the formation of new learning teams. A very specific objective of the project was to co-create learning materials for a 12-week cohort-based online course on equity, diversity, and inclusion in a collaborative process with the target group and partner, and to test it with at least three test teams during the project's course. The aim was to optimize and publish the final version of these "meeting manuals" under the title "All about EDI." The project's objectives were aligned with the priorities of improving the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for adults and stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices. To achieve its objectives, the project used a combination of in-person and online methods to deliver training, education, and collaborative learning opportunities.

During the implementation of our project, we steered and coordinated the entire project, including elaborating on the concept with our partners and team members. We used remote team work tools to facilitate communication and collaboration. To disseminate and market the project, we used various platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, EPALE, Newsletters, and our homepages. We conducted three kickoff meetings, including one in Vienna, Austria, another in Sofia, Bulgaria, and a final online meeting via Zoom. We designed and sent out a short survey to members of our target audience to collect content and input. This was aimed at gathering contributions and insights from the target audience, which we then used in the course's design. All course content was collected on a Miro Board and discussed before being added to a Google doc. During the implementation and test-run, participants of our class of learners gathered via Zoom and offline in Sofia for 12 weeks to go through the course we designed. At the conclusion of the 12 weeks, we certified our learners for their participation in the course. Finally, we evaluated the project's success and transferred knowledge gained to improve and publish the learning material.

Our project successfully achieved its main goal of developing a 12-week program on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EDI) through co-creation with our partner organization and project participants. Our 12-week course/programme on EDI is now available for free download in English and Bulgarian languages on our website. Furthermore, our project created a network of women learners and professionals across nations and continents, who are equipped with strategic goal-setting, goal-tracking, and goal-measurement skills. The participants are now aware of biases in themselves and others and have the ability to navigate diverse environments. We also nurtured women who are willing to speak out against injustices and discrimination in their workplaces and communities. Our project has successfully equipped women with the skills to work in remote teams, and they are now intentional about practicing EDI in all areas of their lives. Our project also established a space of inclusion for specially abled women, which was a crucial outcome of our work.