BackgroundResults emerging from multiple research projects have been showing promising possibilities for the inclusion of ICT in schools. However, the actual adoption of ICT in schools is much less successful. Although several factors might be at play, we believe that two important ones concern the need to foster knowledge in schools regarding:- The connections between their existing technological infrastructure, its potential for teaching and the possibility of repurposing these technologies in accordance with concrete pedagogical goals.- Ways to implement sustainable ICT policies, acknowledging digital technologies trends, novel pedagogical practices and empowering primary users and relevant stakeholders.ObjectivesThe project promoted practices to help schools reach an e-mature level (as explained by the NCTE). More specifically, the project focused on the wise use of ICT in schools and to ensure that teachers, students and other stakeholders are able to:- Exploit the benefits of the investments made in ICT infrastructure,- Gather and document successful ideas on how to apply innovative uses of ICT infrastructures at schools and support the exchange of such practices,- Reflect on and promote the adoption of novel educational models, ideas and experiences that link digital artefacts and learning.The consortiumThe project’s partners Departments from University Education of Weingarten (Germany), the Open University of Cyprus (Cyprus) and Linnaeus University (Sweden) have a long experience in: (i) teacher training, (ii) fostering the implementation of novel pedagogical practices in schools and (iii) leading research projects in education and ICT in schools. This experience also translates into close partnerships with schools at regional level as well as established relationships with educational organisations at national and international level.Description of activitiesThe project run for three years. Initially, the ICT infrastructure as well as the e-maturity of the participating schools and the practices regarding the ICT infrastructure at schools were assessed and analysed in close cooperation with the school teachers. Corresponding information was analysed at different levels of abstraction, taking the form of scenarios and patterns, and collected in the eSIT4SIP inventory, which was complemented with OER resources from the web. Furthermore, the consortium designed and created a digital environment utilizing the eSIT4SIP knowledge base that facilitates the effective search and reflection on the analysis outputs created. The system contains a decision support component, allowing to search for technological alternatives with educationally equivalent functionality. All these together allow for an innovation process that enables stakeholders to reflect on their current practices, consider alternatives and design modifications. MethodologyThe initial analysis of the schools’ existing infrastructures was performed by the consortium through visits and interviews in close collaboration with the partner schools. Additional OER resources were discovered and integrated with a web-scraping approach. The development of the knowledge base contained the design and implementation of ontologies for learning and infrastructure, to provide for enhanced search mechanisms. The knowledge base was developed taking a design-based approach with a strong focus on usability issues, thus targeting to provide optimal support for users.Results and impactThe activities referred to above generated the following:- A knowledge-base (KB) collecting practices' descriptions, allowing searching and browsing for ICT-related learning scenarios and instructional design patterns, available at www.esit4sip.eu. - A dynamic and integrated inventory of learning scenarios and instructional design patterns, currently around 300 scenarios, drawn from participating schools and as OER from different sources in the web, provided to the public via the eSIT4SIP KB. - An innovation process utilizing the KB and its inventory, including a general mechanism to identify alternative implementations of learning scenarios with the above listed types of technologies and tools, based on the invention of the concepts of micro-activities and learning tool affordances.- The design of a recommender system, which suggests to teachers scenarios that could be implemented in their teaching given their didactic problems and opportunities and the infrastructure available.Long term benefitsthe project’s results can provide a set of tools that will enable schools to reflect on their current ICT strategies and pedagogical goals. In turn, such reflection will empower schools to refine their ICT strategic plans and be able to reach an e-maturity level. The more such a system is used the richer its knowledge base and the more relevant its recommendation become.

In recent years the field of archeology has undergone comprehensive changes in the way it defines its goals, increasingly in relation to its impact on society and to its ability to fit into the market supply of cultural services. Thus, one of the main challenges currently facing the management and conservation of archaeological heritage is the design and implementation of specific training aimed at defining new professional profiles that have to be formulated in relation to the actual needs of the sector (heritage management, educational and cultural services, digital technologies for the conservation and dissemination, etc.). Therefore, the aim of this project is to propose and establish some first lines of this professional training in so called public archaeology, which has to complement traditional academic higher education in the field of archeology and cultural heritage. This pilot training model will be based on the exchange of ideas and experiences with professionals, academics and students of European countries with different traditions and practices related to cultural heritage. The ultimate goal of the project is the development of evaluable educational methods that allow to strengthen the relationship between higher education and cultural and educational organizations and companies working in the framework of public archaeology and cultural heritage in order to increase their sustainability and competitiveness, both referred to the emerging professional themselves and to the organizations and companies as a way of adding value to their human capital.Specifically, the project aims to design and exchange experiences of theoretical and practical training for graduate and postgraduate students in the field of public archeology, as well as to produce an integral curriculum, teaching materials and methodological guidelines that will provide guidance for its gradual implementation into European higher education curricula. The project will be structured by the organization of four short courses with the participation of students of the partner universities over two years, combined with local and international meetings of academics and stakeholders aimed to design contents, methodologies and assessment models for the incorporation of public archaeology in European academic training schemesFurther, the project intends to improve the skills of graduate and postgraduate archaeology students related to two main aspects by means of the organization of short courses in each of the partner universities. On the one hand, students will receive an international research perspective that allows comparing the latest research of archaeology and its impact on society in the different countries. Moreover, students will improve their skills in the practice of social commitment that benefit individuals and society in general in cost-effective ways based on the results of recent academic research.

Low-Carbon Economy Transformation through Sustainable Energy Modernization and Access in Lesotho (LETSEMA) is collaboration project between University of Turku, Finland, Linnaeus University, Sweden, National University of Lesotho and Bethel Business and Community Development Centre, Lesotho. The project strives to develop the capacities of NUL and BBCDC to provide equitable, digital and future-oriented quality education on sustainable energy that promotes inclusiveness, diversity and creation of green jobs.As a Strand 1 project, LETSEMA strengthens the sustainable energy ecosystem in Lesotho, bringing the largest university in the country and a leading vocational institute into the fold of Erasmus+ Capacity Building for the first time. Project activities focus on (1) developing institutional capacities in management, administration, monitoring and evaluation, (2) improving equitable access to digital and high quality learning opportunities and (3) enhancing the capacities to provide high quality experiential and hands-on learning opportunities in the field of sustainable energy. COVID-19 has forced many educational institutions around the world to quickly pivot their activities into online and blended modes. LETSEMA takes advantage of this development and aims to further develop and entrench digital pedagogies to the context of sustainable energy education in Lesotho. The project examines existing sustainable energy curricula, introducing new online and blended courses and redesigning pre-existing ones to fit online and blended modalities. This development also promotes the accessibility of sustainable energy education.The overarching challenge that LETSEMA addresses is the existential risk imposed by climate change. By promoting the employment sector connections of sustainable energy educators in Lesotho, LETSEMA influences the growth of green jobs in the sustainable energy sector while also promoting mitigation responses to climate change.

"Images of the young carer can be traced as back as far as the 11th century. Whilst novels, and media images, tell us something about the changing nature and experience of young carers in Europe, surprisingly little knowledge has been gained from research or official statistics. So, whilst there is considerable literature which focuses on the lives and needs of informal carers in the community, most of this fails to examine in any depth the particular experiences and needs of young people who care (Fallon, 1990). This also means that the barriers and enablers for their educational, training and employment avenues remain largely unexplored. Due to this knowledge gap the extant curricula, methodologies, material, opportunities and courses are not always fit for purpose. Despite of being under the radar of educational and social justice policy, the number of young carers is not to be underestimated. Just in the UK it is estimated that there over 1.5 million carers below the age of 35. A quarter of them have being carers before the age of 16 (Parker, 1994). In Italy, there are 170,000 young carers and 25,000 (under 17) in Sweden. There are no national statistics on the young carers in Greece. We also know from evidence that young carers face additional barriers to education, training and employment. For example, according to a research by Carers Trust, young carers aged between 16 and 18 years are twice as likely to be not in education, employment, or training (NEET) than their peers. According to Eurofund, young people with an immigration background are 70% more likely to become NEET compared to nationals.Research has also showed that the majority of young carers tend to come from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups (BAME). For instance, in the UK young carers are 1.5 times more likely than their peers to be from BAME communities, and are twice as likely to not speak English as their first language. We now have enough evidence to know that BAME groups continue to be disadvantaged in our modern society due to discrimination. On the other hand, providing care can also enable a young person to develop personally and to gain life skills that can also facilitate the transition to adulthood and lead to very positive outcomes for young carers. It is also estimated that billions of Euros are saved by European public services due to young carers.Young carers need to be given the recognition, opportunity and support to flower as individuals and as carers. Guidelines for action need to be based upon up to date evidence that involves them.The Care 2 Work project aimed to respond to this knowledge gap through a youth-led methodology. Inspired and motivated by the priorities of the EU Youth Strategy, the C2W project will bring together young people and professionals to establish a cross-sector, transnational Strategic Partnership in order to design and implement innovative practices and come up with a set of accredited, reference documents that will: (a) empower young BAME carers (b) increase the capacity of service providers, notably in the areas of integration, equity and inclusion, and discrimination.Focusing on the Europe 2020 Strategy, C2W aims to foster integration, social equity and inclusion through a two-tier approach i.e. by empowering and involving directly marginalised youth in its delivery, while at the same time increasing the capacity of organisations servicing them. In line with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty to ""encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe"", through non-formal learning activities and the development of an evidence-based training programme, C2W will promote innovation, exchange of experience and know-how between different types of organisations providing services to youth with fewer opportunities."