<< Background >>Citizenship is always implicitly present in the way the next generation is educated and socialised.The fostering of capacities and dispositions to participate in society and democracy are of vital importance – the role and concept of citizenship education has been undermined, and a great absentee on the debate kick-start of the next generation Europe. According to the Network of European Citizenship Educators (NECE), every major study shows significant implementation gaps and inequalities in all member states, when it comes to the delivery and quality citizenship education, showing deterioration in recent years. Nonetheless, education and democratic participation have an all-encompassing, transversal, and irreplaceable role in our societies.The pandemic has been a long-lasting moment to reflect on many things – and education was one of the most important, on the particular topic of citizenship education. Government authorities have called on the population to understand and recognized how their actions can have repercussions, consequences, and implications on others, have relied and counted on their citizens to deal with pressures and uncertainty, to understand and trust on scientific information and to think critically and wisely. Without citizenship education other priorities are not accomplishable to its fullest: Recognizing that citizenship education is a critical component of, for example, the green transition to global sustainability or maintaining democracy in a digital world. It is necessary to take advantage of every opportunity to establish learning opportunities and offers, materials, resources, and practices in each of these areas where Europe aspires to be a leader. It is necessary to focus on the crucial role and responsibility the competences of citizens in democracies hold, in the type of values and quality of citizenship that democracies seek to promote. On the other hand, all of these competences of citizens always return on the long term to the governments who fostered them.The European Education Area which the European Commission is committed to building by 2025 provides a framework in which the European Union could prioritise citizenship education. The Council of the EU has identified active citizenship as one of the pillars of the European Education Area, but as not yet made proposals for reinforcing this key competence of lifelong learning. Nonetheless, in order to foster social cohesion at a time of increasing social and cultural diversity, and to have basic democratic values flourish – citizenship learning offers are irreplaceable.These core issues are simultaneously both a deep concern and great hope. Hence, this project initiative proposes an opportunity to find solutions based on accessible learning settings, equality, empowerment, and autonomy, firmly established on a holistic conception of active citizenship learning. There is, therefore, a proclaimed and overwhelming need for active, digital, citizenship education offers, that can address these issues, complement and bridge the gap between citizenship learning, agents of change in communities, and the ones that are further away from it: marginalised adults – in a shifting society. European Commission (2020). Towards a European Education Area by 2025Milanese, Niccolò (2020). A watershed moment for citizenship education in Europe. Social Europe<< Objectives >>The START POINT project has the following objectives:-Develop attitudes of personal and social responsibility of young disadvantaged adults, particularly those between 20-30 years old, in the constitution their life projects, in a perspective of training for participatory citizenship, for lifelong learning, democratic participation and community engagement;-Empower social actors and facilitators of change and adult educators in the community to work with disadvantaged adults between 20-30 years old in citizenship learning, democratic participation and civic engagement;-Develop and apply key transversal citizenship skills, such as critical enquiry, social justice, media literacy critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, peacebuilding, and personal and social responsibility though a tailored digital learning offer matching up to date needs;-To promote a culture of freedom, participation, reflection, quality democratic, and European shared values highlight the responsibility of each one in the processes of personal and social change.-To contribute to the development of a democratic spirit and practice, through the adoption of participatory processes in public life and in the assumption of rights and duties as a guarantee of their individuality and of social cohesion.-Build and develop skills for living and contributing in changing societies of increasing diversity, multiculturalism, encourage intercultural dialogue and civic integration;-Participate in and contribute to contemporary global issues at local national and global levels as informed, engaged, responsible and responsive global citizens, and responsive global citizens.-Make clear that citizenship is the core value that gives people the knowledge and skills to understand, challenge and engage with democratic society including politics, the media, civil society, the economy, and the law.<< Implementation >>The START-POINT consortium proposes a holistic approach to supporting citizenship learning, civic integration and democratic participation of young adults with disadvantaged backgrounds. Partners will place adult learners of all ages and community educators at the centre of the pedagogic development and design process and ensure that the opinions and perspectives of the eventual target groups inform the development process. The project work plan is designed as a series of sequential phases that will contribute to the overall objectives of the START POINT project being met. Throughout five division of the work plan, the work plan milestones are as follows:Month 1:- All partners will sign the partner agreement with KulturLife.- The team will host the first TPM in Portugal.- CSI will present the Indicative content for the community audit tools - The Project Management Plan, Quality Assurance and Evaluation Plan, Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and the Impact Plan will all be drafted by their respective partners.- The first press release will be shared online.- The project website, Facebook page and branding strategy will be developed by their respective partners.Month 2 – 8:- Partners will complete financial, administrative and dissemination reports in month 6.- Partners will complete quality assurance and evaluation activities.- The first newsletter will be produced and distributed.- The team will plan and host the second TPM in Finland.- Prototype modules for the Digital Citizenship learning toolkit will be developed by respective partners.- All prototypes will be tested and evaluated by Local Working Group members, project partners and members of the Project Management Committee.- INTERAKTION will lead the development of the Community Learning Programme and set the key learning outcomes to be achieved.Months 9 – 15:- Partners will complete financial, administrative and dissemination reports in month 12.- Partners will complete quality assurance and evaluation activities.- Relevant partners will complete 12-month impact assessment report, quality assurance and evaluation report and summary dissemination report.- The second newsletter will be produced and distributed.- The Audit Report will be signed-off in English, produced in English, translated into all partnerlanguages and produced in all partner languages.- The content of Digital Citizenship Learning Toolkit and the Community Learning Programme will be signed-off in English, awaiting translation into all partner languages.Months 16 – 20- complete financial, administrative and dissemination reports in month 18.- DRPDNM will develop an Exploitation and Sustainability Plan in month 18.-complete the implementation of the Local Participation Programmes;- complete quality assurance and evaluation activities.- The third newsletter will be produced and distributed.- The team will plan and host the third TPM in Austria.- plan for the C1 – Joint-staff Short-term training event in Slovenia in month 17.- deliver the Digital Citizenship Learning Toolkit for Parents to 10 adult learners.- deliver the Community Learning Programme for Parents to 10 community educators.- circulate the political action survey.- plan for the Digital Citizenship Learning Hub to be held in Germany, Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Finland, and Cyprus. - plan for the final conference to be held in Germany.Months 21 - 24- participate in an impact assessment.- complete financial, administrative and dissemination reports in month 24.- complete quality assurance and evaluation activities.- The fourth newsletter will be produced and distributed.- The team will plan and host the final TPM in Germany.- inalise the Political Action Plan and present it in the Final Conference.- host the Digital Citizenship Learning Hub to be held in all partner countries.- host the final conference in Germany.<< Results >>The START POINT project has the following outcomes:-Develop attitudes of personal and social responsibility of young disadvantaged adults, particularly those between 20-30 years old, in the constitution their life projects, in a perspective of training for participatory citizenship, for lifelong learning, democratic participation and community engagement;-Empower social actors and facilitators of change and adult educators in the community to work with disadvantaged adults between 20-30 years old in citizenship learning, democratic participation and civic engagement;-Develop and apply key transversal citizenship skills, such as critical enquiry, social justice, media literacy critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, peacebuilding, and personal and social responsibility though a tailored digital learning offer matching up to date needs;-To promote a culture of freedom, participation, reflection, quality democratic, and European shared values highlight the responsibility of each one in the processes of personal and social change.-To contribute to the development of a democratic spirit and practice, through the adoption of participatory processes in public life and in the assumption of rights and duties as a guarantee of their individuality and of social cohesion.-Build and develop skills for living and contributing in changing societies of increasing diversity, multiculturalism, encourage intercultural dialogue and civic integration;-Participate in and contribute to contemporary global issues at local national and global levels as informed, engaged, responsible and responsive global citizens, and responsive global citizens.-Make clear that citizenship is the core value that gives people the knowledge and skills to understand, challenge and engage with democratic society including politics, the media, civil society, the economy, and the law.This project outcomes will be achieved through the planned project results: Firstly, an up to date, specific and comprehensive Audit Report (PR1) the will be based on a field research and provide the theoretical basis - and clear needs to respond, in which the following outputs will developed. Secondly, because nowadays, “digital” is the native environment of young adults, bridging the gap of citizenship learning only makes sense through digital design – therefore, a digital citizenship learning toolkit will be adapted and available in online format (PR2). Through the Community Learning Programme (PR3), this project will also be addressing facilitators who are potential change agents in the community, fostering the development of social and intercultural competences and intercultural dialogue in the community setting. The local participation projects will ensure the project not only analyses the possibilities and instruments for political and democratic participation of disadvantaged adults between 20-30 years old at risk of social exclusion and marginalisation on a theoretical level and provide important training and competences for adult and community educators to facilitate a democratic participation process but also realise a concrete participation Lastly, the Political Action Plan (PR4) for the development of a political action plan for empowerment and democratic participation of marginalised young adults people involving all relevant stakeholders in the partner countries.These outcomes translate in to 100 young disadvantaged adults completing the Digital Citizenship Learning Toolkit (PR2); The START-POINT consortium will gather efforts to ensure that at least half of our proposed qualitative reach for PR2 engagement will be target-group representatives with fewer opportunities in a local and national level. 60 adult and community educators will completing the community learning programme, and 18 marginalised adults having the chance to create and implement a local participation project, and a Policy Action Plan to reach a wide spectrum of decision-makers.