European Projects

Loneliness, isolation and social exclusion are important risk factors that can lead to poor health in older people, especially in the absence of family networks or insufficient family support. The DISK project (Digital Skills for an Ageing Europe) aims to address these problems through the promotion of active ageing, encouraging seniors to adopt a range of good practices to preserve their health through the use of new technologies. DISK is a transnational initiative carried out by eight different organisation and support thanks to the co-financing of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. One of the key major output delivered by the project is training toolkit compiled and delivered by partners designed to help seniors in strengthening their memory and cognitive capacities. The toolkit is available in six languages and it is accessible for free, in open access format and with no need of log-in registration. The structure of the toolkit is as follows: Training Area 1: Memory Training Area 2: Executive functions Training Area 3: Perception Training Area 4: Attention The content per each training area is further breakdown into sub-didactic units and training modules, each of which with their own learning outcomes, recommendation and support references so as to provide for a comprehensive learning experience. In a later stage of implementation, the training material has been piloted with representatives of target groups (i.e., senior learners and adult education providers) so as to test and validated the pedagogical relevance and reliability of the content within. To access the training deliverables produced by partners, please consult: https://diskproject.eu/toolkit/

On November 10, 2022, IT Solutions for all joined the second transnational meeting of MORE, a Project co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission, which brings together eight Partners from six different countries (Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Romania and Spain). The meeting was held in hybrid mode and hosted by IHF in Brussels. Partners gathered in a crucial phase of the project. The MORE consortium is completing the study on the multifunctionality of rural women as a new paradigm for rural development and regeneration, culminating in the delivery of final guidelines and recommendations. Partners also discussed the status of the implementation of co-creation events and the delivery of training courses. In the co-creation events, primary stakeholders have been involved in the activities, enabling the collection of crucial inputs to design training & educational tools responding to the stakeholders’ needs. The project management and methodology involve developing personalised project management, quality assurance and dissemination plans, and monitoring/evaluation tools. Thanks to the presence of Partners with a high level of experience and multiplication potential, the project will benefit from increased visibility and impact at the national and European levels. The MORE project aims to improve access to and quality training opportunities and qualifications for rural EU women. Some of the critical skills needed for rural women empowerment include digital literacy, entrepreneurial mindset to be social entrepreneurs or self-employees, multilingual competencies, adaptation to climate change and ways to promote rural sustainability, work-life balance, and flexibility to adapt to radical changes such as the ones imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on our societies and economies. MORE will improve access to these qualifications by developing high-quality educational content, easily replicable in other EU countries. The MORE OER platform is available at https://www.moreproject.eu/, providing specific info on project aims, activities and results.  In the project, IT Solutions For All is the technological partner of the project, especially in charge of the development of the REA Platform, the project website, as well as the BackOffice for the management of the project content, its maintenance and updating during all phases of the MORE implementation, and even two years after its completion. For further information on MORE and other IT Solutions for all initiatives: Website: https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_interna https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

IT Solutions for All has participated in the “Málaga Voluntaria Awards”, which took place on December 5th at the Cervantes Theater.  They have been awarded Womet, Asites, María Esperanza Oña and Fundación El Pimpi, also received a special mention Carmen Martell Pino of the Asociación Vive. It has been a great opportunity to share this enriching night with the volunteers of Malaga, who every day make their contribution to the community.  We have presented the Disk project, which aims to ensure active aging for the elderly, helping them through new technologies.

On 13 October 2022, the second MORE co-creation event organised by partner ITSFA took place, in which 11 VET trainers participated. During the event, the current status of the project was presented to the attendees, as well as the different points that would be discussed during the session, with the aim of obtaining feedback on the training developed so far according to the needs of the target group. After an introductory brainstorming session, participants provided suggestions as well as positive feedback on the training that will soon be available on the OER platform. Discussions on the critical points that the training should cover acted as a guiding thread for the further development of the developed training module. Among the key points discussed was the importance of providing the necessary tools for the target group to enhance their skills, with an emphasis on fostering independence in the search for new resources. It is about giving wings to rural women so that they can fly on their own. All comments and inputs were collected in a second co-creation report that will serve as inspiration for the partnership and for future projects. The MORE project “Multifunctional role of women as a key driver for rural development” aims to improve the access to, and the quality of, training opportunities and qualifications of rural EU women, in today’s society where women assume a “multifunctional role” in the multi-faced context of their families and social and labour ties. Obtain more information about the MORE project: https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

Digital Skills for an Ageing Europe: third TransnationalProject Meeting of DISK On September 22nd 2022, partners joined the third transnational meeting of the DISK project, an initiative co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Programme of the European Commission. DISK gathers 8 organisations from 6 different countries (France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Republic of North Macedonia). The meeting took place in Malaga, hosted by the Spanish partner ITSFA. The main aim of the meeting was to assess the development of the project and its Intellectual Outputs, in particular IO4. After checking the status of the OER platform, partners shared their experiences regarding the Test & Validation activities and defined a timeline for the production of the Guidelines and Policy Recommendations. Those partners, who had already carried out T&V sessions, reported that they collected positive feedbacks from the target group. Learners were satisfied of the training developed by the Consortium and confirmed that the modules’ content will help them to close their digital skills gap and support them in some daily digital-related activities. The meeting represented also a chance for partners to start assessing the impact of the project’s results at local level and define a clear strategy to guarantee the visibility and sustainability of the DISK’s resources at national and European level. For further information on DISK: www.diskproject.eu

  On June 28th 2022, Paula Rodríguez Chirino from Radio ECCA, Canary Island (Spain), was interviewed about Radio ECCA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. Paula is responsible for the projects and international cooperation area of Radio ECCA, which is a distance education centre for adults and the coordinator of this project. In addition to its general coordination role, Radio ECCA is responsible for the creation of 10 free access courses. The contents of these courses are aimed at expanding the opportunities of women in vulnerable situations with difficulties accessing the labour market, promoting their multifunctionality by developing skills and competences. The aim of the MORE project is to promote the empowerment of women in rural areas through the development of new skills and competences that enable them to participate more in local rural ecosystems. The objective is thus to support women in a process of acquiring the necessary means for their personal and professional development and to reduce the gender gap in rural areas. For more information about MORE Project:  https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

On June 15th 2022, Fran, the CEO of IT Solutions For All, Málaga (Spain), was interviewed about ITSFA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. ITSFA is a social NGO that seeks training in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) for those people who lack the necessary knowledge to function comfortably in our technological world.  Within the project, ITSFA is the technology partner responsible for the development of an OER (Open educational resources) platform where all materials that will be created during the two years of the project will be uploaded. The platform can be accessed completely anonymously without the need to register. The project is aimed at women in rural contexts, who take on a multidisciplinary role to improve the quality of life of their families. The aim is therefore to promote their multifunctionality, increasing their knowledge and skills, and consequently reduce the gender gap present in rural contexts and improve the quality of life of these women and their families. For more information about MORE Project: https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw 

On June 15th 2022, Roberta Albertazzi from IT Solutions For All, Málaga (Spain), was interviewed about ITSFA’s role in the MORE project and the objectives pursued within it. ITSFA is a social NGO that seeks training in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) for those people who lack the necessary knowledge to function comfortably in our technological world.  Within the project, ITSFA is the technology partner responsible for the development of an OER (Open educational resources) platform aimed at improving the status of women in rural areas. A series of courses, designed to improve the skills of rural women, will be uploaded onto the platform in order to promote their multifunctionality. The project addresses the concept of the multifunctionality of women, particularly women in rural settings, who cover different roles within the society. Despite the fundamental role of women in the economic development of the community, there is still a gender gap in access to training and employment. The aim of the project is therefore to empower these women by giving them the opportunity to improve their skills and the quality of their personal and professional lives. For more information about MORE Project: https://www.moreproject.eu/  https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw

On June 6, the Kick-Off Meeting of MORE Project (Multifunctional role of women as key driver for rural development) took place. The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, which brings together seven Partners from six countries (Belgium, Italy, Romania, Greece, Spain and Poland). The Kick-Off Meeting, hosted by IHF, was originally planned in Brussels, Belgium but had been rescheduled and developed in Pescara, Italy, due to partners’ agreement. The MORE project (“Multifunctional role of women as a key driver for rural development”) aims to improve the access to, and the quality of, training opportunities and qualifications of rural EU women. MORE actions try to improve and promote the multifunctional role of rural women by enhancing their wide range of skills and encouraging and motivating their participation in local ecosystems. To fulfil this aim, the project will design the first training programme in order to improve and promote the multifunctional role of rural women by enhancing their wide range of skills, encouraging and motivating their participation into local ecosystems. MORE addresses needs and priorities recently confirmed by the EU Parliament that states that the role of women is essential to save rural areas in Europe, whose population is expected to shrink to almost 8M by 2050 compared with urban population that will reach 24M by 2050. The MORE project will conduct its work within 5 EU project countries – Spain, Romania, Poland, Italy and Greece, where 7 rural territories (Rural Women Hubs) will be selected. The project products will be co-designed with stakeholders to ensure that the project activities address rural women’s needs. Overall, 490 people will be reached by hubs’ activities.  MORE will ensure a strong participative approach during the whole project, while promoting transnational cooperation. It will disseminate the results at EU level and ensure wide replication of project results by multiple VET organisations outside the partnership. In order to achieve these, a MORE Digital Community Platform for Multifunctional Women will be available for knowledge and experience sharing, gather insight for the co-creation process and allow online interactions within rural women, practitioners and relevant groups of interest. For more information about MORE Project:  https://www.moreproject.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/MORE-Project-112021021533837/?ref=page_internal https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiuQGwsLFT6RiOurR8regdw