The EU NET project team is ready to share the "Recommendations for developing European cooperation of the Civil Society Organizations active in the Lifelong Learning Sector". 

After thorough desk research and interviews with managers of European networks, we have gathered together best recommendations for European level cooperation and networking. Have a look - and get inspired!

The publication is available in English, Polish, Italian, Hungarian, Icelandic and Portuguese.

The EU NET project team is ready to share the "Recommendations for developing European cooperation of the Civil Society Organizations active in the Lifelong Learning Sector". 

After thorough desk research and interviews with managers of European networks, we have gathered together best recommendations for European level cooperation and networking. Have a look - and get inspired!

The publication is available in English, Polish, Italian, Hungarian, Icelandic and Portuguese.

All interested in European networking, cooperation and networking - please feel invited to the European Networking Conference valorising the key outcomes of the “EUropean NETworking as a method for further training and exchange of ideas in the lifelong learning sector” [EU NET] project!

The Conference will take place 17th of April 2024 in the Citizenship Centre in Kraków, Poland (Centrum Obywatelskim in Kraków, Reymonta 20 Str., the building of the Henryk Reyman City Stadium). The conference starts at 9.30 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. (The nwtworking space will be opened by 4 p.m.)

The conferrence will be accompanied by the European Networking Fairs dedicated to the organisations interested in European level cooperation and networking.

The aim of the event is to share knowledge and tools developed during the 28-months long cooperation of five Civil Society Organisations from five European countries: Poland, Italy, Hungary, Iceland and Portugal - as well as to create a space for networking and European cooperation building.

We invite to the conference the representatives of Civil Society Organisations (i.e. associations, foundations, social cooperatives, etc.)/institutions/enterprises/informal groups interested in European cooperation and lifelong learning. We invite board members, workers, co-workers, owners, managers, volunteers and members.

During the Conference, the following topics will be presented and discussed:
- The interactive Toolkit on European project management dedicated to the Civil Society Organisations, in two parts: Part 1: "Project planning and designing" and Part 2: "Managing, monitoring and evaluating the project".
- Recommendations for developing European cooperation of the Civil Society Organizations active in the Lifelong Learning Sector.
- Ecological and social aspects of Inclusion and Diversity in adult education.
- Digital transformation for better distance and online teaching and learning for adults.
- Environmental awareness of the learners and educators & supporting active democratic participation of the adult Europeans.

The interested will be offered the opportunity to present their organisations/institutions/enterprises/informal groups during the European Networking Fairs (we offer a table and space to display information/promotion materials about the activities of the represented organisations. What is more, we will invite you to prepare 1-page presentation of your organisation summarising its expertise and areas of interest for the European cooperation).

The Fairs are being organised by the FIRST Network, an international network of civil society organizations operating in the area of adult liberal education (lifelong learning). The Mission of the FIRST Network is strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations and entities active in the adult education sector to operate in the international arena, enhancing innovativeness and the ability to adapt to changes in the modern world. It includes organisations from Poland, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, Austria and Spain. Perhaps it is during the EU NET conference that you will make new international contacts for the organisation/institution/group you represent?

The European Networking Conference programme is available here.

Participation in the Conference is free of charge. The participants need to cover the costs of travel and accomodation in Kraków**.

In order to register to the Conference, please fill in the registration form available here:  Join the Conference!
The registration is opened by 15th of April 2024, by 23:59 CET.

If you would like to participate, but unable to come to Kraków - feel invited to use the opportunity to participate in the 1st part of the conference online! To register tthe online participation please choose this option in the application form here:  Join the Conference!

** There is the possibility to have the costs partly reimbursed. Please contact the organisers to learn more: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Conference is being realized in the frames of the “EUropean NETworking as a method for further training
and exchange of ideas in the lifelong learning sector” [EU NET] project, co-financed by the European Union in
the frames of the Erasmus+ Programme (2021-2027)

Media patronage:

Feel invited to the virtual exchange of experiences and networking event organised by the FIRST Network! The event is expected to gather participants from Poland, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, Portugal and more. Participants from any European country are welcomed.

Time and place: Thursday, December 14th, 10.30 - 12.00 CET; Zoom

The aims of the event are: 
- Exchange of experiences and good practices concerning useful, valuable tools, methods and solutions for organizing and conducting motivating/engaging/attractive educational experience for the young adults, 18+.
- Networking and possible matchmaking for common projects in the field.

Addressees: Representatives of organisations/institutions/enterprises/informal groups related to education and employment, interested in European cooperation in the field of education/lifelong learning & youth work.

The programme: At the meeting the FIRST Network Members and guest speakers would share experiences - and give an opportunity to discuss the following topics:
- The DigiComPass Training course, based on the DigComp Framework of the European Commission, and the implementation of Flipped Learning 3.0 framework as the training approach.
- The experience in interventions against early school leaving.
- Europass digital identity as a key to personal success on the European labour and education market.
- The European youth projects participant perspective - do's and dont's for the lifelong learning organisers and providers.
- Student volunteering in digital competency development for older people.

The detailed programme of the meeting is available HERE.

Registration: The registration to the event will be opened by December 13th, 23:59 CET. The registration form is available HERE.

Feel invited to use the Toolkit on European project management dedicated to the Civil Society Organisations!

The aim of this Toolkit is to support the beginners in the field of European project management and all the persons/organisations willing to cooperate and network on the European level.

This Toolkit is primarily dedicated to the members, workers, co-workers, volunteers, and the adult learners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). We believe it may be also useful for any public and/or
private organisation; in general - a wide range of education – related organisations, institutions, and decision makers.

The Toolkit addresses the need for more practical examples, more case studies, material for further self-directed learning in the field of European projects initiation, designing, developing and realising.
It is designed as a practical and reusable resource for the practitioners in the field of European project management.

The Toolkit is divided into two parts:
1. Part 1, related to project planning and designing. The aim of the first part of the Toolkit is to guide you from a project idea to a successful proposal - is available HERE.
2. Part 2, related to project coordinating, monitoring and evaluating, is aimed to support the successful implementation of the European projects that have been co-funded by the European Union - is available HERE.

The key chapters of the Toolkit part 1, "Project planning and designing" answer the following questions:

1) How to define the project idea?

2) How to find and chose the proper EU grant programme to realise my project idea?

3) How to find and choose the project partners?

4) What is the project structure/framework?

5) What are the competences needed to realise/coordinate/manage European projects?

The key chapters of the Toolkit part 2, "Managing, monitoring and evaluating the project" answer the following questions:

1) Technical management: How to execute the project as promissed in the project application?

2) Team management - how to manage communication, relations, motivation, potential conflicts solving?

3) How to assure the right project monitoring - from the perspectives of the project manager?

4) How to assure the right project evaluation: process (time-budget-quality) and impact evaluation?

5) What are some useful project management supporting tools?

The Toolkit was developed by the FIRST NETWORK members:
Foundation of Alternative Educational Initiatives (PL), COOSS Marche Onlus scpa (IT), Folk High School Association Surrounding Budapest (HU), Rightchallenge (PT), Húsavík Academic Center (HAC) In the frames of the EU NET project, co-financed by the European Union.

Feel invited to use the Toolkit on European project managing, monitoring & evaluating!

The aim of this Toolkit is to support the beginners in the field of European project management and all the persons/organisations willing to cooperate and network on the European level.

This Toolkit is primarily dedicated to the members, workers, co-workers, volunteers, and the adult learners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). We believe it may be also useful for any public and/or
private organisation; in general - a wide range of education – related organisations, institutions, and decision makers.

The Toolkit addresses the need for more practical examples, more case studies, material for further self-directed learning in the field of European projects initiation, designing, developing and realising.
It is designed as a practical and reusable resource for the practitioners in the field of European project management.

The Toolkit is divided into two parts:
1. Part 1, related to project planning and designing. The aim of the first part of the Toolkit is to guide you from a project idea to a successful proposal - is available HERE.
2. Part 2, related to project coordinating, monitoring and evaluating, is aimed to support the successful implementation of the European projects that have been co-funded by the European Union.

The key chapters of the Toolkit 2, "Managing, monitoring and evaluating the project" answer the following questions:

1) Technical management: How to execute the project as promissed in the project application?

2) Team management - how to manage communication, relations, motivation, potential conflicts solving?

3) How to assure the right project monitoring - from the perspectives of the project manager?

4) How to assure the right project evaluation: process (time-budget-quality) and impact evaluation?

5) What are some useful project management supporting tools?

The material is available in a PDF version to download and an on-line ineteractive version, in 6 languages: English - Italian - Hungarian - Portuguese - Polish

The material is also available in an on-line, ineteractive version, in 6 languages: English - Italian - Hungarian - Portuguese - Icelandic - Polish

The Toolkit was developed by the FIRST NETWORK members:
Foundation of Alternative Educational Initiatives (PL), COOSS Marche Onlus scpa (IT), Folk High School Association Surrounding Budapest (HU), Rightchallenge (PT), Húsavík Academic Center (HAC) In the frames of the EU NET project, co-financed by the European Union.

Feel invited to use the Toolkit on European project planning & designing!

The aim of this Toolkit is to support the beginners in the field of European project management and all the persons/organisations willing to cooperate and network on the European level.

This Toolkit is primarily dedicated to the members, workers, co-workers, volunteers, and the adult learners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). We believe it may be also useful for any public and/or
private organisation; in general - a wide range of education – related organisations, institutions, and decision makers.

The Toolkit addresses the need for more practical examples, more case studies, material for further self-directed learning in the field of European projects initiation, designing, developing and realising.
It is designed as a practical and reusable resource for the practitioners in the field of European project management.

The Toolkit is divided into two parts:
1. Part 1, related to project planning and designing. The aim of the first part of the Toolkit is to guide you from a project idea to a successful proposal - already available.
2. Part 2, related to project coordinating, monitoring and evaluating, is aimed to support the successful implementation of the European projects that have been co-funded by the European Union - will be made available early autumn 2023.

The key chapters of the Toolkit, "Project planning and designing" answer the following questions:

1) How to define the project idea?

2) How to find and chose the proper EU grant programme to realise my project idea?

3) How to find and choose the project partners?

4) What is the project structure/framework?

5) What are the competences needed to realise/coordinate/manage European projects?

The material is available in a PDF version to download, in 6 languages: English - Italian - Hungarian - Portuguese - Polish

The material is also available in an on-line, ineteractive version, in 6 languages: English - Italian - Hungarian - Portuguese - Icelandic - Polish

The Toolkit was developed by the FIRST NETWORK members:
Foundation of Alternative Educational Initiatives (PL), COOSS Marche Onlus scpa (IT), Folk High School Association Surrounding Budapest (HU), Rightchallenge (PT), Húsavík Academic Center (HAC) In the frames of the EU NET project, co-financed by the European Union.

At the end of 2022 The FIRST Network counts 13 member organisations from 8 countries of the European Union: Poland, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Iceland and Spain.

The FIRST Network Members are:
Foundation of Alternative Educational Initiatives (PL), https://fundacjaaie.eu
COOSS Marche Onlus scpa (IT), https://www.cooss.it
EDUCULT - Institute of Cultural Policy and Cultural Management (AT), https://educult.at
Folk High School Association Surrounding Budapest (HU), http://www.bknsz.hu/
COMMIT (AT), https://www.commit.at
Simbiosofia Consulting and Training (IT), https://simbiosofia.it/
Rightchallenge (PT), https://rightchallenge.org/
Strangers Become Friends (AT), https://www.fremdewerdenfreunde.at/
Carpathian Foundation – Hungary (HU), https://karpatokalapitvany.hu/
The NGO Network for International Project Work (DK), https://www.ngo-netvaerk.dk/
Húsavík Academic Center (HAC) (IS), https://hac.is
European Initiative for education/ Europäische Bildungsinitiative (AT), https://www.advanced-training.net/ebi-eie/
Escuela Oficial de Idiomas Madrid-Villaverde (ES), https://www.eoivillaverde.com/

Two organisations joined the Network in 2022.

In 2022, the FIRST Network realised:

• The virtual matchmaking seminar: YOUTH WORK. Exchange of good practices & networking meeting, October 14th.
  
  The event involved also representatives of the organisations not being the FN members: in total 17 participants from 6 EU countries.
  The event was followed by a short evaluation which results give some ideas for the FN development.
  
  
• There were the Recommendations for the validation and recognition system for the European project managers working in civil society organisations developed by several FN members: FAIE (PL), COOSS (IT), FHSASB (HU), Rightchallenge (PT), EDUCULT (AT), + Interfolk (DK) & Future Worlds Centre (CY) [AER-V, Erasmus+]
  
  
• Common initiative of several FN members, ”EUropean NETworking as a method for further training and exchange of ideas in the lifelong learning sector”, [EU NET], continues [Erasmus+]
  [EU NET would be realised by 28th months, beginning from February 2022. EU NET is about developing self-directed learning materials for first-time European projects realisers as well as on further researching the legal and organisational opportunities for the European Networks. The FN Members involved are FAIE (PL), COOSS (IT), FHSASB (HU), Rightchallenge (PT) and HAC (IS)]
  
  

The FIRST Network is opened to new members! If you would like to actively involve the organisation you represent in European cooperation and networking around lifelong learning, please feel invited to join us!

Information how to get involved is available HERE.

The Statute of the FIRST Network.