PeerAct - Upscaling peer-to-peer anti-bias education for promoting common values

Project Reference: 612137-EPP-1-2019-1-BE-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN

Dates: 15/01/2020 to 14/01/2023

Duration: 36 months

Financed by: Erasmus+ KA3 - Support for Policy Reform

The Project Card is available to view on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform

The project partners:
EPTO - Belgium (applicant organisation)
Ofensiva Tinerilor - Romania
Youth On The Move - Romania
Par - Portugal
Humanitas - Slovenia
Volonterski Centar Skopje - Macedonia 
Pomoc Deci - Serbia
European Institute of Education and Social Policy - France

"PeerAct" Kick-off Meeting for project partners, 12-13 February 2020, EPTO office, Brussels

Background

Discrimination and intolerances among youth based on religion, gender, ethnicity, race, disability or sexual orientation or simply not fitting the social norms can be seen in many countries today. This situation is not compatible to the values on which the EU was founded and a solution for combating this phenomenon is needed. We believe that non-governmental youth organisations need to tackle this issue and for this they need an effective solution and resources that can be implemented at local level. 

Why PeerAct?

EPTO has developed a peer-to-peer solution to address these issues. At its foundation lies the "A world of difference – AWOD” ® training programme, which has been used for more than 20 years and which has already proven its effectiveness in fostering non-discrimination, tolerance, solidarity and equality on more than 350 000 worldwide beneficiaries. The programme uses interactive methods such as simulations, small and large group discussion, role-plays, dramatizations, that generate experiences which later help participants reflect and draw conclusions about the ways in which differences impact our daily lives. 

The project

Scale-up the implementation of the AWOD programme by replicating it within the 5 countries, where the project partners are based: Romania, Portugal, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia.
Develop and disseminate a framework for cooperation that will allow this non-formal learning process to be included in the European formal learning system as a complementary means to facilitate the acquisition of the fundamental EU values in schools.

With this project we equipped 1700 youngsters across these countries with the necessary social and civic competencies that make them embrace the values of non-discrimination, tolerance, solidarity and equality. 

Activities 

The training programme implemented followed a three-stage process, allowing peer trainers to develop the competences needed to facilitate workshops with young people in their local communities. 

1. Thematic Awareness Training (TAT) – a 5-day initial training for youth and youth workers, tackling the training topics. The training used the AWOD™ methodology to stimulate the acquisition of social competences and understanding of fundamental values of non-discrimination, tolerance, solidarity, and equality. Following this first training, peer trainers were able to deliver short workshops (6 hour-format) online and in-person.

2. Train the Trainer (TTT) – a 5-day training for peer trainers who attended a TAT and wished to improve their facilitation skills so that they could replicate the process in their local environment, i.e., by facilitating thematic workshops on the topic, using the AWOD™ methodology. After this second training, peer trainers were able to deliver long format workshops in-person (20 hours spanning over 3 to 5 days).

3. Peers to Pro – a 5-day training for peer trainers who attended a TTT and wished to earn certification as “trainers of trainers”. This allowed the peer trainers themselves to become programme multipliers at local level as they created their own local network of facilitators.

In between trainings, peer trainers implemented a series of local workshops involving young people in their own communities. The purpose was to give peer trainers the opportunity to test their facilitation competences using the AWOD™ methodology. 

Results

According to the impact assessment that was carried out, the activities within the project helped the young population develop a very important set of skills and competences in a total number of 1016 persons. Moreover, over 80% of all participants have shown increased knowledge, understanding and acceptance of the fundamental values of non-discrimination, tolerance, solidarity and equality and over 100 young persons were equipped with the knowledge, skills and overall competence to become certified peer trainers and most of them have expressed their desire to continue being engaged as trainers for trainers at national level and as promoters of respect for diversity, prevention of peer violence based on prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination against those who are different on any account, as well as in confronting racism.

 Project output 

As part of the project, we developed a guide on "How to upscale peer learning activities".  You can download it below.