ATOM - Supporting Social Inclusion of Young People

<< Background >>Based on EUROSTAT data, in 2020, 25.4% of young people aged 15-29 in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The economic crisis of the past years, enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated social exclusion and poverty among young people, as shown in Italy (+28.8%), Greece (+32.8%), and Lithuania (+21.4%). Social inclusion is a key-topic in the EU Youth Strategy, which emphasizes equal opportunities, youth work potential, a cross-sector approach, intercultural awareness, and youth rights education. These points prompted the creation of the ATOM project, aimed at contributing to the EU Youth Strategy using an innovative approach, the VIBES method. The project addresses the needs of three specific target-groups:1. Participant organisations (PO), that need to acquire and improve professional skills for their staff through innovative approaches.2. Youth Workers (YW), in need for more transnational training opportunities to improve their continuous training.3. Young people (YP), that need more opportunities for their future and spaces to grow, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.<< Objectives >>By implementing the ATOM project, we achieved several local and transnational key objectives:1. We promoted social inclusion among young people by fostering intercultural, social, and critical thinking skills through the innovative VIBES methodology.2. We enhanced professional development of youth workers equipping them with innovative tools and methodologies to better support and engage with marginalized youth. We offered transnational training opportunities, fostering international sharing of professional knowledge.3. We addressed the barriers faced by young people in accessing new opportunities by designing an empowerment non-formal pathway (ATOM Workshops) based on the principles of unity and diversity. These workshops were intended to help young people unlock their potential and become active members of their communities.4. We established the ATOM Communities and organized events to promote equity and equality, ensuring that the project's impact would be sustainable. ATOM improved outreach to disadvantaged youth, creating inclusive environments that promote equity and equality. By supporting youth workers' development and sharing methods to reach marginalized youth, ATOM contributed to the European Youth Work Agenda.<< Implementation >>1) The ATOM Booklet for Youth Workers, which involved a kick-off meeting in Lithuania, the creation of a competence framework, and the development of activities and assessment tools based on the VIBES approach. This booklet was validated and disseminated to youth workers across Italy, Greece, and Lithuania. 2) The “ATOM Train the Trainers” event in Italy, where youth workers from the partner countries were trained on the VIBES methodology. This training aimed to validate the booklet and prepare youth workers for the upcoming workshops with young people.3) The ATOM Workshops for Young People in Italy, Greece, and Lithuania. These workshops involved many young people, focusing on topics related to social inclusion, such as human rights and hate speech. The workshops utilized the VIBES approach, incorporating elements like storytelling, music, and art to foster intercultural, social, and critical thinking skills. Each partner focused on different types of activities (CHALLEDU on theater, TALENTIX and ART-INN on events organisation and cultural exchange).4) We held ATOM Community Events in each partner country, where young people co-designed and organized events to showcase their workshop results.<< Results >>The ATOM Booklet is the main output of the project. It is a resource designed to support youth workers in promoting social inclusion among young people. The booklet is based on the youth workers’ specific needs. It provides individualized assistance that can significantly impact their lives. The booklet is enriched by a Competence Framework that provides a structured approach to improve both hard and soft skills, fostering empathy, productivity, and quality of work within organizations.The ATOM Workshops are another valuable output of the project. They re-connected the youth workers trained during the Activity 2 “Train the Trainers” and the youth people they work for. All the activities carried out during the workshops have been detailed in the Chapter 3 of the Booklet.The ATOM Workshops terminated with the creation of a media result for each Country. Each media result presented the activities conducted and has been published in all the project’s communication channels, as described in the Dissemination Report.The media results have been shared during the Final Event. During this international meeting, some of the young people involved in the workshops described each other the activities that took place and what they learned.