MYgrant METHAMORPHOSIS in action!

Europe is undergoing so called “migration crisis”. More and more people come to EU countries searching for a better future. As a result, it is significant for youth work to enable people living together in diverse societies, including “preventing discrimination on any ground”. MYgrant METAMORPHOSIS – Professionalization Of Youth Workers – Integration Of Migrants Through Multi-Medial & Art-Based Learning (MGM) project aims to create for youth workers a supportive environment for work in favour of social inclusion of young people with migrant background and reinforce their role as (European) citizens.

 

 

Germany, Malta, Italy and Poland meet in this project to share experience, discuss differences and problems, and counteract the major challenges of youth work identified at the common EU level and at the country level. An official kick-off meeting of the project took place in the middle of October 2018 in Münster – a charming city of bicycles located in Germany. The leader of the project Bürgerhaus Bennohaus hosted three partner organisations: GUS from Italy, FOPSIM from Malta and PGP from Poland. The main objectives of the meeting were to talk about the three upcoming years of the project and of course discuss some deadlines and division of tasks for the first Intellectual Output. Additionally, the date for the next transnational meeting has been set and will take place in Valletta, Malta in March 2019.

 

MGM project offers to youth organizations the holistic approach to work with migrant youth. Youth work with young people from migrant backgrounds should not be any different from “ordinary” youth work. Need for common understanding of multiculturalism, diversity and coping with language barriers to enable assimilation and acceptance of migrants in societies. What is more, the project focuses on the need for shaping self-confidence, social and emotional skills necessary for the integration within the society and the need for cultivating the talents and interests of young people.

 

MGM project aims to achieve specific goals:

  • to develop, test and make available to youth organizations a set of innovative methodologies and tools focusing on the needs of migrant youth (multimedia & art workshops, board game, low budget events management),

  • to prepare 15 youth workers for delivery of high quality youth work based on developed methodologies and tools and for the role of ambassadors of the MYgrant METAMORPHOSIS Program, through developing their competencies in training (replace pedagogic approach with mentor apporach, stimulate and inspire young people) and providing them with online self-learning tool and library of training materials,

  • to foster creation of a free space for youth to inspire them, make them feel safe and confident in artistic expression, learning, and realization of own initiatives, by enabling wide range of arts-based workshops and applying process-oriented evaluation of skills,

  • to diversify youth organizations offers, focusing on fostering development of basic social and digital skills by cultivating young people’s talents and interests, and bridging barriers between migrant and non-migrant youth by raising awareness of multiculturalism and cultural diversity in workshops and artistic events,

  • to raise awareness of the society on the positive aspects of social integration of youth migrants to the society. The main target group are youth organizations and youth workers dealing with young people with migrant background.

The project is supported by the European Union's Erasmus + Programme.

 

Beata Jaranowska

Suggestions