"Exchange, Explore, Empower - the Power of Non-Formal Parents" is a project to increase the recognition of non-formal education, and use it as a vehicle to bridge the needs and values of the parents in the community to local formal education institutions (schools).

Participants of this Study Visit are youth workers/trainers, with parents and teachers represented to ensure ownership of, and commitment to, the local delivery as follow-up.

The aim of supporting a more positive interaction between parents and schools through the values of youth work shall be achieved through:

• Improving and to enriching two-way communication and cooperation between schools, parents and youth work in the local community, by exchanging existing experience of various models and by exploring examples of good practice in Austria

• Encouraging mainstreaming of a youth work values-based approach within the school, to enrich the learning environment of young people

• Increasing recognition and appreciation of Non Formal Education in the wider community and in formal education systems.

• Raising the visibility of the diversity of community values from an early age, including an understanding of levels of identity and senses of belonging, to initiate a cross-sectoral educational approach against radicalisation and extremist views.

• Developing the political competence and engagement of the participants, by raising awareness of the values for which they work, and underlining their multiplier effect

The Short Study Visit is the mobility part of this project: it will be 4 full programme days and will take place in Vienna.

From Saturday the 7th October (arrival day) to the 12th October (departure).

The activity brings together 10 countries, 26 participants and a Core Team of 3 experienced Trainers. Participants will be a combination of NFE experts, parents, community representatives and teachers. Using non-formal quality methodology, the focus will be learner-centred and experiential, to share practice, experience and expertise, in order that each participant returns home to implement on a local/regional level. Specific emphasis will be placed on reflection of observations and transfer of knowledge to own practice. There will be visits to different educational institutions in Vienna, to showcase a variety of models where NFE is used, as well as invited inputs from experts in the field. The themes of Exchange, Explore and Empower will be reflected in each of the intensive working days, culminating in personal learning and development of competences, as well as concrete Action Plans to take forwards with local partners on return.

Proposed outputs include: increased recognition of NFE and its methodology, on a local, regional and international level; local action plans for each partner attending, with consideration of SMART objectives, to be delivered on return back home; definite figures of impact on a local level have been agreed by all partners; future strategic partnerships to embed the linking over a longer time frame and support research into this area which could be published; development of the systems that connect community to education institutions to be transferred to other communities in areas of need, especially related to the cross-sectorial approach preventing radicalisation.

The longer term benefits of this project include the strengthening of relationships between the triangle of parent/youth worker/teacher which will become more inter-dependent.

Interested applicants should contact us before the 27th August at: gender@aheadedu.org