We consider the Life Skills for Care Leavers one of our most important projects. We hold the vision that every child and young person should be fully supported in becoming fulfilled individual and citizen. We also believe that doing the necessary for that to happen is the most rewarding investment we can do as a society. For this reason, we are extremely thankful for the European Comission’s support without which the project’s realisation would be impossible.
In order for the project to fully succeed however, we depend on the active involvement of citizens and our local communities. We need the help of decision makers, public authorities and institutions. We need the support of educational, cultural and youth organisations. We need the assistance of citizens, experts, professionals, businesses, NGOs etc., in order to be able to fully fulfill our objectives. And there are so many ways that you can help us. Here below are some ideas:
- You can become a volunteer mentor for a young person leaving care and assist him/her with building their life project.
- You can help us with your knowledge, skills, time and energy
- You can donate and help more Portuguese young people attend the European training event in France
- You can provide on-the-job training for a young person
- You can join Our European Cooperation Initiative
- You can help us expand our initiative to European countries, which are not represented in the current consortium(the project is being implemented in Portugal, France, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey)
- You can help more people learn about us by sharing information with your contacts.
For more information on how to support us, please visit the project’s page Life Skills for Care Leavers and go to the Get Involved! section.
The Life Skills for Care Leavers project aims at facilitating the transition to adulthood of youngsters leaving institutional/foster care. The project is funded under the Erasmus+ Programme, Action KA2 ‘Strategic partnerships for Innovation in the field of Youth‘.
The following tools and instruments will be created during the lifetime of the project:
- The Life Skills for Care Leavers support e- platform and mobile app where care leavers will be able to access information and guidance on the services at their disposal, provided by relevant institutions and organizations, as well as support and coaching online through the app, by phone or person to person.
- The Life Skills for Care Leavers training course for Mentors in order to ensure that the youngsters will benefit from high quality mentorship and coaching
competences. - The Life Skills for Care Leavers training course for Young People in order to complete and facilitate the work of the mentors and provide young people with a set of important skills for their transition to adulthood.
- A Tool Kit for organizations and staff in European Cooperation and mobility for disadvantaged young people containing guidance in the introduction of quality, safety, and responsibility standards for sending and receiving young people in this situation.
A six months long pilot mentoring programme will be organized in each country as part of the project, aiming at assisting young people leaving care to receive continuous support during their transition to adulthood. During the process they will acquire specific social, financial and organizational skills and competences which will allow them to successfully transition to adulthood and reduce significantly their risk of social isolation and improve their educational and vocational outcomes. Two international training events, one for mentors and one for young people, will be also implemented.
The project has been developed by Association Redefine team and is part of our consistent effort to support local and European partners in the implementation of innovative practices. The consortium is lead by ORRPA, France and includes partners from Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey and Italy.
