Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only limited the way people can relate to each other and perform their most basic everyday-tasks, but has also had a significant impact on the regular delivery of education, training and youth policies. At such a critical time for our societies, access to education is proving, more than ever, to be essential to ensuring a swift recovery, while promoting equal opportunities among people of all backgrounds.

Aim

In order to the respond to the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 the Erasmus+ programme will exceptionally support:

1. Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness (in the fields of school education, vocational education and training, and higher education): These projects aim at equipping education and training systems to face the challenges presented bythe recent sudden shift to online and distance learning, including supporting teachers to develop digital competences and safeguarding the inclusive nature of learning opportunities. The goal is to reinforce the ability of education and training institutions to provide high quality, inclusive digital education.
2. Partnerships for Creativity (in the fields of youth, school education and adult education): The COVID-19 crisis has hit the cultural and creative sectors particularly hard. Partnerships for Creativity aim to engage: The COVID-19 crisis has hit the cultural and creative sectors particularly hard. Partnerships for Creativity aim to engage organisations in the fields of formal, informal and non-formal education, together with those from the creative and cultural sectors to stimulate European awareness and empower people of current and future generations - regardless of social and cultural background - to be successful innovators in their local environment. One of the goals is also to equip young people and adults with the necessary tools and competences needed to come up with creative and innovative solutions to face unprecedented risks, and societal challenges as well as to unveil opportunities that can be sought in a critical context.

Activities supported in a strategic partnership in response of the COVID-19 situation?  

1. Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness:

· activities to deploy digital tools and methods to deliver quality and inclusive education through online/virtual means, including blended teaching, training and learning; · activities to support learners, teachers and trainers in adapting to online/ distance learning; · activities to teach and promote safer and more responsible use of digital technology; · activities to understand how best to incorporate digital online technology into subject-specific teaching, training and learning, including work based learning.

1. "Partnerships for Creativity": · activities linked to reinforce all aspects of creativity in non-formal and formal education, by enhancing the development of skills and competences; · measures to accelerate digital transformation and use of digital means to adapt to the way creative products, cultural goods and events are created, managed, disseminated, accessed and consumed; · activities to promote active citizenship and social inclusion through arts, especially among young people; · activities to nurture talents and foster entrepreneurship (including social entrepreneurship) in cultural and creative domains; · learning tools and resources, materials, courses and training modules to foster creativity, culture and multiculturalism; · artistic and cultural initiatives with an educational dimension or aimed at raising awareness on societal issues and European matters (theatre plays, exhibitions, music performances, discussion fora, etc.); · activities to establish or reinforce networks and new collaboration models (notably through virtual means) stimulating intercultural engagement and flourishing of creative mind-sets among citizens, in particular young people; · transnational mobility activities that promote learning opportunities in creative spaces and cultural heritage sites, including creative residencies for artists and creators in the fields of non-formal/formal education and youth work.

To be funded, projects must address one of the following priorities:

1. Innovative practices in a digital era
2.  Skills development and inclusion through creativity and the arts

Consortium: A Strategic Partnership is transnational and involves minimum three organisations from three different Programme Countries. There is no maximum number of participating organisations. However, the budget for project management and implementation is capped (and equivalent to 10 participating organisations). All participating organisations must be identified at the time of applying for a grant.

Duration: Partnerships in the fields of education and training: between 12 and 24 months. Partnerships in the field of youth: between 6 and 24 months.

Budget: Project grants for Strategic Partnerships in response to the COVID-19 situation are capped at 300.000 EUR for projects with duration of 24 months

In case of interest please contact lnorton@fsjd.org