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European Union: A Project United in Diversity

The link between the Erasmus+ programme’s horizontal priorities—inclusion and diversity, and participation in democratic life, common values, and civic engagement—is clear: true participation can only occur when safe, inclusive spaces are created where all people—regardless of their background—can engage as equals in decision-making processes that affect them.

As topics such as active participation, civic engagement, and European citizenship gain increasing importance, they require greater attention from stakeholders at all levels. To help strengthen a sense of belonging to the European Union and raise awareness of the importance of active citizenship, the Italian National Agency INDIRE, in collaboration with 10 other National Agencies, has launched a long-term activity: PEACE – Participation Erasmus Alumni for Civic Engagement.

Designed primarily for Erasmus+ programme participants and other stakeholders, PEACE introduces European integration from both civic and political perspectives. As part of this effort, the partnership has developed a series of video modules addressing a range of topics tied to the EU’s core values and goals. These include the European elections, EU history and institutions, cultural diversity, colonialism, and more—each discussed in relation to international mobility and the Erasmus+ programme.

One standout module, Diversity in Europe and European Citizenship Education, offers valuable insights into how the priorities of inclusion and participation interact within the Erasmus+ framework, viewed through multiple perspectives and forms of diversity.

To explore these important topics and access the full video series, visit the LTA PEACE webpage.

A group photo of the participants of the 8th Meeting of Inclusion and Diversity Officers in front of a map of Europe.

8th Meeting of Inclusion & Diversity Officers

Following on the Training of Inclusion and Diversity (ID) Officers held earlier in the week, ID Officers from the sectors of education, training and youth met in Zagreb from June 11th to June 13th for their 8th meeting, organized by SALTO ID ET. The Officers were greeted by Head of SALTO ID ET, Ms. Lidija Živković, who opened the meeting by reminding them of the variety of resources on ID, which the participants then mapped out with the help of ID experts Sunčana Kusturin and Gisele Evrard, who facilitated both the Training and the Meeting. 

The sessions carried on with an exchange of practices in managing ID workshops by experienced workshop facilitators from the ranks of national ID Officers – Miriam Petra Ómarsdóttir Awad (Icelandic Centre for Research – RANNIS), Ulrike Nehls (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst, Germany) and Julia Österbauer-Vabitsch (OeAD, Austria). This was followed by valuable practical insights on the perspective of people with fewer opportunities concerning workshop management and ID measures, which were provided by journalist Ivona Šeparović, student Antonio Vicković, teacher Mirela Rimac Ešegović and student Lora Breški. The first day of the meeting ended with an exchange of sector-specific concrete best practices and challenges with documentation and the implementation of inclusion support measures in E+ mobilities. 

The second and last day of the meeting was used to „harvest“ the insights from the sectoral groups and share some final lessons from the meeting with the aim of building the capacity of national agencies and external experts for inclusive work with programme beneficiaries and mobility participants, as well as disseminating their insights further. Finally, the productive work week also saw the meeting participants mark the 25th anniversary of the SALTO network with a celebratory dinner. 

A chocolate cake with sparklers and a sign saying SALTO 25 years.

 

A photo of colorful cards and a sign that says "Training of I&D Officers"

Training of Inclusion and Diversity (ID) Officers

From June 9 to 11 in Zagreb, the SALTO Resource Centre for Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET) organized a Training of Inclusion and Diversity (ID) Officers for less experienced ID officers from the education and training sectors. The goal of the training was to strengthen their knowledge in this Erasmus+ programme priority area and improve their skills in leading workshops on these topics. The event brought together over 25 ID Officers from National Agencies across Europe. 

The meeting opened with a warm welcome by Ms. Lidija Živković, Head of SALTO ID ET, followed by an introduction session led by experienced ID trainers Gisele Evrard and Sunčana Kusturin, who facilitated the entire event. The first day of the training saw the participants set the framework for a safe and engaged learning environment as workshop participants and tackle the concept of ID in different systems and contexts. These insights were then built into sessions on preparing, facilitating and evaluating workshops and dealing with complex situations in workshop settings on the second day of the event, which closed with a special guided tour of Zagreb, based on the perspective of persecuted women throughout its history. 

According to the participants’ feedback, the training delivered  valuable practical lessons in sensitizing NA staff, beneficiaries and external Erasmus+ assessors to the importance of ID in E+ projects. The value of taking a step back to analyze both their role as participants and as workshop organizers in order to better understand the needs of beneficiaries and end users was recognized by the officers, many of whom stayed on to take part in the ensuing 8th Meeting of ID Officers in Zagreb. 

A logo of the SALTO network spelling "SALTO News", with a small airplane flying off from a yellow sun-like circle.

The June edition of SALTO News is out! 

This month, five SALTO Resource Centres, including SALTO ID ET, are proud to present a practical guide to understanding and applying the four horizontal priorities of the Erasmus+ and ESC programmes. Whether you’re new to the programmes or looking to enhance your current projects, Unlock the Power of Priorities helps you explore how these priorities can be meaningfully integrated across different sectors. 

Communicating the values of the EU well can be a challenge for many of us. One of the ways to go about it is through storytelling, which was what Communication Officers from Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps did alongside representatives of National Agencies last month in Timișoara, where they were hosted by SALTO Participation & Information, in collaboration with the Romanian National Agency.
 

In this month’s edition of SALTO News, you will also find: 

  • Numerous other videos, calls and publications. 

SALTO News is the official newsletter for the SALTO community—a network of 11 resource centres dedicated to promoting and enhancing the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. You can browse previous editions of the newsletter here! 

To stay informed about the most recent developments and never miss an update, be sure to subscribe to SALTO News today! 

A visual showing hands of various colors with the inscription "social rights" holding a group of people.

Mapping Success: EU Webinar Empowers Schools to Prioritise Wellbeing and Inclusion

The European Commission is hosting a webinar titled “Wellbeing, inclusion and school success: mapping your school’s journey” on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, from 16:00 to 17:00 CEST.  

As part of European Mental Health Week 2025 (19-25 May), the European Commission invites you to explore its new self-assessment tool focused on inclusion and wellbeing.  

This tool is designed to support teachers and school leaders in evaluating and improving their school’s policies and practices. It features targeted questions aimed at enhancing school success for all, while fostering a culture of wellbeing and inclusion.  

Participants will also be introduced to guidelines for policymakers and educators aimed at advancing mental health and wellbeing in schools. In addition, the session will provide insights into the European Commission’s Pathways to School Success initiative.  

Speakers include: 

  • Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission 
  • Oana Felecan, Policy Officer for Equity and Wellbeing, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission 
  • Anna van Duijvenvoorde, Developmental Psychologist and Chair of the Developmental and Educational Psychology unit at Leiden University in the Netherlands 
  • Cosmin Nada, Education Expert based at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, at ISCTE (University Institute of Lisbon) 
  • Eli Pijaca Plavšić, Sociologist, Independent Educational Expert and Education Policy Analyst 

This one-hour webinar is free and open to all educators, school leaders, and education policymakers. For more information and to register, please visit the European School Education Platform 

Please note: an ESEP account is required for registration. 

A logo of the SALTO network spelling "SALTO News", with a small airplane flying off from a yellow sun-like circle.

The May edition of SALTO News is out!

This month, SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training reaches out to Erasmus+ National Agencies in the Education and Training field with a tailor-made offer! If you need mentorship support from experts to develop and update your Inclusion and Diversity Strategies, contact us and we’ll put you in touch with just the right helpers. 

In this month’s edition of SALTO News, you will also find: 

  • An announcement for a partnership-building activity for a better understanding of interfaith dialogue in Białystok, Poland. 
  • and numerous other calls, webinars and publications. 

SALTO News is the official newsletter for the SALTO community—a network of 11 resource centres dedicated to promoting and enhancing the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. You can browse previous editions of the newsletter here! 

To stay informed about the most recent developments and never miss an update, be sure to subscribe to SALTO News today! 

SALTO resource centre contact

ID Check-Up: A Collaborative Dive into National Agencies’ Inclusion and Diversity Strategies

On May 6th and 7th, 2025, Inclusion and Diversity Officers and their colleagues from National Agencies dedicated to fostering Inclusion and Diversity (ID) in Erasmus+ across Europe came together for “ID Check-Up,” an online training aimed at strengthening national agencies’ ID strategies.

This initiative was rooted in the belief that an ID Strategy should be a living document: one that is continuously monitored, evaluated and adapted to national realities. Hosted by SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET), the event created a space for reflection, discussion and sharing of good practice examples.

Day 1: Monitoring and Evaluating ID Strategies

The first day kicked off with a warm welcome by Lidija Živković and short presentation on the SALTO centre and its resources related to ID Strategy by Petra Habulin Musladin from SALTO. Participants were then introduced to the theme by Adriana Popescu from the Innovative Project Arena, who provided further context on Inclusion and Diversity, including key statistics. She not only explained and reminded the participants on the variety of barriers to participation but also inspired them with real-life examples of good practice.

The spotlight then turned to the heart of the topic—monitoring and evaluation, Angela Miniati from Agenzia Nazionale Erasmus+ (INDIRE) offered concrete insights into how their agency measures and improves its ID strategy. Her presentation set the stage for parallel workshops, where participants explored hands-on monitoring tools and the strategic use of monitoring and evaluation practices.

Day 2: Updating Strategies for Relevance and Impact

The second day focused on updating ID strategies to ensure they reflect national contexts. Adriana Popescu opened the session with reflections on aligning strategies with national needs, followed by a deep dive into country-specific examples presented by Miruna Cristina Covaci-Zavoi and Nicusor Ciobanu from Romania’s national agency ANPCDEFP.

Participants then took part in breakout sessions to identify and discuss their specific ID barriers in their national contexts. Before concluding the training, participants tackled two reflective questions: “What can we learn from each other?” and “How can we work smarter—not harder—to promote inclusion and diversity?” in separate breakout rooms.

We’re proud to say that, judging by the rich discussions and open sharing of successes and challenges, the training successfully fulfilled its objectives .

Stay tuned for more SALTO ID ET events!

A man and a woman discussing in an office.

Fostering Inclusion & Diversity in Erasmus+: Tools and Cooperation for National Offices

On 29 AprilSALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training held an online event titled Fostering Inclusion & Diversity in Erasmus+: Tools and Cooperation for National Offices, aimed at Erasmus+ National Offices. The meeting brought together over 30 colleagues from the Mediterranean, Southeast Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus regions, with the purpose of presenting the available resources of our SALTO Centre and encouraging international cooperation among National Offices. 

The meeting opened with a warm welcome from the Head of SALTO ID ET, Lidija Živković, followed by a presentation on SALTO resources for supporting inclusion and diversity in higher education institutions and schools. Next came a presentation from Ivana Bijažić, International Contact Point and KA171 Programme Officer in the Croatian National Agency, on the top-up criteria in higher education, based on the Croatian example. The final session of the first part of the meeting was concluded by Suad Muhibić from the National Erasmus+ Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who presented the work of their office. 

In the second part of the meeting, two examples of good practices were introduced, each representing one of the action types open to participants from third countries not associated to the Programme: Innovating quality assessment tools for pharmacy studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina (IQPharm), a Capacity Building in Higher Education project by the University of Sarajevo, and AI4VET4AI – AI-powered Next Generation of VET, a project that is part of the Centres of Vocational Excellence action type, led by Algebra Bernays University. 

The meeting was officially closed by the facilitator, Domagoj Morić, who thanked everyone for their participation. 

Three people under discussion.

Call for members of the focus group for the development of recommendations for the monitoring and evaluation of the future Inclusion & Diversity Strategy for the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes

The SALTO Inclusion and Diversity Resource Centre for Youth and the SALTO Resource Centre for Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training, search members for a focus group for the development of recommendations for the monitoring and evaluation of the future Inclusion & Diversity Strategy for the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes. This focus group aims to bring together diverse perspectives on the monitoring and evaluation methodology with its role being primarily advisory. The participation in the focus group will last for approximately 6 months, between May and October 2025.

We are looking for 12 people (6 representing the field of youth and 6 representing the field of the education and training – school education, higher education, vocational education and training and adult education):

  • who identify as having lived experience with facing participation barriers or discrimination;
  • with experience and understanding of the Erasmus+ and/or European Solidarity Corps programmes;
  • with experience and expertise in setting up monitoring and evaluation strategies;
  • with a good understanding of the Inclusion & Diversity Strategy and affinity with the different sectors.

Each group member will receive a total fee of 360€ for the participation in all the meetings and for providing feedback.

Candidates can apply via this form until 25 April 2025.

For detailed information about the process, please refer to the call.

A logo of the SALTO network spelling "SALTO News", with a small airplane flying off from a yellow sun-like circle.

The April edition of SALTO News is out!

As you may know, the Youthpass is one of the pillars of the EU’s efforts to promote recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning in the European youth field. However, are you aware that as much as 200,000 Youthpass certificates have been issued across Europe? Learn more about recent developments in the overview.

Young people’s engagement in democratic processes is becoming ever more important. In this short video filmed at the 2024 Participation Forum in Estonia, key stakeholders from across Europe share their valuable perspectives on the barriers to youth participation and ways to overcome them. 

In addition to these highlights, this edition includes: 

  • Open calls, publications and announcements. 

SALTO News is the official newsletter for the SALTO community—a network of 11 resource centres dedicated to promoting and enhancing the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.  You can browse previous editions of the newsletter here! 

To stay informed about the most recent developments and never miss an update, be sure to subscribe to SALTO News today!