Posts in category: News

On June 11, 2024, Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth held a seminar in Zagreb focused on enhancing the social dimension of higher education. The event aimed to present the ongoing activities of the National Group for Improving the Social Dimension of Higher Education and the Ministry’s related projects.

Loredana Maravić, Head of the Department for Higher Education Development, welcomed around forty attendees. Vice-rector of University of Dubrovnik Sanja Žaja Vrbica presented the work of the National Group, while dr. Ana Skledar Matijević from the Institute for the Development of Education showcased their projects and publications. Josip Luša from SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training presented our work and highlighted how we support national agency’s staff and beneficiaries in inclusion of persons with fewer opportunities in Erasmus+ programme. The first part of presentations concluded with Horia Onita, President of the European Students’ Union, who discussed current European policies. During the discussion, various higher education institutions presented their projects aimed at improving the social dimension.

The segment dedicated to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) was opened by Loredana Maravić, who emphasized the importance of this process. Christina Paulus from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna and Associate Professor Dunja Škalamera Alilović from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Rijeka shared their experiences and methods.

The final discussion highlighted the importance of continuously organizing such events to educate the academic community and facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices among higher education institutions.

We are very happy to announce that you can now follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn! 

On our Facebook page, we’ll share the latest news, tools, and publications from our SALTO center, as well as updates from other SALTOs, the European Commission, Erasmus+, and more. 

We’ll also post on the SALTO Network LinkedIn, the common profile of all 11 SALTO resource centers. 

So, follow us, like, and share to stay up to date! 

The European Commission organised the annual Erasmus+ National Agencies’ Meeting from May 21 to May 23, 2024, in Brussels. The three-day event was held at the Bluepoint Brussels and brought together staff from Erasmus+ National Agencies across Europe to discuss key developments and strategies within the programme. The comprehensive agenda featured both horizontal sessions that addressed overarching topics (accreditation systems, EU values, centralised actions, data analysis etc.) and sectorial sessions focused on policy updates, the future of Erasmus+, practice sharing, monitoring etc.

As part of the sectorial sessions, Josip Luša, Head of SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET), delivered three workshops tailored to different educational sectors. The first workshop, held on May 22, focused on school education, while the subsequent two workshops, on May 23, were dedicated to vocational education and training and adult education, respectively. Each workshop followed a structured format, beginning with a 30-minute presentation that highlighted the progress and ongoing efforts of SALTO ID ET in supporting inclusion and diversity within the Erasmus+ programme. Following the presentations, participants engaged in 60-minute interactive sessions designed to explore how SALTO ID ET can further enhance its support to National Agencies, beneficiaries and applicants. These discussions were highly collaborative, with participants actively contributing ideas and sharing best practices related to inclusion from their respective countries. Key insights and takeaways from each of the sessions were summarised during the 15-minute reporting period.

The three workshops were attended by over 100 participants from 54 National Agencies, representing a diverse range of perspectives and experiences from across Europe. During the workshops, participants not only discussed the role of SALTO ID ET but also shared examples of successful inclusive practices, whether initiated by National Agencies, beneficiaries or through national initiatives. The collaborative nature of these workshops was further enhanced by the use of Padlet, where participants could add relevant information and resources, creating a rich repository of ideas and best practices.

The Erasmus+ National Agencies’ Meeting provided an excellent platform for SALTO ID ET to showcase its work and engage directly with key stakeholders. The workshops were an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from across Europe, gather a wealth of new ideas and refine future initiatives to better support inclusion and diversity within the Erasmus+ programme. The feedback and contributions received during these sessions will play a crucial role in shaping the future direction of SALTO ID ET’s work.

The headline of this edition is the great news that 20,000 subscribers have joined our SALTO Newsletter. Many thanks to those who subscribed! If you haven’t subscribed yet, and want to stay up to date with the SALTO network, make sure to subscribe to SALTO News! 

In this edition, you can find out more about ID Forum 2024, (T)raining & (C)ooperation (A)ctivities in Education and Training organized by SALTO E&T TCA, and explore resources on digital transformation and the potential of the European Solidarity Corps in a webinar. Besides that, there are many open calls and new publications. 

SALTO News serves as the official newsletter for the SALTO community, a network consisting of 11 resource centres dedicated to promoting and enhancing the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs. 

The DIG.I.T.ABLE (DIGital Inclusive Trainers for AccessiBLE Education) project is a two year initiative funded by the Erasmus+ programme, running from 2020 to 2024, and coordinated by the Italian organisation Studio Saperessere. It aims to define a training standard for inclusive digital trainers, implement a VET training standard and transfer to participants innovative teaching approaches, engagement strategies and user-friendly tools for the development of learner centred inclusive digital trainings. As part of the project, an online event is being organised by the InterMediaKT organisation, one of the five partners from seven European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, and Italy.

The one-hour event will take place on Saturday, 25 May 2024, at 14:45 EEST, in an online format in Greek and with English interpretation. For more information, please visit Facebook or LinkedIn.

If you are interested in discovering more about the project results and impact, exploring a social business leveraging technology for digital inclusion, and experimenting with a screen reader to discuss adapting platforms for inclusivity, register HERE.

From April 9th to 11th, the SALTO Inclusion and Diversity (Education and Training) took part in the Annual SALTO Meeting 2024. Held in Helsinki, the main goal was to strengthen connections between 11 SALTO resource centers. SALTO Digital (Finland) hosted the meeting, together with the support of SALTO South East Europe (Slovenia), bringing together about 30 participants from all SALTO resource centers.

During two intense working days, we had productive discussions, shared experiences, and collectively planned the future of the SALTO network. We also explored opportunities for collaboration among various SALTO centers.

Keep an eye out for updates on the latest activities from our SALTO center and the SALTO network!

Photo credit: SALTO Digital

The 4th Meeting of Inclusion and Diversity Officers (ID Officers) took place from March 19th to 21st in Dubrovnik, organized by the SALTO Resource Centre for Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET). Around 30 participants from 28 national agencies (NAs) in all areas of education and training, as well as youth, attended the meeting.

It started with a warm welcome speech from the head of SALTO ID ET, Josip Luša, and continued with a presentation of the results and activities of the SALTO ID ET in 2023 and plans for 2024 by Tajana Krstonošić and Petra Habulin, SALTO team members. Later, participants engaged in workshops discussing three topics: the roles and responsibilities of Inclusion and Diversity Officers, the applicability of tool for planning inclusive events, and the development of an inclusion index tool for primary and secondary schools. All three workshops were moderated by facilitators, SALTO team members, and colleague Ivana Majcen from the Slovenian NA (CMEPIUS).

The second day began with a presentation by Monika Auzinger from 3S (Austria), who presented research on the needs of beneficiaries in the field of education and training in Erasmus+. The research is in its final stages and will be published on the SALTO centre’s website. This presentation was followed by four sectorial workshops, during which participants discussed and made suggestions for strengthening the inclusive component of the program in various sectors. The afternoon was reserved for study visits to beneficiaries in Dubrovnik who have successfully addressed inclusion and diversity in their projects under the Erasmus+ program: the University of Dubrovnik, and the Bonsai Association for Civil Society Development.

On the third day of the meeting, Marta Gutierrez Benet from the European Commission emphasized the importance of inclusion and diversity in Erasmus+ and networking of ID Officers, while Henrique Gonçalves from SALTO YOUTH – Inclusion and Diversity presented the results of research on the impact of the Erasmus+ program in the youth field. The program concluded with a networking session, during which participants discussed various topics and questions.

Workshop hosted by Austrian National Agency (OEAD) hosted and delivered by our SALTO ID ET on 16^th January found its place in February Edition of SALTO News. The workshop focused on the topics of outreach to organisations and planning of inclusive events.

In this newsletter edition you can also get inspired by great projects on three different priorities of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (digital transformation, green transition and sustainable development, participation in democratic life) or winners of the SALTO awards in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, you can find the link to follow the webinar series Digitally Empowered Teachers, and check out current open calls and new publications.

SALTO News serves as the official newsletter for the SALTO community, a network consisting of 11 resource centres dedicated to promoting and enhancing the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs.

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

Once again SALTO Inclusion and Diversity (ID) in Education and Training, together with SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Youth, hosted an online training course ID Kitchen. Training targeted staff from youth, education and training, as well as cross-sectoral national agencies (NA). It was held from 5th to 7th February aiming to (i) support non-inclusion officers to develop their competences related to ID issues and approaches and (ii) to maximise the results and impact of NA’s work in the field of ID.  

The 4th edition of the training helped participants to gain better understanding of the ID, equipped them to support ID Officers in their NA and beneficiaries and provide opportunity to exchange ideas and share practices.  

While waiting for the next edition of the training, check out ID Kitchen Podcast!