Posts in category: News

The 5th Meeting of Inclusion and Diversity Officers, held online on September 10, 2024, and organized by SALTO Inclusion and Diversity in Education and Training (SALTO ID ET), brought together more than 35 Inclusion and Diversity Officers from National Agencies across Europe, as well as representatives from the European Commission.  

Staying Sane: What is Mental Health and How to Nourish it through Erasmus+? 

After a warm welcome by Josip Luša, who introduced Lidija Živković as the new head of the SALTO ID ET, the meeting began with a lecture on mental health and the role of educational institutions in promoting it, given by Petar Dukić, an integrative body-oriented psychotherapist and the facilitator of the event.  

The presentation was followed by a good practice example: a Czech Erasmus+ project titled Complete Study Abroad Experience – International Mental Health Program, introduced by a member of one of the project partners, Dr. Gediminas Blaževičius from the Department of Applied Mechanics at the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.  

Education and Mental Health Go Hand-in-Hand 

In the second part of the meeting, the attendees were divided into three parallel working groups, tasked with discussing how educational institutions can work on supporting and promoting mental health with different stakeholders: national agencies, teachers and parents. After a lively discussion, which prompted an exchange of good practices but also raised some very important questions, the groups reported their conclusions and shared ideas on how SALTO ID ET could help them in their future work with applicants and beneficiaries regarding this topic.  

The event wrapped up with a dreaming circle session, led by  facilitator, who encouraged participants to let their imaginations run free when it comes to visions of an inclusive society.   

Our most recent publication, Research on the needs of beneficiaries on the topic of inclusion and diversity in the Erasmus+ programme, is part of the September edition of Salto News.

In this edition, you can also find out how to include one of the horizontal priorities, participation in democratic life, in your projects and why it is important; get familiar with ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators; explore topics of new season of ID Talks and register. 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.

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

Considering EU survey findings that most Higher Education students are excluded from the Erasmus programme due to financial reasons, the Erasmus for All Project aims to address the low participation rates by proposing a more applicable scholarship scheme. The project’s goals are to reduce economic disparities within the EU and promote fairness, inclusion, and equity in mobility grants.

Its objectives are to:

• Keep the topics of inclusion and equity in the policy agenda;
• Build a shared understanding among key stakeholders on the desired trajectory/evolution of the Erasmus+ grant system;
• Engage with policy and decision makers on resource allocation strategies that address the needs of the political goal of widening participation in mobility;
• Provide relevant and in-depth input for the mid-term review of the new Erasmus+ programme.

The implementation of Erasmus for All will encompass the organisation of a series of activities, events and publications. Firstly, the team will conduct a mapping of other scholarship funding models to benchmark for the more advantageous examples of grant schemes. This activity will be complemented by a desk research and multiplier event. Second round of activities will be led by working group in charge of designing a more inclusive grant scheme and publishing a document that gathers the methodologies used in developing this proposal. Thirdly, the organisation of a small-scale impact study will set a pilot-experiment with a sample of real Erasmus participants with similar financial conditions (economically disadvantaged). Lastly, partners will prepare a Policy Paper with recommendations based on the conclusions of all the previous activities. The partner institutions will address policy makers in a final conference „The future of Erasmus is for all!“.

Erasmus for all partnership consists of several partners (Sapienza- University of Rome, University Paris-Saclay, University of Pécs, Trinity College Dublin, European University Foundation, European Students’ Union) and two associate partners (SGroup – Universities in Europe, German Academic Exchange service), with University of Porto holding the coordinating role.

In July edition, we encouraged you once again to follow, like, and share our new social media channels: Facebook and LinkedIn. We’ll share the latest news, tools, and publications from our SALTO centre, as well as updates from other SALTOs, the European Commission, Erasmus+, and more.

You can also learn more about the ID Forum 2024, the European Solidarity Corps Staff Meeting, and the Erasmus+ TCA Seminar “Key Enablers of a Transforming Digital Education Ecosystem,” which will take place in September 2024. Additionally, the July edition brings plenty of new publications and open calls.

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!

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