by Susanne Hauer
Exciting news from the SLEAD project as our latest partner meeting took place in the vibrant city of Cascais, Portugal, on the 19th and 20th of October 2023. This event coincided with the energy-packed Iron Man race, adding a dynamic backdrop to our gathering. Initially, a major weather storm threatened to overshadow our plans. With safety as our priority, the meeting began digitally, with participants collaborating from their respective hotel rooms. However, as the storm proved milder than expected, we swiftly transitioned to an in-person format, embracing the spirit of adaptability and resilience.
Our Portuguese partner organisation, NUCLIO, adept in handling Erasmus+ projects, hosted this remarkable meeting. Their expertise and proximity to Cascais provided an ideal setting for our intense agenda, mirroring the athletic vigour of the concurrent Iron Man event.
The meeting kicked off with a thorough analysis and discussion of the comparative country analysis, a crucial step in understanding the diverse educational landscapes across Europe. This comparative analysis is designed to provide a comprehensive exploration and analysis of the civic education landscape in various European countries, focusing on how different models and frameworks contribute to developing democratic competencies.
This set the stage for the main agenda: strategizing the content and didactic approaches for our upcoming online training in Service-Learning. The partners collaborated intensively, outlining the training programme, scheduling webinars and self-study phases, and setting future milestones. A significant portion of our time was dedicated to planning the dissemination and acquisition strategy for the training. This involved detailed discussions on public relations efforts, ensuring our message reaches a wider audience and garners the engagement it deserves.
As we continue to forge ahead, the insights and strategies developed in Cascais will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the project phases to come! Stay tuned for more updates as we progress with our mission to foster democratic values and active citizenship among the youth through Service-Learning.