DBI- Don Bosco International Brussels, 13th October

Mission DBI represents the Salesians of Don Bosco in the European platforms and institutions: through a dedicated Salesian presence at EU-level; as a channel of communication between the EU institutions formulating policies in the fields of Education, Culture and Youth, and Salesian entities, networks and NGOs; promoting and supporting national and trans-national Salesian projects and initiatives that engage with the various international platforms and institutions; coordinating the impact of local, national and trans-national initiatives undertaken by Salesian entities, networks and NGOs.

1. Poverty and Social Inclusion Our Priorities 1. Poverty and Social Inclusion 2. Migrations and Refugees 3. School to work transition 4. Giving voice to “voiceless”

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Don Bosco Youth-Net ivzw is an international network of Salesian youth work offices and youth organisations which work in the style of Don Bosco. The network assemblies: 17 organisations 1.077 employees 9.011 volunteers who cater for 124.455 children and young people in 15 European countries The task of the network is to create and promote international activities for and by young. Next to that we create possibilities for our member organisations to share their good practices and start-up new projects together. All actions are based on the pedagogical system of Don Bosco, a pedagogical approach with a tradition of over 170 years

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Some key points of Inclusion of “Excluded Youth”: In all Member Organizations of DBYN there is a clear focus on young people at risk of social exclusion. Many activities allow some of these young people to have a first international experience. DBYN has established a priority on inclusion on young refugees, which in 2016 has managed to bring refugee participants to all its activities (March, April, July and September) DBYN has a solidarity fund to provide additional support to those participants which might require it.

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 1 Training Course on Social Entrepreneurship 27 volunteers from 12 European countries took DBYN’s challenge to learn how to successfully apply for Erasmus+ projects into 1 week. In order to do this, DBYN transformed the Don Bosco Youth centre of Groot-Bijgaarden from 4 to 11 September into an Erasmus+ incubator. Using the model of a cooperative working space, the participants could work each morning on their project concepts. Each room had a specific focus: internet café, meeting room, reflection room, microteaching room and a coffee corner. Each participant was responsible to decide how she or he best could rework what has been learned during the input sessions of the afternoons into their own project concepts. The afternoon input sessions were either in the form of study visits or workshops.  The evenings were reserved for inspiring sessions, like an evening walk with inspiring stories on Don Bosco’s work as social entrepreneur: his battle against illiteracy, the mutual aid societies, his apprenticeship contracts and his workshops.

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 1 Training Course on Social Entrepreneurship At the end of the week, the participants developed 8 projects which they pitched to a panel of experts. These 8 projects are available for review on our dedicated website www.donboscoyouthincubator.net, along with information on the Erasmus+ programme and many other resources useful for project management.

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 1 Training Course on Social Entrepreneurship

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 2 Training Course on Advocacy for Human Rights for volunteers 22 participants from 9 different countries to Vienna for the 6-day European training course ‘Speak Up!’. An intensive course on youth advocacy and refugees ran by Don Bosco Youth-Net. The training course aimed to develop competences of the participants in developing and implementing advocacy actions while focusing on the impact on local, regional, national and European level, in particular policies affecting young refugees. The programme had a competence-based approach. They  start-off with a simulation game about refugees and border officials. Stakeholder analysis allowed the participants to consider the role of government, media, NGOs and citizens in advocacy. Later on the participants looked at Human Rights. A guest speaking from the Fundamental Rights Agency gave the participants an overview of the FRA’s work and Human Rights today in Europe.​ The participants were challenged to train their competences in developing a campaign in support of refugees, aimed at different target groups (youth centres, schools, general public). They got feedback on their campaign to enable them to improve and develop campaigns to take home to their organisations.

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 2 Training Course on Advocacy for HR for grass-roots volunteers

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 2 Training Course on Advocacy for HR for grass-roots volunteers

Erasmus + Youth: DBYN Best Practice 2 Training Course on Advocacy for HR for grass-roots volunteers

Erasmus + T-VET Some key points: There are around 300 Don Bosco T-VET Centres in Europe catering for more than 25.000 students every years. Since 2012 there has been a group called “project managers” in which educators/teachers or project officers gather once a year for: Updating on EU policies and Erasmus+ news Look for new partners Design innovative new projects There is only one NGO-status structure for T-VET in Italy, called CNOS-FAP, which is the leading partner of this group. Only between 2015 and 2016 they have provided learners and teachers mobilities for more than 300 individuals.

Erasmus + T-VET Best Practice 1 E-day Car (Institut Lemonier, Caen) Three schools from France, Bulgaria and Italy Simultaneous learning of many different subjects using innovative methods in the three countries (e-twinning) Project around an electric car (included a road trip with it)

Erasmus + T-VET Best Practice 2 Peinando Europa (Federación Pinardi, Madrid) 2 weeks exchange programme with initial VET students from Madrid Region going to Italy. (early-school leavers) They attend the regular programme in another VET centre . Initiative carried during the last four years, since 2011, and has benefited 46 young people. Pre-departure language course of Italian provided by Salesians in Madrid.

Erasmus + T-VET Best Practice 3 Master-pieces contests (Italy, Spain, Hungary, France…) Some T-VET Centres organize competitions of skills at local, regional and national level supported by companies. Companies look for students with certain skills in these contest to provide them a job. Next step is organizing an EU contest to increase certain competences of the students taking part. Project has been applied this year and will son start.

Erasmus + T-VET Best Practice 4 Introducing Dual VET in Pamplona (Spain) 5 teachers mobility from Spain to Germany using the former Leonardo Programme which turn into settling the first Dual VET Centre in the Region. In 2015 they were granted with KA103 for 5 teachers and In 2016 they were granted with 5 mobilities for apprentices in a Company in the UK Centre counts on a job placemente office.

For more information please contact us: dbi@sdb.org THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION For more information please contact us: dbi@sdb.org