CO – OP! Social Cooperatives as a tool for youth employment” is a project of the training course in the frame of the KA1 of the Erasmus+ Programme. The aim of the project is to promote business in the form of a social cooperative as a solution for different social problems, mainly related to unemployment of youth.

The name „co – op” is the common name for cooperative legal form and in the language of the youth it mean also: „cooperative or cooperation mode”, which is stand for playing together in computer games by two or more players against the artificial intelligence (source: Wikipedia). Therefore, the name of the project itself refers both to explore opportunities of work in the form of social cooperatives, as well as the need for cooperation of young people from different countries, particularly in the present, difficult economic situation.

The training course is organized by the Foundation of European Initiatives in Silesia in partnership with other EU organizations that support entrepreneurship among young people. The project will take place in the polish mountains, in September of 2017. During the project, young European from 8 different countries, will learn how to run a business in social cooperative form and how to respond by that to a variety of social problems. They will learn how to fundraise, work in a team and know benefits of multiculturalism at work. All activities will be conducted by non-formal education method and with support of variety of IT tolls (blended education method).

The result of the project will be increase youth chances in the labor market by disseminating knowledge about social cooperatives and team work competences. Key to achieve that will be Virtual Learning Environment (e-learning platform), created by participants and contained different IT tolls for social economy learning (such as: Glossary, definitions, problem based modules, Q&A and presentations). Digital approach will also increase IT skills of all participants and open for them new possibilities of work and education in future.

The course originally was develop as a one of the tools that help participant from the ERASMUS+ training course. During the project, course was enrich in contest by work of all participants and established as an open education source for everyone. Now, its main objective is to promote form of social cooperative among youth from European countries. Moreover it contest more than just information about social cooperative legal form in few European countries. It is build in motivational and nonformal way, thanks to that it provide various different components, such as: soft skills learning, q&a, information about IT tools in education and lots of information about EU Programs.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Have you seen our final Glossary, yet? It was made in Padlet and thanks to that we can still develop it So, if you have any nice idea for term related to social economy feel free to add to our board (it need to be approved, but once a week we check it)🏫💻

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contact with us:

coop.erasmusplus@gmail.com