A Project for Change
Project Reference: 2021-2-ES02-KA210-YOU-000045096
Project Status: Completed
Start Date: 01-03-2022
End Date: 31-08-2023
EU Grant: €60,000
Programme: Erasmus+
Key Action: Partnerships for cooperation and exchanges of practices
Action Type: Small-scale partnerships in youth
Countries Covered: 3
Website: There’s Always Hope
Topics: Youth employability, preventing early school leaving, support for Roma and other minorities
The Background: A Crisis in Education
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption in education worldwide. Schools closed suddenly, affecting over 1.6 billion students in more than 190 countries. Teachers and school staff—over 100 million of them—also faced uncertainty and challenges due to the closures.
One of the most alarming effects was a dramatic rise in school dropout rates. In some schools, the dropout rate reached as high as 50%. This crisis made it clear that urgent action was needed to prevent further educational disengagement and support vulnerable youth.
Project Objectives: A Strategic Alliance for Inclusion
The There’s Always Hope project was created to tackle these pressing issues. The initiative aimed to strengthen local organizations working on socio-professional integration. Many of these organizations were already implementing innovative solutions to help at-risk youth, but they often lacked resources, visibility, and support.
By forming a strategic alliance, the project aimed to bring these efforts together, providing a unified approach to youth employability and educational inclusion.
Implementation: Engaging Youth and Building Capacity
To achieve its goals, the project focused on mobilizing youth workers and young people through capacity-building activities. Key implementation steps included:
- Educational Modules: Training sessions for youth workers to improve their skills in supporting young people at risk of dropping out.
- Direct Engagement: Interacting with young people to empower them and help them build confidence in their educational and professional futures.
- Partnerships: Collaborating with local institutions to create sustainable support networks for young people.
By directly involving youth and professionals, the project ensured that its initiatives were practical, effective, and widely accepted by stakeholders.
Results: A Lasting Impact on Youth and Communities
The project successfully strengthened the skills of youth workers, enabling them to better support young people at risk of dropping out. Trained professionals were able to:
- Provide young people with tools to build realistic career expectations.
- Offer long-term support structures to prevent school dropout.
- Improve the employability of young people, particularly women and families, in vulnerable communities.
These results highlight the importance of well-structured youth support systems and the positive impact of targeted interventions in education and employment.
Conclusion: A Model for the Future
The There’s Always Hope project has demonstrated how strategic alliances and capacity-building initiatives can create real change. By supporting youth workers and directly engaging with at-risk young people, the project has contributed to reducing school dropout rates and improving employability.
As education systems continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic, initiatives like this serve as valuable models for future projects aiming to support youth inclusion and professional development.
For more information, visit the official website: There’s Always Hope.
