The first transnational “kick-off” project meeting (TPM1) of the Erasmus+ project WAVE II

The first transnational project meeting (TPM) of the Erasmus+ project WAVE II took place from November 27 to 28, 2024 in Freiburg (Germany) at the Diözesancaritasverband Freiburg. This so-called kick-off meeting marked the official start of the project, which was launched on September 1, 2024. All seven partner organizations participated in this meeting, which was the first face-to-face gathering of all participants. The meeting began with a welcome from Birgit Schaer, member of the Caritas board, followed by a relaxed round of introductions. This allowed the participants to get to know each other and lay the foundations for close cooperation.

Agenda and contents of the meeting

1. Project overview and timetable
   An overview of the project and its objectives was presented, including the timetable and the individual work packages (WPs). The structural course of the project was clearly outlined and the respective tasks of the partner organizations were highlighted.
2. Financial framework and requirements
   The financial framework conditions and important requirements were presented to ensure transparency and clarity for project implementation. The partnership agreements were again discussed in detail.
3. Workpackage 2: “What about values? Mine, yours, ours… in the frame of youth work”
   The organisations COOSS Marche and ANOLF from Italy, responsible for Work Package 2 (WP2), presented the objectives and concrete plans.
   • WP2 objectives: Together with youth (social) work professionals, their needs for successful democracy education in working with disadvantaged young people will be surveyed and initial adapted strategies and methods will be developed.
   • Planning: : Initial scheduling and specifications for the workshops with professionals and young people planned for March 2025 were discussed. Initial work steps were agreed, including the creation of a joint questionnaire, which will be translated into the respective languages and is aimed at youth work professionals.
4. Public relations work
   The Jama Nyeta organization presented its work on the project website, which is due to be published in December 2024. This will be a central platform for disseminating the project results.
5. Report from the field: “Respect Coaches at Schools”
   The Caritas Association Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald presented the democracy project “Respect Coaches at Schools”. This inspiring practical example was used to discuss approaches and methods from youth social work that focus on democracy education and the prevention of extremism.
6. Conclusion: Socio-historical city tour
   The meeting ended with a socio-historical city tour of Freiburg, which highlighted the history of Caritas and migration in Freiburg.

Conclusion

The kick-off meeting of the WAVE II project laid the foundation for successful cooperation between the partner organisations. It created a common understanding of the project goals, the planned activities and the organisational framework. The exchange of practical examples and initial concrete plans for the next steps, in particular the workshops in March 2025, were particularly valuable.

The next transnational project meeting will build on the progress made and evaluate the local workshops for professionals and the experementation labs for young participants that have taken place so far. The next TPM will take place in June 2025 in Ancona/Italy.