In January 2024, the EU AMIF (Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) programme confirmed the selection of the project “Supporting language learning of migrant children and young adults through language buddies“, Language Buddy. The project is led by the University of Macedonia and in March 2024 Advenio eAcademy entered into a grant Agreement as one of the partner HEIs to the project. The consortium behind the project is includes seven higher educational institutions and nine NGOs and specialist organisations in the participating countries that are directly involved in support for immigrant and refugee activities. The AMIF project partners are: University Of Macedonia, Greece (Lead Partner); Symplexis, Greece; Perifereiaki Diefthynsi Protovathmias Kai Defterovathmias Ekpaidefsis Stereas Elladas, Greece; Universidade Catolica Portuguesa, Portugal; Casa Do Professor, Portugal; Bildungslab – Hands & Minds Learning center, Austria; Sdruzhenie Multi Kulti Kolektiv, Bulgaria; Asociatia Romana Pentru Promovareacalitatii Si Practicilor De Succes, Romania; Cooperazione Per Lo Sviluppo Dei Paesi Emergenti Onlus, Italy; Solidarity And Overseas Service Malta, Malta; Advenio eAcademy (AEA Ltd), Malta; Universitatea Transilvania Din Brasov, Romania; University Of National And World Economy, Bulgaria; Peñascal Kooperatiba, Spain; Universita Degli Studi Di Firenze, Italy.
The kick-off meeting took place on the 28th – 29th May 2024 in Bilbao, Spain. During this meeting the lead partner gave an introduction and went through the different project phases and how best to communicate throughout the duration of the project.
This project seeks to create a motivated cross border group of higher education students to act as mentors to individuals in vulnerable groups. The project involves partners across eight EU countries to act as mentors to young immigrants seeking to integrate themselves better in the local culture and environment. Language Buddy aims at enhancing the language learning of students – 12 to 17 years old – with a refugee/migrant background through non-formal & informal learning through the upscaling of mentoring practices and implementation of a buddy system.
The project structure was reviewed and discussed with a general clarification of the including the objectives, budget, deliverables and tasks. A detailed analysis of the on-going “Work package 2” was given by Symplexis. This work package is focused on the research of best practices in the field of mentorship. It was followed by a discussion of the planning and co-ordination of the “Work Package 3” led by Advenio eAcademy. This is focused on the development of the learning programme and its implementation for the training and development of the mentors.
Work Packages 4, dealing with recruitment of beneficiary refugees, and work package 5, dealing with the project dissemination, where also reviewed and discussed. The coordinating partner, University of Macedonia also spoke about quality assurance and proposed the creation of a steering committee to make sure that the project keeps the focus on quality throughout its lifetime.
