The ECEM project launch

Although active citizenship and participation in society are acknowledged as key elements to making mobilities more inclusive and societies more integrated, students volunteering in their host community during mobility are still a minority. The Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) project strives to design measures to increase students’ participation in civic engagement initiatives by building connections with Higher Education Institutions and Civil Society Organisations.

The aim of the ECEM project is to:

• Increase the civic engagement component of mobilities in the field of internationalisation of Higher Education by making interaction with local communities the norm in mobilities
• Ensure recognition of learning outcomes for participants that take part in civic engagement initiatives
• Improve the collaboration frameworks between Higher Education Institutions and other societal actors to make mobilities contribute to societal change and common European values.

In order to accomplish these ambitious objectives, five partner organisations have gotten together to launch the ECEM project. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN),
Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), SGroup - Universities in Europe,
Institute for Development in Education (IDE), CitizensLab (CLab).

• Date: May 2023

Close

Learning through Engagement Lab

The ECEM project consortium organises the "Learning through Engagement Lab", which will take place from the 5th to the 7th of October 2023, in Berlin, and targets students/student representatives, Higher Education Staff, and workers of Civil Society Organisations.

The lab will be an opportunity to explore the potential of stronger collaborations between community organizations, students, and universities to address local needs effectively, and delve into transformative and innovative solutions to societal challengestransformative and innovative solutions to societal challenges through co-creation within the framework of Community-engagement learning programs for international students.

Read more information about the Lab and apply!

• Date: July 2023

Close

The ECEM Survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities”

The ECEM project consortium launched the survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities”survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities” to understand the HEIs’ views on service learning. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The responses will be kept confidential and will be used for research purposes. The data collected will be analysed by ECEM experts and the results will be presented as a group and not individually so that participants’ anonymity is guaranteed.

Why a survey on this topic?

One area of interest of the ECEM project is service learning, especially in the context of student mobilities. According to the European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education, service-learning in higher education is an experiential educational method in which students engage in community service, reflect critically on this experience, and learn from it personally, socially and academically. It involves structured and graded student placements in organisations in response to the needs of the community and is different from volunteering because it is part of mandatory coursework. (2021) The results of the survey will help us understand the state of play of service learning in Higher Education.

Take part in the survey

• Date: 29 August 2023

Close

The ECEM Survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities”

The ECEM project consortium launched the survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities”survey “Service Learning During Student Mobilities” to understand the HEIs’ views on service learning. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The responses will be kept confidential and will be used for research purposes. The data collected will be analysed by ECEM experts and the results will be presented as a group and not individually so that participants’ anonymity is guaranteed.

Why a survey on this topic?

One area of interest of the ECEM project is service learning, especially in the context of student mobilities. According to the European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education, service-learning in higher education is an experiential educational method in which students engage in community service, reflect critically on this experience, and learn from it personally, socially and academically. It involves structured and graded student placements in organisations in response to the needs of the community and is different from volunteering because it is part of mandatory coursework. (2021) The results of the survey will help us understand the state of play of service learning in Higher Education.

Take part in the survey

• Date: June 2024

Close

ECEM Peer Community of Practice

The Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities project launched the Peer Community of Practice to exchange practices, views opinions and ideas regarding civic engagement, inclusion and service-learning implementation. The Community of Practice started with a Training in Porto and will keep working online as of the end of June through video meetings and a LinkedIn group to share updates, suggestions and accomplishments about community engaged activities within their institutions.

The Peer Community of Practice will connect practitioners from different fields and countries. If you wish to join it, register here.

• Date: June 2024

Close

ECEM Staff Training in Porto

From the 15th to the 17th of May 2024, the ECEM Staff Training 2024 took place in Porto, Portugal, hosted by SGroup, partner of the consortium.

SGroup was pleased to welcome participants from all over the world, in person and remotely, who shared their interest and experience in Service Learning and community-engaged learning Implementation, including challenges, suggestions, and ideas for further development. The Training was highly interactive and combined lecture-style sessions with practical group activities, where participants were asked to start from a macro perspective before analysis their specific institutional contexts. The social programme allowed participants to network and set the base for a successful cooperation within the Community of Practice.

Training’s Speakers:

1. Cecilia Christersson- Professor Emerita | University of Mälmo, Sweden
   Vice-President of the Association SGroup Universities in Europe
2. Ana Skledar Matijević
   Dr.sc. / PhD and Higher Education Project Manager Institute for the Development of Education
3. Avril Lombardi Bolaño
   Tècnica Programa d'Aprenentatge Servei (APS), Oficina de Compromís Social, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Catalunya
4. Alina S. Rusu
   European Association of Service-Learning in Higher Education – EASLHE
   University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (USAMV Cluj-Napoca)
5. Christine Zarb
   University of Westminster
6. Ben Powel
   University of Westminster
7. Coralie OSTERTAG
   International and European Networks manager, 3i University Network & French-Dutch Network (RFN), General Office of International Relations - International Outreach and Promotion unit, Université de Lille

• Date: June 2024

Close

Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities Conference

On the 1st of October the Erasmus Student Network will host another milestone of the ECEM project, the Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities Conference. Participants are welcome to explore how enhancing student participation in civic engagement initiatives drives societal change, in alignment with the fourth priority of the Erasmus+ programme.

The conference will take place at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, specifically in U-Residence, Blvd Général Jacques 271, 1050 Ixelles / Brussels, on the 1st of October between 10:00 and 17:00.

Find the live agenda of the conference here.

Registration for the conference is free but mandatory. Spaces are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and confirmed on a rolling basis.

Please complete the following registration form here.

• Date: September 2024

Close

Publication of the ECEM Handbook for Service-Learning in Erasmus+

The ECEM project consortium is publishing a Handbook for Service-Learning in Erasmus+ “Service-Learning: Enriching Communities Beyond Borders” ahead of the ECEM Conference, taking place on the 1st of October from 10:00 to 17:00 CET, at U-Residence, Blvd Géneral Jacques 271, 1050 Ixelles / Brussels.

The Handbook is an outcome of an in-depth consultation undertaken by the ECEM consortium. It introduces a theoretical framework for Service-Learning and guidelines for implementation of Service-Learning in Erasmus+. It further presents five models to develop Service-Learning-infused curricula available for Erasmus+ students.

You can find the handbook here.

• Date: September 2024

Close