The ever-changing nature of European society demands a high level of social skills; a prerequisite for inclusion. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is especially important in COVID19 pandemic times. According to R. Alexandra (2020), our thoughts and emotions are our most powerful tools that either “make or break” our survival through these difficult and unprecedented times.
Daniel Goleman says there are 5 pillars of EI, which can be separated into personal competence and social competence (Executive Couching Network, 2018).
Source: Executive Couching Network, 2018
R. Alexandra (2020) states while we cannot control the pandemic or the fear or the uncertainty it brings, we can control how we face it. This is why practising and developing emotional intelligence is more important now than ever.
In the field of youth work, developing emotional intelligence is critical not only for our own benefit, but is key to effectively support the youth with whom we work.
That’s why five organisations from Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Slovakia and Lithuania are working together in Erasmus+ “WeGROW: EQ learning for YOUTH” project to promote the development of the Emotional Intelligent of young people with low school performance, early school leavers, and/ or NEET through Youth Work. The partners will first work on the competence development of youth professionals (youth workers, youth trainers, mentors of ESC volunteers) to achieve this aim.
The objectives of the project are to:
- Increase the skills of Youth Workers and update their methodologies to better support young people with fewer opportunities to improve their Emotional Intelligence including social skills, adaptability, stress management and general attitude.
- Help young people with low school performance, early school leavers, and/ or NEET develop basic and transversal cognitive, especially emotional and social skills, using innovative approaches. These skills are becoming increasingly important for education performance and employability.
- Provide youth organisations with a structured coaching programme that enhances self-awareness and self-management of personal emotions.
- Raise the impact of Youth Work by creating an open European e-platform for best practices and creating awareness on EQ at the European level through innovative content. WeGROW will be delivered transnationally because it is needed to tackle a shared and global problem. The economy is nowadays more connected than ever and EU problems require European solutions. Additionally, youth work can only benefit from a transnational interchange of knowledge and know-how. The partnership has an inter-regional character. This diversity facilitates the exchange of best practices and supports further internationalisation of youth work and opening to cross-sectorial cooperation across all fields of action concerning young people.
WeGROW will be delivered transnationally because it is needed to tackle a shared and global problem. The economy is nowadays more connected than ever and EU problems require European solutions. Additionally, youth work can only benefit from a transnational interchange of knowledge and know-how. The partnership has an inter-regional character. This diversity facilitates the exchange of best practices and supports further internationalisation of youth work and opening to cross-sectorial cooperation across all fields of action concerning young people.
The project will reinforce the international dimension of youth work and the capacities and international scope of the partners. The project will impact the influence and recognition of youth work.
More about the project: https://wegrowproject.eu/
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