The project addresses cultural and citizenship inclusion within the framework of the acquisition of professional skills /qualifications which foster integration into the labor market. Most occupational integration policies focus solely on the adaptation of manpower to the necessities of the labor market, without regard to citizen and cultural integration dimensions. However, for people with social handicaps such as migrants refugees or people unemployed for long time, cutlural integration is an essential counterpart to the success of a new job or business undertaking. In brief, taking into account that occupational integration goes hand in hand with sociocultural and citizen ones, this project implements a series of actions in order to achieve the latter.

Our Non-government Organization, based in Lithuania, is interested in your offer to be a part of an Erasmus + KA220-ADU Cooperation Partnerships project. Based on the activities that our organisation carries out and the experience we have gathered over the years, we are ready to effectively contribute to your project and its activities. The specialization of our organization is social, psychosocial, social integration into the labor market, non-formal education services. We are also actively involved in the formation of public policy. We have extensive experience in project activities and a high rate of project success. More information about our organization: https://slk.lt/en/home-english/ https://www.facebook.com/Siaures.Lietuvos.kolegija https://www.facebook.com/bendruomeniniainamai

About our organization. Mission - Effectively engage citizens of Northern Lithuania region in social innovation by initiating and implementing activities that develop a civilly active, socially responsible society that is able to think creatively and critically. Our Vision – To become a leading non-governmental organization in the Northern Lithuania region, operating effectively in social and educational fields, providing quality public services and applying social innovations in its activities. What we do. We provide social, psychosocial, sociocultural, non-formal education, social integration and conference centre services. We carry out non-formal education. We provide services to various social and social groups: children, young people, seniors, families and their members, people who have lost their jobs, socially vulnerable or socially excluded people, other members of the community and society who wish to develop and improve. Since 2017, the organization has been operating community family houses (BŠN) in Šiauliai, where residents of Šiauliai city are provided with various social and social preventive services free of charge: individual psychologist consultations, positive parenting group training, etc. We are actively involved in public policymaking, preparing and submitting proposals for public administration decision-making to the responsible state and municipal institutions. We are intensively developing projects and their activities and have compiled experience in international projects. Over the last few years, we have successfully implemented over 25 projects, funded by various sources. We are operating on a local, as well as an international level. We pay a lot of attention to cultural cooperation and the development of partnership network, as well as implementing social innovations and developing opportunities for volunteering. What are the activities and experience of the organization in the areas relevant for this application? • Provision of social, psychosocial, sociocultural, social integration services to different social groups as children, youth, seniors, families, the unemployed, and to other socially vulnerable people, etc. • Provision of non-formal educational services in areas such social innovations, digitalization of society, equal rights, well-being of families, comprehensive and integral assistance to families (their members), social integration of socially vulnerable groups, communication skills, interinstitutional cooperation. • Organization of public events, such as public discussions and social action events; • Provision of research organising services, carrying out research activities in solving various social problems. • Initiatives and real actions (achievements) to improve social, psychosocial, sociocultural, social integration, non-formal education services, • Development of new programs, digital instruments, therapies, communication and cooperation processes, participation in the creation of e-platforms. • Experience working with specialist audiences (adult educators, social and other service providers). • Development of international cooperation, intercultural competencies acquired through communication and working with foreign partners. • Project experience, project implementation skills in international teams. • Experience in carrying out educational activities and services for children, young people with difficult behavior, including people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their parents and relatives. • Experience in providing accredited social care services: Home help, Development and rehabilitation of social skills, Psychosocial assistance. These services are also available to people with ASD individuals and families. • Experience in providing accredited Case Management Procedures. Provision of social and psychological services to families in difficult social or emotional situations according to the Case Management Model. These services are also available to people with ASD individuals and families. Since 2017 March is implementing a project “Integrated family services in Šiauliai municipality”. The result of the project is the establishment of a Community Based Family Home in Northern Lithuania College. Community Based Family Home invites everyone to get involved in the ongoing activities to take care of their family’s well-being, emotional atmosphere and prosperity of relationships. The target group of the project are persons (families), who are in need of integrated help in order to solve various problems that occur in their lives. Services are provided: Individual therapist councelling; Positive parenting group training; Seminars and trainings for family; Mediation services. The organization has been pursuing higher education for many years (it left this segment of activities a few years ago). The study programs relevant to this application that were implemented: Multimedia and Internet Technologies; Computer Network Administration. The organization has accumulated competencies that are relevant to the development of e-platforms, digital tools and instruments.

The foundation Smart minds from Latvia is looking for partners with aim to build common projects and partnerships in AL, VET, general education fields