Peace II Measure 5.5

Priority 5 (Cross Border Co-operation)

Measure 5 (Education, Cross-border School and Youth Co-operation)

The main aims of this measure are to develop innovative projects and programmes for children, young people, teachers and youth workers which aim to address a range of common concern in local communities. Actions aimed at promoting the social inclusion of, and reconciliation and mutual understanding between, children and young people in disadvantaged communities and groups will be particularly targeted. Interventions will focus on co-operative projects between schools, and the communities they serve, and among youth organisations and between the responsible public authorities. This will underpin the objectives of the European Employment Strategy, in particular Employment Guideline 4.

The main actions in meeting this objective are:

• actions which focus on equipping young people with key life skills, including ICT skills, especially young people at greatest risk of marginalisation in society, including those with Special Educational Needs;
• novel approaches to encourage young peope to remain in education, including education provided through non-conventional processes;
• innovative projects and programmes of exchanges among young people, teachers and youth leaders which will contribute to their development of like skills and to reconciliation and mutual respect and understanding;
• innovative curriculum developments that promote reconciliation and mutual understanding;
• developing community-based educational, training and cultural programmes addressing issues of difference and conflict;
• cross-border actions promoting the essential skills of disadvantaged young people to prepare them for an active role in the labour market;
• cross-border activity which encourages young people to remain in or return to education and to realise their full potential and prepare them for employment;
• the collation and dissemination of good practice, which will help sustain cross-border work in the long term.

Criteria for project selection are:

In addition to the generic selection criteria in Chapter 5 of the Programme Complement projects must:

• involve the provision of key skills, including ICT skills for young people;
• involve the adoption of innovation approaches to tackling the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised young people;
• help to promote and disseminate good practice which will help to sustain cross-border work in the long term;
• prepare young people for an active role in the labour market;
• create jobs;
• contribute to future competitiveness and future growth;
• provide appropriate matchfunding, where appropriate.

Target Areas, Groups and Sectors

Projects within this Measure should also be able to demonstrate how they can meet the measure objectives:-

• The targeted groups are schools and youth organisations.
• The targeted sector is youth education in both formal and informal eduation.
• In Northern Ireland it will apply especially in New Targeting Social Need (TSN) areas and in the Border Region to the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.

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