Viladecans ULG as a driver group

After more than 7 years, it was now the time for the EIN to define a new roadmap for the future. URBACT and the ON BOARD project appeared at the right time to support it in this definition of the action plan for the coming years.

At the beginning of the ON BOARD project, Viladecans drafted an Improvement Plan to define the new EIN roadmap. The Improvement Plan is focused on 4 main axis:

1) the need to be able to include Civil Society, entities and 2) young people as active members of the network; 3) the need to define a clear set of indicators to measure and evaluate the results and impact and to support the decision taking in the future; and, 4) the need to be able to ensure the sustainability of the EIN in the future  by transforming the network into an organic ecosystem, where all members (not only the municipality) have a more autonomous role and they actively propose and take part in projects and initiatives.

Viladecans URBACT Local Group is currently working on this last axis. The group, composed by a total of 25 representatives from the City Council, schools, companies, families, young people, entities and university is working to become the driver group of this organic ecosystem where EIN members are intended to have a more active role.

However, COVID19 had a great impact on the ULG activities. Since COVID19 crisis and lockdown in spring had a tremendous effect on education, it was not possible that the last ULG meetings organised since then, focused on something different but COVID19 impact and the new challenges arisen in education. The discussion came out with 3 important needs: 

• Help students, families and teachers to manage emotions in COVID’s time.
• Ensure connectivity and devices availability for students.
• Provide ICT training and support for teachers and families.

A collective debate was held to decide which project the ULG could implement on their own, that is ensuring an active role of all members. After analysing them, it was decided that ICT training and support to teachers and families was the project where the ULG could provided more added value. 

ULG members discussed how they could contribute to the project, and thus ensuring an active role. The most common answers were related to helping with the training design, its implementation, identifying trainers or the creation of the training material.

So, what about the following steps? Work has already started with elaborating a diagnosis of the needs of schools and families by means of surveys and will follow with a mapping the available resources.

Do you want to know how this new adventure will go on? Stay tuned to ON BOARD ;)