The project was about creating safer and braver learning environments of all kinds. It lays on four main topics that contribute for the purpose: inclusion, intersectionality, safety, and accessibility. These four components are necessary, allowing a diverse target group of participants to have the best experience during the activities and the same opportunities to learn, grow and exchange experiences.
The project created a temporary space for growth and knowledge exchange between participants and facilitators. At the beginning, we discussed good practices and rules for coexistence to ensure a safer and more collaborative environment. Then, we held brainstorming sessions to define common terms and concepts related to the topics at hand. In this phase, discussions in both large and small mixed groups helped to share ideas and develop key terms, giving everyone a common foundation of knowledge.
After that, we moved into an intensive phase to explore the tools being used, examining where they could be applied and what challenges might arise. We also studied real-world cases to deepen our understanding.
Finally, we laid the foundation for creating a booklet of good practices and tools that can be used by groups or organisations to foster safer and more constructive spaces. Below are some of the good practices implemented during the project, which can serve as inspiration or examples for future initiatives.
● Creating a common agreement to build a safer space. Collectively expressing everyone’s needs is crucial to set common rules that can make everyone feel comfortable and to create a space where basic needs are met. This allows the group to have a solid base on how to approach any issue that may arise.
● Providing material tools such as the emotional wheel—initially introduced to guide a non-violent communication exercise—proved particularly valuable, as it was designed not only for the activity itself but also as a resource participants could take home, offering them a way to explore their emotions and respond more thoughtfully in their personal lives.
● The diversification of group work allowed each participant to experiment with various techniques and fully express their potential. In a non-formal environment, this flexibility extended to how groups were formed, sometimes through an active selection, and at other times through a passive one, which significantly reduced the
anxiety that can often accompany the pressure to choose a partner or group independently, with the fear of being left out.
● Co-creating the space was an impactful way to foster a sense of inclusion, safety, and visibility for all. This went beyond shared values and policies and manifested concretely through the personalization of the environment with drawings, posters, stickers, and artefacts created during activities. Such practices were in line with the concept of horizontal learning, where every participant’s agency is valued equally, and all forms of expertise are acknowledged and appreciated.
● Use a bottom-up approach. Consult with the group and adapt any pre-programmed activity/structure to the ongoing needs. Flexibility will allow everyone to feel more secure in expressing any necessity that you should be aware of.
● Additionally, support groups and trained mentors were established to enhance the overall well-being of the group and facilitate smoother communication. These structures were invaluable in supporting the work while also providing a space for decompression, where participants could share their thoughts, emotions, and concerns in a more intimate setting.
The four areas were not only discussed, but actively integrated into the Erasmus+ project’s implementation, allowing participants to engage in a meaningful experience that fully embodied the values it promoted. The facilitators prioritised the individual needs of each participant, along with the dynamics of the group as a whole, and we saw a significant impact on both personal and collective well-being, as well as on the overall learning
outcomes. This approach was further strengthened by avoiding assumptions about individuals’ needs, possibilities, or identities, ensuring that a continuous dialogue and regular requests for feedback helped create a safer, more inclusive space where everyone could thrive.