The Project - Project B.R.I.D.G.E.S.

OBJECTIVES

BRIDGES aims to promote sustainable career choices for students in remote areas, where limited opportunities and a focus on tourism-based careers restrict aspirations. By providing innovative tools, supporting educators, and fostering community engagement, the project empowers students to explore sustainable paths. Partnering with teachers & students in Greece, Italy, and Spain & leveraging NKUA’s expertise, the consortium seeks to develop a model that promotes sustainability and employability.

IMPLEMENTATION

The BRIDGES partners will:

Develop Training Modules for teachers, focusing on effective career counseling strategies and the use of digital tools.
Create a comprehensive career guidance portal tailored to the needs of isolated communities.
Facilitate hands-on visits that promote peer-to-peer support, engaging educators, students, and communities in developing sustainable career models.
Conduct workshops to help students explore career opportunities beyond traditional industries

RESULTS

Short-Term:

Increased awareness among students of sustainable career opportunities.
Enhanced skills among teachers and mentors to provide effective guidance.
Accessible digital tools for career counseling.

Long-Term:

Improved career decision-making among young people in remote areas.
Strengthened educational networks for sustained support in career counseling.
Reduction in youth unemployment and reliance on limited career paths (e.g., tourism)
Shift towards sustainable career paths

COORDINATOR AND PARTNERS

The Laboratory of Counseling Science and Vocational Career (LCSVC) is an established research unit within the Department of Educational Studies, part of the School of Philosophy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). The department offers an undergraduate program in Educational Studies, leading to a Bachelor’s degree (Ptychion) with a major in Educational Studies, equipping graduates with professional skills for teaching Greek language and literature in Secondary Education. Additionally, the department offers four postgraduate (Master’s) programs and collaborates on interdisciplinary postgraduate programs in fields such as educational planning, new technologies, special education, environmental education, career counseling, and sociology of education.

Additionally, the LCSVC fosters collaborations with research centers, institutes, and academic institutions both nationally and internationally to develop and implement education and training programs for professionals in career counseling and related fields. Its core team consists of the director of the lab and 6 research associates as well as numerous other contributors and collaborators, depending on the project at hand.

Ithaka Junior High School is located in Vathi, Ithaki, a small, remote and historic island in the Ionian Sea. There are 85 students (13-15 years old) currently attending our classes and 20 teachers.

Apart from applying the designated educational curriculum, Ithaka Junior High: – operates as a Book Distribution Center for all secondary schools on the island for about a decade, – offers after-school tutoring classes, – has established and runs a fully operational special needs department, with remarkable special learning and inclusion outcomes, – offers second language (Greek) tutoring for foreign students and runs a newly renovated and fully equipped school library.

The school has a long-standing tradition in participating or carrying out a wide range of projects, mainly pertinent to Environmental Education and Culture among others. We organize and join further education and training initiatives with the assistance of local and formal bodies with a view to overcoming geographical barriers and enhancing a sense of belonging. We take pride in our collaboration with the local Municipality, local social services and associations.

The Albaytar High School is located in Benalmádena, Malaga, Spain. It has approximately 1200 students and 100 teachers, in which the following courses are taught: – ESO (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) – (Compulsory Education) – Bachelor in two of its modalities: Humanities and Social Sciences and Sciences. In addition, other activities are taught: – Basic Vocational Training in Electricity – Intermediate Vocational Training Cycles in Computer Science and Refrigeration and Heating Installations – High Education level of Vocational Training in Electrotechnical and automated systems. A characteristic of this school, and many others in the area, is the percentage of students of other nationalities, which, with variations over the years, has fluctuated between 20 and 30%, among which the British, Moroccans, and Argentines stand out. The ages are between 12 and 16 years for the ESO teachings and 16 and 20 for the others.

The school has been accredited with VET Accreditation and ECHE Card. It carries out the below educational plans and projects: – Quality Management Systems – Equality Plan – Occupational Health and Occupational Risk Prevention Plan – Accompaniment, PALI, and extension of school hours. – Center opening plan – Secondary Master’s Practicum and university student internships in bilingual centers. – Erasmus+ – Living and feeling the heritage – School Coexistence and “Schools of Peace”

I.C. S. Bagolino is a school that includes Pre-primary, Primary, and Secondary education, with approximately 770 pupils. The school integrates new technologies into the learning process, with every classroom equipped with an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) and teachers using an electronic register. It has 75 teachers, including additional support staff for students with special needs. Most teachers have been working at the school for a long time, with some holding specific organizational roles. The school is located in Alcamo, on the northwest coast of Sicily, a region that, despite its rich cultural heritage and strong community ties, faces challenges due to its geographical remoteness and socio-economic conditions.

During the school year, various projects are developed and funded by national institutions such as P.O.N. projects. The school also has prior experience with Comenius and Erasmus+ programs – as a coordinating school and as a partner school.

TOOLKIT FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYABILITY

Toolkit specific objectives are:

To foster the development of a sustainable career counseling tool, to promote the career development of students, and prepare them towards sustainable career paths in remote areas of Europe.
To pilot the career counseling tools by training educators in the use of these tools to enable them to prepare the group of students that will participate in the next step of the project (educational visits and mainstreaming the curricula in the semester course).
To promote a participatory and consultative approach in the development of activities and program models.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

Sustainable Development Training and Schools Mobility specific objectives are:

To promote active learning in sustainable development through the dissemination of knowledge and experience by educators and students collectively.
To encourage peer-to-peer learning and exchange of challenges and good practices among schools in Greece, Spain and Italy.
To adapt and test the program model to the local specificities of the participating organizations.

MOBILITIES

Three (3) cross-boarder visits (Ithaki, Alcamo, Benalmádena) – Visits will last for 5 days and the agenda may include: Day 1: welcome by the host school, icebreaking activities, and getting to know the students, the host students present cultural features, employment paths and particularities of their local growth, Day 2: visit to an educational institution that includes green and sustainable development issues as a topic of study, Day 3 & 4: visit to local Chambers of Commerce and to local businesses, experience good practices of sustainable entrepreneurship, Day 5: students from both schools will work together to develop innovative ideas for green entrepreneurship and sustainable employability

By facilitating hands-on exposure to sustainability models, interactive peer learning, and localized adaptations of the program, activities directly contribute to active learning, peer-to-peer collaboration, and practical adaptation of sustainable career education models. These structured, experiential learning processes will ensure students and educators internalize sustainability principles, exchange meaningful insights, and refine career guidance methodologies that can be integrated into their schools and broader communities . Visits to sustainable businesses in Greece, Italy, and Spain provide students with direct exposure to sustainable entrepreneurship, environmental conservation, and green career opportunities. Discussions with local Chambers of Commerce in each location introduce students to regional economic models, sustainability-driven business strategies, and green job opportunities, reinforcing their understanding of sustainability economic dimensions. Visits to the Universities of Palermo and Malaga expose students to higher education pathways in sustainability-related disciplines, increasing their awareness of future career and academic opportunities. Through their joint visits, hands-on experiences, and reflective discussions, students will be active participants rather than passive learners, ensuring engagement and knowledge retention. The process of experiencing sustainable initiatives firsthand and then presenting them to their peers upon return enhances both collaborative learning and dissemination of best practices.