On 1 October 2024, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) hosted a conference as part of the Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) project. Participants have explored how enhancing student participation in civic engagement initiatives drives societal change, in alignment with the fourth priority of the Erasmus+ programme. An audience of over 100 participants from student organisations, higher education institutions, European Commission and stakeholders had a chance to discuss the latest developments in the fourth priority of the Erasmus+ programme and ideas for embedding civic engagement in student mobilities. 

At the event, the project consortium presented the Handbook for Service Learning in Erasmus+. The Handbook is an outcome of an in-depth consultation undertaken by the ECEM consortium. It introduces a theoretical framework for Service-Learning and guidelines for its implementation in Erasmus+. It further presents five models to develop Service-Learning-infused curricula available for Erasmus+ students.  

To ensure the interaction of the audience, thematic breakout sessions with an umbrella theme of “Erasmus+ as a Driver of Change” focused on the following topics covering three levels of engagement (institutional, students, local): “University Roles & Designing Engagement Strategies: Effective Approaches to Foster Young People’s Involvement in Host Communities”, “Student Voices: Empowering Students to Shape and Lead Engagement Initiatives” and “Local Communities: Maximising the Impact and Value of Student”. The outcomes of these discussions will feed into upcoming project deliverables. 

More about the project 
Ensuring active citizenship and participation in society is acknowledged as a key element to making mobilities more inclusive and societies more integrated. Nevertheless, students volunteering in the local community during their exchange are still a minority. The Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) project strives to design measures to increase students’ participation in civic engagement initiatives by building connections with Higher Education Institutions and Civil Society Organisations. The ECEM consortium that took up this challenge is a collaborative cross-European partnership between Erasmus Student Network (ESN), Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), SGroup - Universities in Europe, Institute for Development in Education (IDE), CitizensLab (CLab).