Meeting notes from

4th COURAGE project meeting in Haugesund,

April 24-26 2017

Participants:
Tina Jensen, Denmark
Majbritt Svensson, Denmark
Gert Larsen, Denmark
Edel McDonough, Ireland
Brian McManus, Ireland
João Paulo Proença, Portugal

Frode Nygaard, Norway

Karen Grindheim, Norway
Ruta Jasioniene, Lithuania
Egle Januleviciene, Lithuania
John Rullestad
Monday, April 24th

Item 1. Welcome and Preliminary Business

Frode welcomes the group to Norway and particularly Haugesund. Agenda agreed as previously
circulated. Minutes of the previous meeting agreed as a true record proposal.

Item 2 Internal Evaluation of Meetings

Survey Monkey responses were very positive, but partners agreed they would like to see more
“good” responses converted into “excellent”. Partners reminded that evaluation primarily for
partners to act together to remedy any problems; by the project’s own external evaluator for
reports and suggestions on quality of project management; hopefully to reassure funding
authorities that the project is proceeding well.

Item 3 Case Study Proposals and Plans

NORWAY Outlined two case studies: MOT (Courage) and

Getting Active through Football (in partnership wih Hauga
Sports Club. Other partners offered suggestions based on
their own experience. These included: inviting “guest
appearance” of famous coaches and players; visits to big
matches; involvement in kit design for those with related
interest; persevering with the “loose” structure and
spasmodic attendance because that is what these young
people need at this point in their lives.

As indicated in pp presentation, MOT is a broader

movement “customized” by Haugesund. In general,
MOT, aims to develop students’ courage (capacity and confidence) to say NO to bullying,
harassment, and pressures from peers and others to engage in anti-educational and anti-social
attitudes and activities.

IRELAND overviews of 3 current programs

1. Personal and social development group work program, runs for 10 weeks within an overall period
of 18 months

2. The CYS outdoor education program:

3. The Clare sports partnership Health & Fitness program

 PORTUGAL
2 options have been chosen from 5 possibilities
Orquestra Geracáo – national: case-study
includes rehearsal, concerts and book launch.
Not possible to interview the students. Will use
the book instead. It has several interviews with
students.. Benfica Foundation. Started in 2012.
Interviews will be conducted in June. Benfica
TV are going to make the film based on
interviews with found four students,
Young people aged 18-20, 3 of them now in
professional football now, one in university

LITHUANIA case study based on Rokas – young people attending folkdance studio. Attention drawn
to problems on the way.

DENMARK. Two case studies proposed:

1. Game workshop – GAP (see Prezzi, lodged on Basecamp)

2. Collaboration between AIF & AUC

Item 4 Alytus meeting

It was agreed that the Lithuania project management

meeting would be held in Alytus from 22-25 May 2018, with
travel days on 22nd & 26th). This would be the 5th meeting,
not counting the shorter sessions originally planned to take
place alongside the first pilot delivery of the COURAGE
training course in Portugal in October.

Item 5 Dissemination

summary presentation of dissemination materials

uploaded to basecamp; Summary and discussions of website updates and agreement of
changes related to suggestions made in the external evaluator’s report. Facebook now has
503 followers. Agreed that target of 1000 should be feasible. All partners urged to promote
and use FB as much as possible. All partners happy with Basecamp for internal project
management A working time template and folder is now in the Management folder

Item 6 LTT activities Summary evaluation of Norway LTT course discussed;. Further details of
proposed LTT program for Denmark will be uploaded to Basecamp, when final decisions are made. Dates
for Alytus LTT event agreed in accordance with dates for the Lithuania project management meeting.
Tuesday April 25th Programme of Educational and Cultural Visits -

Transfer Haugesund Videregående skole. Visit to Café C. run by and for students; presentation
from MOT coach of MOT programme and demonstration of exercises used to promote students’
tolerance and resistance to aggressive and anti-social behavior

Transfer to Visnes – one of Haugaland School’s off-campus learning centres for students who have
completely rejected conventional school attendance and engagement. Discussions with staff and
students on the Centre’s “alternative” learning strategies.

Transfer to Kopervik, the administrative centre for Karmoy municipality. Former police officer and
a former child protection worker explain how Møteplassen (meeting point) operates for the benefit
of young people aged 15-25. Owned by Karmøy municipality. and so far as they know there is no
other programme like it anywhere else in Norway. 3 workers (2 fulltime) co-operate with police,
child protection services, and psychiatric institutions etc to help troubled young people go to them,
and to other services, to find the “safe adult” they can talk to. Currently, Møteplassen has 27
regular attenders.

Transfer to Hauga Sports club for Getting Active through football programme. Students from
Haugesund Vidregående skole explain how they corporate with the community, and the different
offers they provide to disengaged and “at risk” young people.

Day concludes with visit to “Steinfjellet”, “walk in the mountains” programme, to experience how
they work with kindergartens, schools, young people and seniors.

Wednesday March 26th (Continuation of formal agenda):

Item 7 Summary discussion of visits and thanks to organisers and hosts

Item 8 Filming the Case Studies.

Lead partner has circulated guidelines as basis for discussion and plans - and has been in contact
with all partners. Main focus will be on longer, composite film from each partners shorter films.
Agreed deadline for films to be edited at Haugaland is mid August at the latest. MOT film shown as
an example, though may have too much text and information

Item 9 First Pilot Delivery of COURAGE residential training course. (Portugal)

Key note speaker to be contacted from the Danish MOT. Denmark has applied for 15 places, 10
from the Production School and 5 from Albertslund. Portugal already has a KA1 running for the
mobility of teachers but only ½ has been given for existing projects. Lithuania has been told by
their National Agency that they cannot apply. Ireland feel there is no support from NA but is
applying. Discrepancies between National Agencies appear to be operating. No agreement on who
can apply and how? This seems to be hampering recruitment to the course. If so, this will need to
be addressed in the Final Report. There also seem to be more general problem of recruitment from
non-partner countries. Discussion of possible strategies to prevent shortfall for Portugal course.
whether use can be made of a new deadline for youth workers. Gert suggests he and Tina need to
 explore and discuss these issues in more detail with external advisers. Satisfactory progress on 2nd
pilot delivery in Ireland.

Item 10 Course Handbook for Residential or On-Line Delivery

Summary of guidelines lodged on Basecamp. One of the partners, Albertslund Production School,
will do the layout. The DEADLINE for contributions is JUNE 30th. Reminder that photos for inclusion
should be no more than one megabyte each. Break out into national groups to discuss their
proposals for inclusion. No further clarifications needed after delegates reconvene

Item 11 Finances & Project Management

Summary of current state of project finances from Gert. Originally Danish partners were hosting
the final conference, but now it will take place in Ireland and DK will transfer funding accordingly.
Timesheets must be sent now to co-ordinator. Interim Progress report was sent in to the Danish NA
on time. Comments from partners on successive drafts were incorporated into it or deferred for
inclusion in the final report.

Item 12 Conclusion of Meeting

Agreement on decisions and actions to be taken presented in Revised work schedule to be

uploaded to Basecamp. Reminder to complete their meeting evaluations. Thanks to hosts for
excellent organization. The programme of educational visits in particular was felt by all partners to
be extremely enriching and very thought provoking in relation to their own work in their own
countries.