Social exclusion and deprivation can be strongly linked to the lack of opportunities in education and training. The Learning Cities project intends to improve the quality of life for the hardest-to-reach groups through the development of a broad framework of learning opportunities and engagement in life-long-learning by:- Creating a city-wide, learning-friendly environment linking educational actors, increasing the capacity of frontline staff, increasing engagement with and support to volunteers and the testing of a shared model of innovative learning city community spaces that allow better access to information, educational guidance and resources in neighborhoods.- Fostering increased engagement with and retention into life-long and life-wide learning programmes for families, as a means of boosting educational achievement. There will also be improved protocol for staff supporting deprived trainees in order to help them to remove personal barriers.- Enabling progression into life-long and life-wide learning by life skills programmes and models of bridging courses, combining work experience with training in order to integrate apprenticeship or work-based training. Expected Results: What are the key results of the project?Activity 1- 1 report - learning cities- 1 educational guide- 1 training module for frontline staffmembers- 1 compendium of good practices - for volunteers- 1 common specification for education oriented spaces/facilitiesActivity 2- 1 compendium of good practices- 1 Report on existing practices of early intervention of young people at risk of dropping out of school- 1 Summary Report to PP3 Long and Short Time Out- 1 refined specification of Long and Short Time Out- 1 Summary report on IAG methodology- 1 Compendium of good practices of family involvement- 1 Summary report on life skills concept- 3 models of Life skills courses- 2 peer mentoring models- 3 models of bridging courses- 1 bridging course dedicated to NEET- 2 bridging courses for socially excluded adults- 1 virtual learning project platform- 6 case studies - innovative ICT based engagement and progression toolsAre all partners and territories benefitting from the results?Target groups & beneficiaries:These include local authorities and NGO involving in informal and formal education sector in each partner territory. Staff members of partners organisations, involved in social inclusion, informal and adult education fields (childcare, schools, educational support, outside school activities, youth activities, sport and culture, housing…). Volunteers engaged in local community initiatives run by third or public sector in the educational field.Residents from all ages, namely deprived and hardest to reach groups, e.g. those experiencing personal, social or professional difficulties linked to education and training challenge, including: low skilled adults, concerned with literacy or digital difficulties, isolated persons, young at risk of school dropout, families as means of supporting educational achievement of relatives.What are the effects / outcomes for the territories involved?The outcomes include improving the quality and performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary or equivalent education. There will also be an increased engagement and retention of hard to reach groups into education and training and a reduced rate of low-achieving 15+ yr olds in reading, maths and science whilst enabling adults with low skills in reading/writing to re-engage with the learning process and to enhance their use of IT technologies.The other outcomes are the promotion of lifelong learning among the population with an overarching aim dedicated to creating a citywide learning friendly environment and a focus on creating alternative learning opportunities for hard to reach groups. Also, an increasing percentage of adult population aged 25-64 participating in education and training or in continuous vocational training. There is also a strand to promote access to adequate health and developing life skills.What are the key results of the project?Activity 1- 1 report - learning cities- 1 educational guide- 1 training module for frontline staffmembers- 1 compendium of good practices - for volunteers- 1 common specification for education oriented spaces/facilitiesActivity 2- 1 compendium of good practices- 1 Report on existing practices of early intervention of young people at risk of dropping out of school- 1 Summary Report to PP3 Long and Short Time Out- 1 refined specification of Long and Short Time Out- 1 Summary report on IAG methodology- 1 Compendium of good practices of family involvement- 1 Summary report on life skills concept- 3 models of Life skills courses- 2 peer mentoring models- 3 models of bridging courses- 1 bridging course dedicated to NEET- 2 bridging courses for socially excluded adults- 1 virtual learning project platform- 6 case studies - innovative ICT based engagement and progression toolsAre all partners and territories benefitting from the results?Target groups & beneficiaries:These include local authorities and NGO involving in informal and formal education sector in each partner territory. Staff members of partners organisations, involved in social inclusion, informal and adult education fields (childcare, schools, educational support, outside school activities, youth activities, sport and culture, housing…). Volunteers engaged in local community initiatives run by third or public sector in the educational field.Residents from all ages, namely deprived and hardest to reach groups, e.g. those experiencing personal, social or professional difficulties linked to education and training challenge, including: low skilled adults, concerned with literacy or digital difficulties, isolated persons, young at risk of school dropout, families as means of supporting educational achievement of relatives.What are the effects / outcomes for the territories involved?The outcomes include improving the quality and performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary or equivalent education. There will also be an increased engagement and retention of hard to reach groups into education and training and a reduced rate of low-achieving 15+ yr olds in reading, maths and science whilst enabling adults with low skills in reading/writing to re-engage with the learning process and to enhance their use of IT technologies.The other outcomes are the promotion of lifelong learning among the population with an overarching aim dedicated to creating a citywide learning friendly environment and a focus on creating alternative learning opportunities for hard to reach groups. Also, an increasing percentage of adult population aged 25-64 participating in education and training or in continuous vocational training. There is also a strand to promote access to adequate health and developing life skills.