About

Our History

Phoenix Knowledge Wings gGmbH non-governmental organization aims to protect human rights, defence of the legal interests of social excluded groups that be connected to a person’s social class, race, skin, color, religious affiliation, ethnic origin. Such exclusionary forms of discrimination may also apply to people with a disability, minorities and young people. We also assist in ICT training for teachers and school staff, we promote the use of digital competences. We are a group of 8 employed staff members and 765 active volunteers. We have more than 8000 followers all other the country. We work with intercultural dialogue between young people and increase mutual understanding. We work with disadvantaged communities; NEETs, and young people with fewer opportunities, especially those with a disability and mental health issues, to help them tackle their issues and motivate them towards taking steps towards better health, recovery and engagement in the community. Phoenix Knowledge Wings gGmbH has grown participation all over the Germany for over 500 disabled and disadvantaged young people and is the largest organisation in the world for sport athletes with a disability. Most of the participants are NEET receiving some form of benefit support. We offer training and traineeship in digital skills with a relentless drive for innovation. Over time we have developed a series of training programmes in order to address the specific needs of schools in terms of their digitalization goals. With our specialised ICT training for youth and adults, we promote the use of digital competences in an educational environment for teachers, students and other members of staff. We trained institutions in digital skills and web tools, e- learning and collaborative work but as well help them integrate ICT into their daily activities.
We have 20 years of activities, including many European projects (youth exchanges, European internships, study visit…).

WHAT WE WORK FOR
• increase the level of cultural sensitivity of youngsters through diversity appreciation, direct communication and exchange, building trust with different people and developing the ability to think critically, to assess honestly personal behavior towards other people and cultures
• work with children and adults with disabilities (autism, mental retardation, Down syndrome and other illnesses) we have developed therapeutic recovery programs using modern, personalized methods for each child (ABA / PECS / Montessori technique / language therapy and behavioral therapy/sport activities)
• break stereotypes and prejudices about the different cultures by enhancing the awareness of young people about intercultural communication
• motivate persons to become active citizens and believe in the future of European Union;
• implement youth policy and equal opportunities which enable young people to develop skills in gender equality, human rights, peace building, ending violence, conflict transformation, tolerance and non-discrimination
• empowering young people through the creation of real opportunities for educational and professional development and stimulating youth entrepreneurship and self-employment
• promote and provide equal access to formal, non-formal and in-formal education. Empower youth to develop skills in social entrepreneurship and employment for combating exclusion and increasing the role of youth in the development of community
• create more friendly and safe environment full of respect, tolerance, mutual cultural understanding, stimulate creativity
• build networks of international contacts in order to participate actively in the society and to develop sense of European citizenship and identity
• create opportunities for young people to learn how to learn and how to reach to the personal and professional development through formal+non-formal+distance education.
• developing new technologies aimed at facilitating the learning process like virtual reality augmented reality
• facilitation of multi-sectoral research and implementation consulting in the field of social and cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution.
• assistance in realization of the potential for future employment and the formation of robust friendships with young people from different countries on the basis of scientific and cultural exchange.

WHAT IT IS
Phoenix Knowledge Wings gGmbH:
•  has developed 534 its own partnerships in 84 different countries in Europe and partner countries.
•  co-operates with many public bodies with which it has particular agreements for the diffusion of young people and adults’ activities and helps all young people organizations and any other NGOs type to develop European programs;
•  is information and project development center.

WHAT IT REALIZES
•  training courses, workshops and exchanges
•  cultural, artistic or sport activities;
•  sector studies, researches;
•  digital work and media
•  mentoring, orientation, coaching activities;
•  stages and internships;
•  counseling, crisis support and prevention actions;
•  networking and partnerships;
•  publications, comic-strips, handbooks, brochures, guides and newsletters;
•  e-learning activities, platforms and innovative web sites;
•  cartoons, electronic games, videos, movies and other innovative tools,
•  external project evaluation.

PROJECTS WE WORK WITH
Erasmus Plus (KA1, KA2 and KA3), European Comission projects, COSME, Knowledge Aliance, Socrates, Leonardo, Creative Europe, European Youth Foundation, Horizon, Lifelong Learning programme, Council of Europe, Capacity Building, Tempus, etc.

TECHNOLOGY WORK
• creating E-learning Moodle-based platforms and developing Open Educational E-Learning Resources
• enhancing creativity and developing technology and digital skills with its learners;
• creation of the websites and platforms
• realizing movies, storytelling, e-learning Guides, videos and 2D cartoons, flipped classroom methodology, e-learning system, video games, blogs;
• creating apps, e-learning platforms, robotics for educators, virtual campus, mobile apps, etc.;
• developing innovative projects and actions also using augmented reality tools and virtual reality tools.

What are the activities and experience of the organisation in the areas relevant for this application?

ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCE

At local level:
• Empower youth and youth structures through the development of initiatives to support personal, social and cultural development, with a focus on active citizenship, civic education, human rights, cultural diversity promotion of youth participation, disability, intercultural learning and a community-centred approach through formal, informal and non-formal education methodologies.
• To promote equal educational, volunteering and labour opportunities for all, particular attention is given to hard-to-reach groups;
• Provide experience in the youth and adults field and qualified facilities for training courses, meetings, apprenticeships, workshops, youth exchanges or initiatives, etc;
• Balanced integration of different ethnic groups by transnational projects and activities taking into account the multilingual character of working with European Union and the need to include underrepresented groups;
• Activities in fields (IT, European citizenship, entrepreneurship education, disability support, family support, video graphics, augmented and virtual reality, projects management, envirnment, etc.) including workshops, conventions, conferences, meetings, exchanges, festivals and several events.
• Promotes the intercultural dialogue, international exchange of knowledge and awareness through the active participation of young people;
• Provide regular inclusive sessions of physical activity (sport activities) for persons with fewer opportunities and runs a special session for persons who are deaf/blind wheelchair users and the one with SEN.
• Develop and implement a joint internationalisation strategy, common goals towards specific third markets and support SME internationalisation towards third countries beyond Europe.

At international level:
• Promoting lifelong learning volunteering as a tool to adapt to the constant changes and to achieve personal and professional growth;
• Involving youth in international educational, scientific, cultural exchange programs;
• Promoting intercultural dialogue through different initiatives and programmes, involving in Erasmus + and other EU initiatives.
• Initiate projects and programs that develop opportunities for mutual understanding, intercultural learning, solidarity, societal engagement and volunteering;
• help adults and youth participate in EU projects for experience, knowledge and skills in the Educational and European field, developing the capacity to manage as well we host and implement professional trainings and meetings;
• Supporting projects promoted by transnational partnerships and networks directly involving citizens and raise the engagement of communities.
• Delivery of VET qualifications on the European Qualification Framework for persons with and without a disability. Our organization trains, qualifies and employs coaches, facilitators, tutors, assessors and internal quality assurers to work in non-formal, formal and informal education.

Our target groups:
Our beneficiaries, members and supporters are kids, teens, youth, youth workers, social workers, social volunteers, students, professors and social activists, companies, communities in developing countries. We also focus on people with fewer opportunities – cultural, social and geographical obstacles. Our targeting range of ages vary from 4 years old and up to 60 years old. We work is the inclusion of persons with fewer opportunities and especially persons with a disability. This year we aim to provide education for up to 4000 learners.

EXPERIENCE IN PROJECTS
SFL staff comes from different educational backgrounds and fields of study, such as: human rights, human trafficking, technology, social inclusion, media, disability, environment, European citizenship, minority-majority relationship, etc. Our staff adults and young people during all their years , had participated in many training courses, at local and European level, based on non-formal education to improve their skills and competences as mentors and facilitators in such topics like human rights, majority-minority relationship, inclusion, technology, disability rights and needs. Now we have staff that drive training and innovation in digital skills across Europe, for educational institutions as well as professionals, for the labour market and for all European citizens in general. We also have experts on digitalization, software, technology on one side, ICT components (eplatforms, apps, robotics, etc.) on the other side. We also develop cooperation and communication activities between young people with special educational needs and young people without disabilities together with psychologists and therapists. We have social integration activities for people in need. The specific activities of our company are aimed at combating social marginalization, increasing self-esteem and self-image of people with disabilities and their families, in order to increase the degree of social integration within the community.