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Empathy-Driven Leadership: A Role-Playing for Gen Z Development

The project’s vision is to harness the power of role-playing in fostering empathy and emotional intelligence among young people aged 15 to 21, so that they can build stronger interpersonal relationships, become inclusive leaders, and contribute positively to their communities and future workplaces.

Empathy-Driven Leadership: A Role-Playing for Gen Z Development

European Context and Relevance

In our fast-paced, digital world, we’re facing an empathy deficit among our young people that’s reaching critical levels. This isn’t just a minor issue; it’s a crisis that’s silently eroding the fabric of our society. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is the cornerstone of human relationships. It’s what allows us to connect, collaborate, and care for each other. But here’s the alarming part: research shows that empathy levels among young people have been plummeting over the past few decades.

Objectives and Goals

The main goals of the project include enhancing empathy among youth and youth workers, building their capacity through innovative non-formal learning methods, and fostering transnational collaboration in the youth sector. Specifically, the project aims to implement the EmLead Empathy-Driven Scenario-Based Role-Playing Methodology for empathy enhancement, develop leadership skills based on empathy, improve digital literacy for effective use of digital tools, promote inclusiveness and solidarity, and ensure the sustainability of the EmLead methodology by integrating it into regular activities of participating organizations.

Target Group

The primary target groups of EmLead project are youth workers and young people aged 15-21. Youth workers will be equipped with innovative tools and methodologies to enhance their work, while young people will gain essential skills in empathy, leadership, and digital literacy, fostering their personal and social development.

Detailed Activities

The project comprises four main Work Packages (WPs):

WP1 – Project Management: To ensure the success of the EMLead project, a Steering Committee will be established, to be led by TDM 2000. Each partner organization, including will contribute a staff member to this committee.
WP2 – Development of Competency Matrix and EmLead Best Practices Brochure: WP2 aims to develop a comprehensive educational resource for Youth Workers to enhance training in emotional intelligence, leadership, and social responsibility. It includes training Youth Workers in a standardized Competency and Skills Matrix for evaluating and developing young people’s emotional and leadership competencies.
WP3 – Development of EmLead training for Youth Workers and trainers: This work package focuses on improving the competencies of youth workers. WP3 aims to develop emotional intelligence and leadership skills among youth workers. It will enhance the competencies of 18 youth workers from six different countries, who will then directly impact 360 young people.
WP4 – Development of the Scenario Repository and Peer-toPeer Training Platform: In WP4, our objectives are to develop a comprehensive digital repository containing various training materials, including presentations and interactive scenarios, aimed at enhancing youth work and digital skills.
WP5 – Exploitation and Multiplier events: WP5 will support the general objectives of the project by ensuring that the project’s target groups are reached and regularly kept up-to-date with the project’s development. The activities of this work package will guarantee visibility of the project at the EU level, as well as on national and local levels.

Expected Results

The project includes a “Best Practices Manual” that gathers effective methods for teaching leadership with an emphasis on empathy. Additionally, there’s a “Train the Trainer” Program where youth workers and trainers will receive comprehensive training materials to conduct people-focused leadership training at their respective centers. Furthermore, an Online Learning System will be established, offering leadership training in an accessible and user-friendly online format.

Resources and Funding

The project is being implemented from August 2024 to August 2026.

Partners and Coordination

Coordinated Asociación JOVESÓLIDES, Spain, the project includes partnerships with Austrian Association of Inclusive Society, Austria, Science and Human Fonudation, Turkey, TDM 2000, Italy, Smart Institute, Slovenia, Kreativna stanica, Serbia.

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