COCEMFE Sevilla coordinates this European Erasmus+ partnership, which will conclude on 30 November 2026 following three years of work to support young people with disabilities in rural areas.
COCEMFE Sevilla, as the coordinating organisation of the European Erasmus+ project Digit2Me (Digital Mentoring for Young People with Disabilities in Rural Areas), participated in the final transnational coordination meeting held in Antalya, Türkiye, on 6 and 7 October. The meeting brought together 18 representatives from the partner organisations (13 attending in person and five online) to evaluate the results achieved, share experiences and identify new opportunities for collaboration to support young people with disabilities living in rural areas.
The meeting was organised by the host institution, Antalya Bilim University (Türkiye), and included representatives from the seven institutions across six countries that make up the European consortium: COCEMFE Sevilla (Spain, coordinating organisation), Support Girona (Spain), OZARA (Slovenia), LEB (Germany), Consorzio GMC (Italy), Baltic Education Technology Institute – BETI (Lithuania) and Antalya Bilim University (Türkiye).
This partnership has enabled the exchange of methodologies for developing digital mentoring tools tailored to the specific needs of young people in rural areas, enriching the initiative through the diverse social and territorial contexts of the participating countries. During the two working days, participants reviewed Digit2Me’s progress in improving digital competences, personal autonomy and opportunities for social participation among this target group, while addressing the final phase of the project, which is scheduled to conclude on 30 November 2026.
One of the main areas of focus was the evaluation of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), designed to equip mentors and young people with digital competences, social skills and independent living skills.
According to the data presented by the Lithuanian partner BETI, a total of 108 mentors and 58 young people enrolled in the training programmes, of whom 70 and 39, respectively, successfully completed their training. The evaluations indicate a positive impact of the course content, highlighting its practical usefulness, the engaging nature of the interactive activities and the value of the tools provided for planning personal goals. The analysis also identified areas for improvement that will be incorporated into the platform, particularly in relation to cognitive accessibility, navigation, the inclusion of real-life examples and personalised support.
The Slovenian partner OZARA presented the results of the pilot activities, which exceeded the initial targets:
- 22 online seminars, involving 130 participants.
- 7 face-to-face training courses, involving 81 participants.
The findings support the effectiveness of combining accessible digital training with face-to-face activities and personalised human support.
During the meeting, Antalya Bilim University presented the policy recommendations developed within the framework of the project, aimed at influencing public policies relating to youth, disability and digital inclusion. The document identifies five priority areas:
- Integrating structured mentoring into public policies.
- Accessibility and digital inclusion.
- Social participation and employment.
- Psychosocial support.
- Sustainability of initiatives.
These recommendations seek to transform the project’s good practices into permanent resources and services by fostering synergies between public authorities, social organisations and educational institutions.
Consolidating Results and Next Steps
During the second day, the partners agreed on the actions required to ensure the sustainability and dissemination of the materials developed beyond the project’s completion. The agreed next steps include completing the remaining mentoring sessions, optimising the training platform, finalising the documentation of the pilot activities and disseminating the resources and policy recommendations produced.
As the coordinating organisation, COCEMFE Sevilla reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to promote the consortium’s work to reduce digital barriers and expand opportunities for autonomy among young people with disabilities living in rural areas.
Beyond the academic and technical agenda, the meeting concluded with a cultural visit to the historic city of Side. This shared experience provided an opportunity to strengthen the relationships of trust and mutual understanding developed over almost three years of joint work between the organisations from Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Türkiye, paving the way for future European cooperation.
Particularly noteworthy was the considerable effort made by the organisers to ensure a fully accessible and inclusive environment, enabling Carlos Reina, a member of COCEMFE Sevilla’s management board and a wheelchair user, to participate in every scheduled activity. This practical experience demonstrated the guiding principle of Digit2Me: inclusion must be effectively reflected not only in the project’s objectives but also in the organisation of shared spaces and experiences.
Digit2Me (Digital Mentoring for Young People with Disabilities in Rural Areas) is an Erasmus+ cooperation project in the field of youth, co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by COCEMFE Sevilla.
