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Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation (RAA) is a non-governmental organization working since 1991 for improving the quality of life and averting the risk of discrimination and social exclusion of children and young people in need, affected by chronic conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). RAA is providing direct medical and social services, influencing health, social and educational policies, conducting research and providing support in professional development for a variety of specialists such as teachers, health and social work specialists, psychologists and volunteers through training.
RAA supported over 2000 children & families facing ASD, over 1200 people in need to be treated for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, more than 18,000 people from vulnerable groups with limited access to HIV/AIDS and TB prevention services.
RAA is one of the main training providers in the field of medical, social and educational services and one of the pioneers in using new technologies and innovation in training or non-formal education.
In 2000, RAA was the first organisation developing e-learning content for continuous medical education. RAA has developed more than 30 training packages for different professional categories (physicians, teachers, psychologists & social workers) training for over 10,000 professionals.
In 2006, RAA developed an innovative non formal educational tool for peer-educators, an online game introducing in a friendly manner health education topic to teenagers. Since 2013, RAA has been developing training programs addressing integration of children with disabilities reaching more than 1,500 professionals. A special focus was made in all projects on counselling and training parents of children with disabilities. RAA has also targeted through its project adults from vulnerable groups providing counselling, training and certification for over 2,000 women qualified as baby-sitters. RAA has launched in 2017 teachASD.com, an e-learning platform for school teachers addressing topics related to integration of children with educational needs reaching over 5,000 professionals.
Since 2006, RAA has hosted and organized international study visits for various stakeholders and specialists from the areas of HIV, tuberculosis and ASD. RAA also conducted a series of researches on ASD families service needs, quality of social services provided, perception of ASD in general population.
WUSMED is a politically independent association, committed to the promotion of international academic cooperation and the establishment of bridges between the academic world and the professional world.
The vision of WUSMED is to participate in the promotion of international projects in higher education and in conjunction with other social and educational actors as a key factor in the socio-economic and educational aspect of the Mediterranean area.
Our main objectives are:
• Promote, coordinate, develop and evaluate activities of international cooperation for sustainable human development in the Mediterranean countries.
• Develop education, training, communication and research aimed at responding to social, economic and cultural needs for the development of societies and focusing on questions of common interest with the Mediterranean countries.
• Collaborate in the management of educational centers and organizations in order to promote development, innovation and initial and permanent training
• Promote the transfer of knowledge between universities, companies and social organizations, through the exchange of knowledge and the development of joint projects.
• Start and participate in international academic and social cooperation projects of interest to institutions, universities, and organizations.
• Organize activities and disseminate information about competitions, awards, seminars, courses, conferences, academic meetings and other educational and social events.
IPS (Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal) is a public institution of higher education, which employs approximately 650 personnel and has app. 6 500 students.
IPS is situated in the Greater Lisbon Metropolitan Area, region of Setúbal. The region is home to strong enterprises in such fields as, for example, paper and motor car industries, and holds a highly important geostrategic position, since it is a gateway to Europe. Furthermore, Setúbal region, with its varied landscape composed of sea and mountains, including a large protected area with an application in progress to UNESCO Human Heritage, is a tourist destination for both Portuguese and foreigners.
IPS was created in 1979 and started activity in 1981. At present the IPS comprises five Higher Education Schools. It also integrates a Students’ Welfare Unit and a number of functional units and central services.
CAMPI AND FACILITIES
The IPS has two campi: the Setúbal campus, where four Schools are located – Setúbal School of Technology, School of Education, School of Business and Administration, School of Health – and the Barreiro campus, where the Barreiro School of Technology is located.
All the premises and equipment are high quality and up−to−date. There are a number of well-equipped laboratories, documentation centers, audio-visual equipment, and computer facilities available to students and teachers.
In addition to financial support for students in need, the Students’ Welfare Services include a Residence, at a walking distance from the Setúbal campus, sports facilities, as well as medical and psychological assistance.
Produções Fixe (Unipessoal Lda) was created in 2010 with the objective to create a community support system in the rural village Vila da Marmeleira – Portugal, aiming to create employability at local level using local resources and principles as complementarity, cooperation, innovation and creativity. Currently counting with a steady creative team of 5 persons, and punctual re-enforced with additional human resources.
It is active in 4 main fields: training (both on international level as national level) on social sensitive issues (e.g. democracy, financial literacy, conflict resolution, team work, social inclusion, employability, …), development of educational tools (e.g. simulation exercise Plan B: see youthworkers magazine Coyote nº 10), production of these educational tools (through the creation of a small local ‘factory’ employing habitants) and the community project ‘The Rural Centre of Non Formal Education’.
We are proud to offer in Portugal and abroad, a considerable and qualitative set of trainings and educational exercises and games. This in different areas, using Non Formal Educational methodology.
Over the time, we have collaborated with official and private institutions in designing adequate trainings or developed fitting small and big educational, ludic or informative activities.