  
Comenius Individual Pupil Mobility project On 2 June 2008 EEE-YFU together with the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL) handed in the final report of the Individual Pupil Mobility (IPM) pilot project. Being long time experts in the exchange of secondary school students across Europe and around the world, several European YFU and AFS organisations carried out the pilot project for the European Commission between 2006 and 2008. It had the aim to help shaping a longer-term student exchange programme funded by the Commission within the Comenius programme, that is to be launched in 2010.
The tender was divided into three parts: the study phase, the pilot phase and the recommendation phase.
Study phase
In 2006 10 YFU organisations started collecting information on pupil mobility schemes and laws pertaining to mobility in their countries. The results of these studies were compiled in the first Interim report to the European Commission submitted in February 2007.
Pilot Phase
In August and September 2007 a total of 294 students travelled to their host countries, where they stayed for three or six months, thus returning in November 2007 or February 2008. The two YFU organisations involved in the Pilot phase of the programme, namely YFU Estonia and YFU Germany, ensured that a total of 71 students experienced their exchange through YFU. During the stay in their host countries, the pilot students went to orientation meetings carried out by national YFU and AFS organisations and received counselling and support from regional volunteers of the organisations – just like any other student in their regular exchange programmes. The representatives from the European Commission that were attending some of the arrival trainings, held by AFS and YFU respectively, were reportedly quite impressed by the level of quality of the trainings.
The Recommendation Phase
After several reports being submitted regularly in the earlier phases of the project, it culminated with the submission of a final report in June 2008. The European Commission has, based on the submission of on-going reports from the tender, begun to develop the structure of the upcoming action which should get under way in 2010.
Project Structure
As well as the official stages of the project, meetings of the steering committee, management team and pilot co-ordinators took place throughout 2007. Joke Zwart, YFU Netherlands and former EEE-YFU Chairperson, is a member of the steering committee, while EEE-YFU Director Elizabeth Niland was working with EFIL as part of the management team.
Thank you YFU!
A big thank you goes out to all those countries involved in completing the study reports of the project, while a special thank you is extended to YFU Estonia and YFU Germany for all the hard work and many hours they put in ensuring that the pilot phase was successful.
YFU has a huge resource of knowledge on the issue and practice of individual long term pupil exchanges across Europe. It is with this in mind that EEE-YFU is highlighting to its members and partners, the importance of YFU’s involvement in ensuring that student exchanges of high quality are promoted across Europe as a means to enhancing the intercultural experience.
For further questions or feedback do not hesitate to contact Elizabeth:
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Coordianting organisations in the pilot countries:
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 July 2008 )
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