Te.D2-Therapy dog handler: development of a certified training course for dog handler in the AAI according to the ECVET procedures

Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI). Term encompasses various procedures that are goal-directed and targets the specific aspects (developmental, therapeutic, emotional, behavioral …) of individual or groups of people involved in working with trained animals. It is conducted by animal-handler team, by meeting the standards of the competent organization. AAI includes Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT).

Te.D2 project aims at providing the evidence base, resource and skills to enable AAI to be more widely used in each partner country by learning from the innovative practice of an Italian partner who has extensive experience in this field and an opportunity for unemployed to become retrained and fill the skills gap as therapy dog handlers.

Te.d2 project also seeks to generate a new training tool for potential therapy dog handlers.

Te.D2 project will see the ARGO course developed and delivered in Italy, adapted for use with unemployed people of different countries. The project will implement the adaptation and evaluation findings from the previous Te.D1 project and will follow a similar methodology thus bringing added value to the new project in terms of its evidence base and partners ULSS4 Montecchio Precalcino and Associazione NET experience of delivery in Europe using a tested and successful methodology. It has a strong link to the Europe 2020 strategy (including headline education, employment and poverty targets) by ensuring that the most vulnerable people in society such as unemployed, do not get left behind or become further socially excluded.

Te.D2 project is focused on the development of an innovative and fresh training on line curriculum to support and help vulnerable people who have difficulties. As the structure of the European population shifts and as mid-career changes become more frequent, the need for constant upgrading of skills increases and with it the relative importance of CVET. The adoption of an outcomes-based approach for vocational qualifications, as promoted by the EQF and ECVET, is key to achieving this. Moreover Te.D2 project curriculum provides a high quality training focused on work-based learning adapted to individual who want to enter or re-enter the labour market, a flexible and modularised individual learning curriculum and work-based learning focused on the acquisition of key competences in the field.

Furthermore Te.D2 project aims at developing an interactive DVD which will integrate the classic curriculum following the communication setting out a European agenda for stimulating high-quality, innovative ways of learning and teaching through new technologies and digital content. ‘Opening up education' proposes actions towards more open learning environments to deliver education of higher quality and efficacy and thus contributing to the Europe 2020 goals of boosting EU competitiveness and growth through better skilled workforce and more employment

Project activities:

ACTIVITY 1 – management of the project.

ACTIVITY 2 – Te.D2 research. Each partner country will undertake research into the current situation and needs of the target group.

ACTIVITY 3 - Adaptation of ARGO project into partner countries. The Argo course will be translated and adapted for use with Romania, Italy, Spain, Portugal Lithuania and Malta following the EQF standards/ECVET qualification.

ACTIVITY 4 - Development of DVD that will integrate Te.D2 course.

ACTIVITY 5 – Piloting Te.D2 project Curriculum.

ACTIVITY 6 – Evaluation.

ACTIVITY 7 – Dissemination.

Planned Intellectual Outputs:

1.Te.D2 Research report. Te.D2 research report will look into the circumstances of the AAI situation in the different country partners of the project. It will be a full Training Needs Analysis regarding existing training courses and activities in each country, review of Existing Literature, interview with 10 dog handlers in each partner country, interviews with stakeholders (support agencies, public bodies, associations of AAI etc), interview with government representative body in each partner country, best practice case study in each partner country, actual legislation in each country.

2. Adaptation of the translated ARGO curricula for use in partner countries. ARGO (the starting tool to adapt) curriculum will be first of all translated in all the languages of the partners and then adapted for use with unemployed people in all the project partner countries. Each partner will consider what adaptations need to be made to ensure the curriculum is suitable in their own countries, taking into account the information contained in the research report and any points raised by the local stakeholders. The development of the programme in each country will be done following the EQF standards and be certified by the ECVET system. There will be then 5 Te.D2 curricula as a result of the output in the languages of the partnership starting from the Argo course developed in Italy and that was already translated into English in Te.D1 project respecting and following ECVET standards.

3. Te.D2 project interactive tool development. Each partner will contribute to the development, in support to the face to face CV, of a DVD that will integrate the Te.D2 course. The DVD will contain videos of case studies and AAI sections as practical examples to understand the functioning of the Activities with animals in each country. The DVD will cover one module of the programme.

4. Report on the validation of the Te.D curriculums through pilot delivery. Each importing partner will test the Te.D2 curriculum and will issue a report concerning the piloting/experimentation in their own country starting from a common model prepared by the leading organisation. Reports will be collected and put together in a final and common report describing the activities, results, actions, problems and central further changes suggested. Each partner will pilot the programme with a group of learners (long term unemployed/unemployed people ). This report will outline the process used and the main results and outputs for the organizations, staff, target groups and other stakeholders involved in the pilot delivering.

ERCC is responsible for producing of DVD.

Project newsletters:

1st Te.D2 newsletter

2nd Te.D2 newsletter

Dissemination:

The report "Te.D2 Dog Therapy Possibilities in Lithuania" presented in Klaipėda Annual Conference of Psychologists

Te.D2 leaflet in Lithuanian language

Te.D2 project in Kedainiai (article in Lithuanian language)

Gallery

ProgramErasmus+ KA2 Strategic PartnershipProject Nr.2015-1-RO01-KA202-014985Duration1st September 2015 - 31st August 2017CoordinatorVASILIADA ASSOCIATION (Romania)PartnersEducation, Research & Consultancy Center (Lithuania); Associazione N.E.T. (Italy); ULSS 4 Alto Vicentino (Italy); EPRALIMA (Portugal); INSTITUTO DE FORMACION INTEGRAL (Spain); The Geminarie Group (Malta).Results

1. Te.D2 Research.

2. Te.D2 Curricula.

3. The MGF training material, tested in different countries.

Website

www.ted2.org