Empathy-Driven Leadership: A Role-Playing for Gen Z Development is a 24th month project funded by the Erasmus + Programme.
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.
European context
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.
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.
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.
The project is coordinated by Jovesolides (Spain), and is developed together with partners from Italy (TDM 2000), Serbia (Creative Station), Türkiye (BIV), Austria (Austrian Association of Inclusive Society), and Slovenia (SMART).
See the website of the project for more updates!
