COPE Project
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2025
13-14 November
Transnational Partners Meeting - Zagreb
Last week, the last TPM of the COPE project was held in Zagreb. The project team came together for a two-day meeting on November 13 and 14, hosted at the European Center and organized by our partners from the University of Zagreb.
The first day was dedicated to evaluating the dissemination process and reviewing the project’s results.
Before the project ends, by the end of November, reflecting on COPE’s reach so far was an important step. Each partner summed up their dissemination strategy during the project, which allowed the partners to acknowledge the important diffusion of COPE results and methods through the network of the organisations, spreading all across Europe and further.
This was partly made possible thanks to the universal scope of the project and disseminating trauma-informed care represents a true achievement.
In this regard, the team agreed to intensify the communication during the final weeks to expand COPE’s impact and broadcast the newly finalized resources.
After reflecting on the dissemination, the partner organisations each presented the progress of the deliverables they were in charge of. The online course is already completed and available on the platform Cope4Hope.
Additionally, the freshly finished workbook and handbook will come soon on the platform to complete the online course.
These three main resources provide educators with access to theoretical data on trauma, to raise their awareness, as well as practical tools to implement trauma-aware practices in their work.
This TPM allowed the final productions to be reviewed and validated by the team before they are broadcasted. ​
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During the evening, the hosting partner University of Zagreb invited the team to an informal communal dinner at the Student Center of the city.
Alongside Andrea Covic Vidovic, Deputy Head of Representation and Head of Media from the European Commission in Croatia and other representatives of Croatia’s international affairs, this dinner allowed the COPE team and other project’s associates to meet in a sociable setting to network and enjoy an excellent catering of Croatian food and drinks specialities. ​
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The second and last day of the TPM was focused on reflecting on the impact of the COPE project and exploring future developments.
The morning left space for a brainstorming session on the impact of the project.
The reflection on the impact was centered around four different components : the impact on learners, on the project staff, on the partner organisations, and on a systemic level.
Following this session, the team also had some time to envision possible futures for COPE. Knowing what challenges Europe is facing today, and that the project has the potential to address other areas, the team came up with ideas for future developments for COPE to respond to these issues. Climate resilience and migration, for example, are areas where trauma-informed care could prove relevant.
Finally, the afternoon allowed more administrative matters to be discussed regarding the conclusion of the project.
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In conclusion, this TPM allowed the team to get together one last time in a beneficial atmosphere to finalize the last outputs of the project and reflect on its impact, concluding two years of rich cooperation.
9 November
The Italian version of the Workbook is now online!
The Italian version of the Workkbook is now online! Download it direclty by clicking HERE.
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17 October
Multiplier Conference - Rome
The workshop offered at the ACP 2025 Congress represented an important moment of dissemination for the Cope project on trauma and the Trauma-Informed Approach, a project developed within a European initiative that involved professionals from different countries.
The main goal of the conference was to offer participants a space for both theoretical and experiential reflection on recognizing the behavior of people who have survived trauma, within a person-centered perspective.
From the very beginning, the European project from which the workshop originated aimed to place at the center the real needs of non-formal educators, acknowledging their crucial role in educational, social, and community settings. Through extensive research, the training needs of these professionals regarding the understanding and management of trauma were identified. The research was carried out through open and closed questionnaires and non-directive Rogers-inspired interviews, with the aim of capturing not only quantitative data but, above all, the lived needs of non-formal educators working with people who have survived trauma.
Based on these results, the project partners collaborated in the creation of several tools: a handbook, which brings together the theoretical framework, trauma-related data, and trauma signals, and a workbook designed as a practical-operational tool for non-formal educators.
During the Multiplier Conference in Rome, we first presented the project, followed by a theoretical introduction to the principles of trauma-informed care. Participants were then engaged in experiential and group activities that allowed them to explore the personal and relational meaning of “taking care” of those who have survived trauma, as well as to recognize the behavioral signs of trauma and reflect on what to do and what not do when identifying people that are trauma survivors. The shared experiences stimulated deep reflections on the importance of their role, the value of relational safety, solid working approaches and the need for ongoing awareness of one’s own emotional responses in the work of a non-formal educator.
One particularly appreciated element was the relational atmosphere that emerged during the meeting: a climate of trust, respect, and authenticity that enabled each participant to bring their own experience and perspective. In this sense, the workshop was not only a training moment but also an experience of encounter and co-construction of meaning, within a climate of complete safety and acceptance.
In conclusion, the workshop highlighted how trauma-informed care can become a transversal paradigm capable of guiding not only clinical practices but also educational and social ones, beginning with a deep respect for the person and their experience.
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We also launched the Italian version of the Handbook, available HERE.
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19 September
Multiplier Educational Conference - Baumhaus Conference
On the 19th of September, CRN hosted the Multiplier Educational Conference in Berlin at a special location shaped like a tree house: the Baumhaus in Wedding, Berlin.
The conference disseminated the training format to many different stakeholders and citizens, even to other EU-funded projects such as TRANSFORM, Empowering Creative Minds. The goal was to go beyond the traditional target group of COPE (non-formal educators) to the workforce and vulnerable creatives.
In the afternoon, Giulio Ammannato, psychotherapist from IACP, organised a workshop “What happens in our guts?” to reflect on emotions through card games, talking sessions, drawing and meditation with all the participants and help raise awareness on COPE’s goals and works.
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The full agenda of the conference is available here.​
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17-18-19 September
Transnational Piloting Training - Berlin
As the COPE project comes to an end, a Learning, Teaching and Training Activities (LTTA) took place in Berlin from the 17th to the 19th of September. COPE is a EU-funded project aiming to prepare non-formal education in Europe for traumatised learners. It gathers the following partner organisations : Comparative Research Network (CRN) from Germany, University of Zagreb in Croatia, UNAEDI (Ukraine), Stowarzyszenie Na Drodze Ekspresji (SNDE, Poland), and the Istituto dell’Approccio Centrato sulla Persona (IACP, Italy).
This training allowed the team partners to have the transnational piloting training with some testing of different methods regarding trauma awareness and a review to the progress of the ongoing tasks and deliverables.
More importantly the training aimed at defining and refining the online course and online platform of the project.
The main axes of the LTTA revolve around, first, testing the online course created for the project ; then, participating in an Instant Theater workshop curated by local activist Anna Krenz ; and finally, reviewing the online COPE platform. It was also further enriched by cultural visits linked to trauma in Berlin.
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You can find a full report of the meeting HERE.​
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Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
