1. Enhancing Volunteer Awareness and education against Natural Disasters through E-learning (EVANDE) Dr C. Fassoulas, Project Coordinator Natural History Museum, Univ. of Crete Project co funded by the DG ECHO of the EC, Grant Agreement No. ECHO/SUB/2014/693261 Kick off meeting – Brussels 20/1/2015

2. Project Overview Beneficiary: Natural History Museum – University of Crete, Greece Total Eligible Cost: € 556.533,00 EC co financing: € 417.400,00 Duration: 24 months starting on 1/1/2015 Partners: Seven (7) Coordinator: Dr Charalampos Fassoulas

3. Partnership Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation – GR (EPPO) Center for Educational Initiatives - BU (CEI) Natural History Museum / University of Crete - GR (UoC/NHMC) Technical University of Crete - GR (TuC) Parco Del Beigua – IT (BEIGUA) Consorci De La Ribera – SP (RIBERA) Centro Studi e Formazione Villa Montesca – IT (CSFVM)

4. Why EVANDE? Due to Climate Change Mediterranean is going to face severe environmental problems, amplifying droughts (and wild fires), floods as well extreme weather phenomena in addition to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions Not always local civil protection mechanism or volunteers have the necessary knowledge, skills and capacity to sufficiently act in case of an emergency Whom? It is mainly addressed to local authorities’ civil protection staff and volunteer groups How? by increasing the level of Knowledge for ND by assisting beneficiaries to better planning and implementing strategies by strengthening collaboration and improving communication among the various civil protection actors by developing a lifelong learning, web based training activity by improving cross border civil protection interoperability and preparedness

5. Objectives: to exchange and exploit information and good practices through the identification, validation and popularization of knowledge on the most serious Natural disasters to develop educative tools and actions to increase the performance and raise of awareness of CP operators and of volunteers in local level to improve communication and collaboration of professional and non- professional CP actors, to create better prerequisites for, and improve preparedness of CP professionals and volunteers in local level, and to constantly evaluate actions and outcomes of the project to disseminate and share project’s results and outcomes to potential beneficiaries and broader audience on a constant base

6. Main Deliverables and deadlines (1): Management meetings (four), Desktop Analyses to identify, analyse and validate knowledge and best practices on Natural Disasters and on the intra-governmental and operational approaches and strategies, (30/11/2015) Development of e-learning tools and of special e-seminars on the MOLE environment dedicated to earthquakes, floods and wild fires, (30/6/2015) Pilot implementation, evaluation and finalization of e-learning tools in collaboration with local volunteer groups in all project languages, (30/6/2015)

7. Main Deliverables and deadlines (2): Training activities in participating museum, info- and educational centers for volunteers and local authorities staff on e-games, e-seminars, and e-tools, (30/11/2016) Organisation of national and international volunteer meetings to strengthen communication and collaboration and share developed outcomes and tools, (30/11/2016) and Dissemination & Sustainability plan to develop project’s web-site, organise open meetings, design leaflets and periodical newsletter, deliver a Layman Report and participate in international meetings (30/11/2016)

8. Deadlines: Project meetings: 1 st : Genoa IT, March 2015 2 nd : Alzira/Valencia SP, September 2015 3 d : Sofia BU, April 2016 4 th : Heraklion GR, October 2016 Progress Reports: 1 st : 9/2015 2 nd : 5/2016 Final: 12/2016 Training Seminars: Two in each partner 3-6/2016 National training Workshops: One in each country, 5-6/2016 International volunteer meeting: Cita di Castello IT, 5/2016

9. Expected results: To increase the level of knowledge on natural phenomena and their impacts for civil protection actors in local level, assisting them to better planning and implementing preparedness and response strategies, To strengthen collaboration and improve communication among the various civil protection actors, such as local authorities and volunteers, To offer tools and means to raise awareness and to create better prerequisites for civil protection in local and national levels, To contribute to the development of a lifelong learning based activity addressed to civil protection operators maximizing thus the benefits of broader society from already developed European projects, studies and strategies, and To improve cross border civil protection through regional cooperation on interoperability and preparedness for direct response, better planning and reduction of impacts of natural disasters.

10. Follow up Dissemination of project’s results will be continuous through partners’ institutional activities (museum, training centers, National Organizations), Web servers of TUC and NHMC will be used to host the web-platform and the project’s web pages for long, offering maintenance and durability, Project’s website and web platform will host all printed and other products, in all project language and will serve as a reserve for information and reference, Skilled staff of NHMC exhibition, as well as the educational centers of CSVM, CEI and BEIGUA will continue dissemination and training activities, Collaboration of local volunteer groups from the various countries will set the base for better communication and response in the case of emergency, and Technical reports will be forwarded to National Civil Protection Secretariats hopping to be used and probably incorporated in National Policies and Operational plans Thank you