The Re-inventing Europeans through History Art and Cultural Learning project (REHAC Learning) is implemented by a partnership of different types of organizations from the Greece, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway and Italy, including education institutions of different remit (university, adult education centres, non-formal learning providers), public authorities and representatives of the civil society operating in the interests of refugees. The partnership is led by Euracademy Association, a European-wide non-profit network of education and sustainable development practitioners and academics, devoted to capacity building of communities in rural Europe. The target groups to be supported are the educators of refugee learners and the refugee learners themselves. The project provides learning methods, tools and resources for the training of trainers who would apply the REHAC methodology; and also learning tools and resources for the learning courses aimed to facilitate the integration of refugees in the host society and labour market.Refugees entering European countries, carrying the trauma of war or political instability are very vulnerable and need a great deal of psychological support and training to help them establish a foothold in their new country. At the same time professionals in education and social care in many EU countries need to learn very quickly about how best to support the refugees whose knowledge of their new country may be limited and their skills in the language of their new country may be slight or non-existent. The main objectives of the project are:• To design a n innovative learning methodology and learning resources, based on history, art and culture, freely available to education and other refugee integration professionals, leading to an introductory learning course, to ease the first steps of integration of refugees in t heir host country.• To ease the transition experienced in cultural change and start the process of building confidence and personal growth after a traumatic life-changing event.• To offer basic skills and language training to refugees who are starting a new life in an EU country • To enhance language skills and other non-verbal methods of communication • To introduce lifelong learning to refugees• To provide ‘pointers’ to different activities such as work, self-employment, vocational work, learning for fun and social inclusion for adult learners • to network educators working with refugees in different EU countries and in different learning situations, as well as other individuals and organizations working for the integration of refugees, forming a community of interest, so that they can readily exchange experiences and best practice. • To influence policies makers in each partnership country to provide guidance and educational support for the expanding refugee population integrating into many EU countries.This project will develop, over a period of 33 months:• A methodology and tools for identifying the learning needs of refugees, once they enter the host country• A learning methodology based on an innovative approach, exploiting the benefits of history, culture and art in training, through the channel of “storytelling”• A training of trainers course, to help educators to apply the REHAC methodology with refugee learners• A refugee training course, operationalised in a number of learning packages, to guide the introduction of refugee learners in language and basic skis, as well as in job orientation• A Handbook presenting in a succinct, easily comprehended and illustrated format, with examples, the sequence of activities and resources developed by the project, which can be used by educators and trainers to help start the integration process in the host country, through learning• A community of interest, hosted in a specially created platform, to bring together stakeholders from different sectors working for the integration of refugees, to exchange experiences and best practice, and receive help in applying the REHAC methodology.The REHAC Learning methodology and tools will be piloted in all partners’ countries, with a total of about 100 refugees, while a training of trainers’ course, involving 15 trainers, will ensure that the education leaders of the pilot courses are well prepared to apply the new methodology and learning resources. 5 workshops at national level and one international conference will assist in the dissemination of the results of the project, and in building the community of interest of the stakeholders
Refugees entering European countries, carrying the trauma of war or political instability are very vulnerable and need a great deal of psychological support and training to help them establish a foothold in their new country. At the same time professionals in education and social care in many EU countries need to learn very quickly about how best to support the refugees whose knowledge of their new country may be limited and their skills in the language of their new country may be slight or non-existent. The REHAC project was implemented by a partnership of different types of organizations from Greece, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway and Italy, including education institutions of different remits (university, adult education centres, non-formal learning providers), public authorities and representatives of the civil society operating in the interests of refugees. The partnership of 8 organisations was led by Euracademy Association, a European-wide non-profit network of education and sustainable development practitioners and academics, devoted to capacity building of communities in rural Europe. The target groups supported through the REHAC project were the educators of refugee learners and the refugee learners themselves. The main objectives of the project were: • To design an innovative learning methodology and learning resources, based on history, art and culture, freely available to education and other refugee integration professionals, leading to an introductory learning course, to ease the first steps of integration of refugees in their host country. • To ease the transition experienced in cultural change and start the process of building confidence and personal growth after a traumatic life-changing event. • To offer basic skills and language training to refugees who are starting a new life in an EU country • To enhance language skills and other non-verbal methods of communication • To introduce lifelong learning to refugees • To network educators working with refugees in different EU countries and in different learning situations, so that they can readily exchange experiences and best practice. • To influence policies makers in each partnership country to provide guidance and educational support for the expanding refugee population integrating into many EU countries. The REHAC project developed, over a period of 33 months: • A survey on the learning needs of both the refugees themselves and the trainers/support staff involved in the integration process. The results in every country were compiled in one Synthesis Report of Learning Needs. • National task-force groups in every partner country, including representatives of the partner organisations as well as representatives of key stakeholder organisations in every country (central government, local government, NGOs, adult-education organisations and organisations of the civil society), active in the refugees’ integration. The task-force groups followed the project activities in each country and contributed by taking part in project activities (learning needs survey, pilot-testing activities, multiplier events), offering feedback on the project outputs and actively supporting their dissemination and promotion. • A learning methodology based on an innovative approach, exploiting the benefits of history, culture and art in training, through the channel of “storytelling”. • A training of trainers course, to help educators to apply the REHAC methodology with refugee learners. The 5-day course took place in Athens on 7-11 May 2018, with 15 trainers from all partner countries and additional participants from Greek organisations active in refugee training, who were invited to attend. • A refugee training course, operationalised in 2 learning packages, to guide the introduction of refugee learners in language and basic skills, as well as in job orientation. • A Handbook presenting in a succinct, easily comprehended and illustrated format, with examples, the sequence of activities and resources developed by the project, which can be used by educators and trainers. The REHAC Learning methodology and tools were piloted in all partners’ countries, with 164 refugees. Four (4) workshops at national level and one international conference assisted in the dissemination of the results of the project, and in building an active community of interest of project stakeholders. The project achieved considerable impact regarding the stakeholder organisations in every partner country, the trainers and support stuff of refugee integration who have already used the project outputs or will do so in the future, as well as the refugees themselves who took part in different project activities. The project partners, inspired by the project's success and outreach, have applied for and secured funding in the Erasmus + programme for a project developing further the REHAC methodology and learning material for school education.