This project includes five primary schools from PT,IT,RO,GR,TR. It will be applied with the pupils aged between 12-17. The project focuses on the problem of social exclusion (in terms of basic skills lack). In order to reach this goal of inclusion we will practice new strategies and methods of teaching cooperatively and inclusively at schools and during leisure time activities. This application refers to the particular needs of students according to the needs analysis which took place at all the partner schools. As the project group, we discussed and defined 4 issues which prevent the school success.(1-Lack of social inclusions; 2-lack of basic skills; 3-Lack of parental support; 4-Lack of socio-economical needs ). The needs analysis has been done in five schools by taking the observation of the teachers’ view, taking consultant teachers’ ideas into account, applying basic survey which evaluates those four obstacles. We came to the following conclusions: in PT, it seems they have no problem with 1 and 3 but they need to increase the level of basic skills and help some students who have problems with number 4. Other schools have problems mainly with number 4 obstacle. In Romanian and Italian schools, “lack of social inclusion and basic skills ” of the students are seen as the most important problems which prevent students from adapting an academic success. In Turkish and Greek schools “lack of basic skills, lack of parental support, lack of socio-economic needs” stands for the first reason for failure. Besides, each school has different good practices in their school curriculum (see related sections). They will be observed and followed by the teachers and transferred after evaluation. The strategies and methods which we agreed upon to apply embody plenty of ideas which stand for a real alternative to solve these four problems. Before creating this project we had a pre-work period about the new strategies and defined 5 new ones to use in our project. Every partner will apply one of these methods in its school environment, observe and evaluate the outcomes. During the meetings these outcomes will be discussed by all the partners and will be transferred to one another. At the end of 2 year time, 5 strategies will have been applied and evaluated. According to the observation and results of success the partners will continue to use these strategies and methods at their schools. OBJECTIVES -to promote the inclusion of excluded students, the ones with lack of basic skills, the risk of dropping out, with special needs by helping to promote their integration into the mainstream education and society. -to apply new strategies for overcoming social exclusion, lack of basic skills and school drop out -to conduct new methods in the field of social and emotional child development as part of students with special educational needs' practical curriculum. -to give teachers different methods of education and share the good practices NUMBER AND PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANTS Students/teenagers: The project will take excluded students in the centre, so 180 in total will take part actively in the project activities. Approximately 1200 students/teenagers will be indirectly affected. Teachers/Adults: there will be teams of 5 teachers at each partner organisation so 30 in total will take an active part in the project. There will be a teacher of English, Maths Teacher, a Counselor, an ICT teacher and a PE teacher/trainer. Approximately 150 teachers/adults will be indirectly affected. Administrative staff: The head teacher/chairman and a deputy head will take part in the project, approximately 36 administrative staff will be indirectly affected. Families: The number of the family members will be 300 in total and they will contribute to introduce the host country’s culture, tradition and to prepare traditional food for an international evening. Local community: Local community including local press, municipality, directorate of national education and PTA will help to disseminate the project to a wider community. RESULTS AND IMPACTS Through our project the five partners intend to create both short-term and long-term tangible and intangible results and to achieve the biggest possible impact on future projects and policy processes such as leading students to overcome lack of self-esteem, setting up the project website in order to provide continuous access to the general information of the project activities, progress and results, writing newspaper reports and creating on-site panels or leaflets to inform other people about the project’s background and main results, arranging a multiplier event, communication, and cognitive skills of students at risk, cultivating effective partnerships between trainers, educators, and community organizations.
The project had as a partnership five schools of PT, IT, RO, GR, TR, Portugal was the coordinating country and the age group of students focused on the 12-17years. The starting point for the project were the problems of social exclusion experienced in partner countries and gaps in students' behavoiral and social skills. Evaluating the problems in each school we conclude the need to address gaps in social inclusion, basic skills, parental support skills and socioeconomic needs. In order to reach the inclusion objectives, new cooperative and inclusive teaching strategies and methods were studied and implemented in schools, during classes and during free time. The strategies and methods covered have brought many ideas to put into practice and have proved a real alternative in solving problems in schools. At the same time, the observation of good practices during the mobilities also allowed them to be transferred to the realities of the other partner schools. Each school studied and applied one of the new methods, evaluated and disseminated practices and results. In each mobility it was possible to present and discuss methods and transfer practices from one school to another. Thus, at the end of the project five methods of cooperative and inclusive teaching that could be applied in schools were studied, applied and discussed. GOALS - to promote the inclusion of pupils, those lacking basic skills, risk of abandonment, with special needs, helping to promote their integration into regular education and society. - implement new strategies to overcome social exclusion, lack of basic skills and school dropout - to develop new methods in the field of social and emotional development of students, especially students with special educational needs. - give teachers different methods of education and share good practices. These objectives were largely achieved, with great success in the changes of behaviors and acquisition of competences on the part of the students and introduction of new strategies in the teaching practices. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS Students / young people: More students than expected participated actively in the project. Countries such as Portugal, România and Italy had a great participation, so we can say that about 240 students participated in the project and about 1,200 influenced by the actions of the project. indirect. Teachers / Adults: From the planned teams of 5 teachers participated actively in higher numbers in countries such as Portugal, Italy and Romania. 40 teachers participated actively in the teams. About 150 teachers / adults will have been indirectly touched by the project. Administrative staff: At least the principal and other administrative of each school participated in the project, approximately 36 administrative staff were involved in the project. Families: Also in families the number involved in the project was higher than expected. Countries such as Portugal and Romania had a large participation of the families, 350 members of the families participated, contributing to the knowledge of the culture and traditions of their countries. It should be noted that the Portuguese school was the first time it was sent and received students, with great success and participation of families. Local community: The participation of the local community in each country was also relevant. From the local press that helped disseminate project actions (newspapers and in some countries local television), the municipalities that received the delegations and cede local and logistics, representatives from the Ministries of Education and local Associations that participated in project actions and helped in the dissemination of it. RESULTS AND IMPACT: Through our project, the five partners have created tangible and intangible results in the short and long term and have achieved the greatest possible impact for future educational and political projects and processes, such as getting students to overcome their lack of self-esteem , to gain personal and social skills, to work on their capacities for tolerance and to gain more competences on European citizenship. Students with special educational needs were largely involved in the project, overcoming barriers, gaining more standardized skills and teaching others to overcome fears. Schools were endowed with new strategies, methods and good practices and were able to extend their internationalization. Facebook group, website, articles, brochures, manuals, newsletters provided continuous access to general information on project activities, progress and results. In this way it is possible to multiply our success and cultivate effective partnerships among teachers, educators and community organizations.