The aim of the THRIVE project is to combine the principles, methods and techniques of positive psychology, trauma sensitivity, and emotional literacy, and create an open-access online course for educators working with early school leavers (ESLs). The course will help educators to increase their competencies in addressing the priority emotional and social learning needs of ESLs, and help these vulnerable young people gain the skills they need to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities. Taken collectively, the evidence strongly suggests that a training programme based on resilience, well-being, and best practice approaches to mitigating the effects of trauma, will enhance the learning experiences of ESLs. More importantly, positive learning experiences will increase their ability to benefit from future educational, training and employment opportunities, and promote their personal resilience and wellbeing. The THRIVE project aims to build on this evidence base by initially conducting a literature review in each partner country which looks at relevant research, reports, and publications to identify the best practice approaches to increasing the well being and resilience of ESLs in educational settings. The literature review will be followed by an analysis of needs, using focus groups and a national online survey, which will capture the lived experience of educators working with ESLs, and determine what their current needs are, and how they can be met at a practical level. Focus groups will also be conducted with the ESLs themselves, to ensure that their voice is heard in this programme and that their priority needs are met. The partners' national reports, generated from the literature review and field research, will be consolidated into a single report, collating and documenting best practice in the area, both in Europe and internationally, and providing a valuable resource on the topic that can be used by educators across Europe. On the basis of the findings of the consolidated report, a draft training programme will be created by the project partners, with each taking responsibility for drafting a module most suited to their experience and expertise. The programme will feature practical activities, tools, and resources based around creating trauma sensitive educational environments, facilitating emotional regulation, and approaches from positive psychology such as - character strengths, social skills, resilience, communication skills, team-work, critical thinking, self-awareness and self motivation. When the modules of the draft THRIVE programme are complete, a ‘train the trainers’ workshop will be held, where each partner will present the material they created, and be trained in the other modules of the programme. In this way all partners will be fully able to present the entire programme in their own countries, and any issues around comprehension or applicability can be addressed directly. A pilot of the THRIVE programme will be carried out in each partner country following the train the trainer meeting, and a panel of educators working with ESLs will be recruited to trial the programme and give feedback on its content and delivery. Based on the consolidated feedback from the pilot, any additional edits to the THRIVE programme will be implemented and a final version created. This final version will be hosted online in a dedicated learning platform, linked to the THRIVE website, and will be openly accessible by educators across Europe. This online platform will be publicised by the consortium using various dissemination channels, including multiplier events, conferences and digital and social media, as well as through the professional networks of each of the partners. The THRIVE educational platform will remain live and active after the project has been completed and it is anticipated that it will grow and expand over time with up to date resources, activities, and interactions between educators across Europe. The programme coordinators (ICEP Europe) will also encourage educators working with ESLs to become the ambassadors of the THRIVE programme, to foster positivity and increase the resilience, wellbeing, and social and emotional competencies of ESLs, and help them benefit from educational, training and employment opportunities.
The aim of the THRIVE project was to develop a trauma-informed training programme for educators working with vulnerable early school leavers (ESL), which combine the principles, methods and techniques of positive psychology, trauma sensitivity, and emotional literacy. This training programme is immersive and open-access and designed to assist educators in enhancing their competencies in responding sensitively to all learners, particularly those who have experienced trauma. It also aims to address key emotional and social learning needs of ESLs, in order to promotepersonal, educational and employment wellbeing. The development of the THRIVE training programme was rooted in best practice approaches to addressing trauma in educational settings, as well as evidence relating to the importance of positive learning experiences for social and emotional wellbeing. THRIVE further builds and enhances work in this area through the development of: Literature reviews from each of the partner countries. These reviewsexplored relevant research, reports, and publications with a view to gaining a detailed overview of the best practice approaches to increasing the well being and resilience of ESLs in educational settings. A needs analysis of key stakeholders in second chance education (educators and learners), comprising focus groups and national online surveys in each country. Both the focus groups and the surveys with educators were designed to capture the lived experience of educators working with ESLs, and determine what their current needs are, and how they can be met at a practical level. Focus groups were also held with the ESLs themselves, to ensure that their voice is heard in this programme and that their priority needs are met. Generating a consolidated report which brought together findings from each partners' national report, and field. This report collated findings in relation to best practice across Europe and internationally, and provides a valuable resource for educators. Subsequently, a draft training programme was developed with input from all project partners, with each partner taking responsibility for drafting a module most suited to their experience and expertise. The programme centred on five key areas deemed to be most important in the cultivation of a trauma-sensitive approach within second chance settings: 1. Establishing Safety and Attachment 2. Building Relationships, 3. Nurturing Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation, 4. Building Resilience and Psychological Wellbeing, 5. Educator Self- Care. The development of each modules was guided by the use of realistic case study examples, interactive elements to enhance the learning experience, opportunities for self-led learning and reflection and was accompanied by a selection of practical activities. Overall, the programme adopted a strengths-focussed approach which reflected the current assets, best-practices and the resources and resilience of key stakeholders, including young people themselves. This approach was designed to equip educators with the capacity to address trauma, and simultaneously nurture and cultivate strengths within their educational setting. The draft THRIVE Programme, was refined via a ‘train the trainers’ workshop attended by each partner. The workshop consisted of presentations of key materials and activities, followed by an in-depth reflection and discussion designed to hone programme content. This ensured that all partners were fully prepared to refine their respective modules and, in turn to present and disseminate the entire programme in their own countries. A subsequent piloting process with a diverse panel of educators working with ESLs was used to finalise the programme content and structure. Feedback from these key stakeholders on the content and delivery of the THRIVE training programme was collected and consolidated. This important feedback was subsequently used to finalise the programme content and ensure its utility, relevance and appropriateness for the target audience. This final version is now hosted online in a dedicated learning platform, and is openly accessible by educators across Europe. This online platform has been publicised by the consortium using various dissemination channels, including multiplier events, conferences and digital and social media, as well as through the professional networks of each of the partners. The THRIVE educational platform is currently live and will remain active now that the project has been completed. It is anticipated that use of this platform will grow and expand over time and will continue to be populated with up-to-date resources, activities, and interactions between educators across Europe. The programme coordinators (ICEP Europe) will also encourage educators working with ESLs to become the ambassadors of the THRIVE programme, to foster positivity and increase the resilience, wellbeing, and social and emotional competencies of ESLs, and help them benefit from educational, training and employment opportunities.