The FREE to CODE project has the ambitious goal of using digital skills and computer programming as a means of human development that can help adult European prisoners to re-enter society with a resale expertise CONTEXTS The European context in the management of education and social and educational rehabilitation of prisoners is quite rich. There are different experiences and educational programs tailored to allow a correct reintegration into society for incarcerated people, after having served the sentence imposed. Especially there are e-learning platforms established for such beneficiaries, as explained by the Report on e-learning in European prisons - Concepts, organisation, pedagogical approaches in prison education (https://ec.europa.eu/epale/it/resource-centre/content/report-e-learning-european-prisons-concepts-organisation-pedagogical ) But, since our society is facing a new digital era where new languages are raising up and whoever knows them can get more opportunities in finding jobs and help humanity to develop toward and beyond a high-tech development, coding seems to be a great chance to learn and to be competitive, especially for those that could be starting from a weak and disadvantaged point (like prisoners in such a case). The project intends to be focused on detained people that have a relatively short time to spend in prison and during the resto of the detection time could improve their knowledge with motivation and natural attitude to improve their digital and programming skills. These men will be committed to learning how they could create a better life after they served their time. This will have the aim of giving people a second chance, turning their lives around, and training them in a skills set which has a high demand. With education and career training opportunities this could break the generational cycle of incarceration. There’s plenty of proof that the impact of one man’s incarceration is felt by families and communities for decades. OBJECTIVES General: - The project intends to develop an innovative training programme on coding for learners detained (men, at least graduated and with a short-time sentence, to prepare them to be reintegrated into the society), with the aim to favour the development of their digital skills and in turn their transversal skills, particularly problem solving. Specific: - The project aims at transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications; application of the European recommendations to validate the non-formal and informal learning with the improvement of their digital and programming skills in an informal and formal learning environment, - Applying the methodology of the European recommendations to validate the non-formal and informal learning to adult education into social assistance fields. PARTICIPANTS-NUMBER-PROFILE - At least 20 people detained (with a short term detainment 18-60 y.o.) p/country during the investigation. In total about 360 adults will be involved. - At least 10 people p/country during the assessment of results - At least 100 people will directly participate in the multiplier events As for the stakeholders, dissemination activities aim to reach at least: -5000 people will be reached through the partner’s communication channels and tools, such as organisations’ newsletters, partners’ websites, partners’ social networks It is envisaged that this network will reach out through specific communications actions and by customising the message according to different target groups. DIRECT TARGET GROUP is inmates closer to their foreseen release date. MAIN INDIRECT TARGET GROUPS will be the SECOND beneficiaries of project results and will be directly involved in the project. This group is composed of all actors and organisations providing any kind of support service to develop the training course aimed at detained people about to get out prison and those that just came out and are about to find community reintegration). So, apart from the main involved targets (prisoners and recently ex prisoners). ACTIVITIES Events and dissemination Intellectual Outputs: validated profile of the FREE TO CODE Facilitator in Europe and the specific Training Course with the European guidelines on validation of non-formal and informal learning METHODOLOGY Reporting Pilot testing Learning activity Frontal meeting Simulation Role playing Personal and group support Stages/Project work
The FREE to CODE project had the ambitious goal of using digital skills and computer programming as a means of human development that can help adult European prisoners to re-enter society. 1. CONTEXTS Although significant progress was reported in Europe on the digitalization agenda, different disadvantaged groups were excluded from it due to some structural or personal obstacles. This project aims at bringing prisoners and former prisoners closer to the labour market by developing in them coding and other relevant soft skills. This aim was achieved by developing a responsive and interactive training platform that can work also in closed institutions such as prisons. 2. OBJECTIVES The project was aiming at the following objectives: General: - The project intended to develop an innovative training programme on coding for learners detained (men, at least graduated and with a short-time sentence, to prepare them to be reintegrated into the society), with the aim to favour the development of their digital skills and in turn their transversal skills, particularly problem-solving. Specific: - The project aimed at transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications; application of the European recommendations to validate the non-formal and informal learning with the improvement of their digital and programming skills in an informal and formal learning environment, - Applying the methodology of the European recommendations to validate the non-formal and informal learning to adult education into social assistance fields. Both objectives were achieved. The training programme on coding was created, piloted, evaluated and adjusted. There is now basic training on coding available for the prison systems around Europe. There are manuals available for this training in English, Romanian, French, Greek, Italian and Portuguese. The programme was built taking into account the European principles for identifying and validating non-formal and informal learning adopted by the European Council in 2004. Partners have agreed on the learning outcomes and stakeholders involved in the process of validation were involved in the multiplication events and expressed positive views on the programme. 3. PARTICIPANTS-NUMBER-PROFILE The participants in the project were divided into two main categories: direct beneficiaries and indirect beneficiaries. Direct beneficiaries - prisoners, former prisoners and other disadvantaged people with similar profile - 162 direct participants took part in the survey or benefited from the training programme. Indirect beneficiaries - were the stakeholders (those interested in the programme - education agencies, labour agencies, local authorities, prisons etc.) and the community (NGOs) who participated in the multiplication events - 229 participants. The indirect beneficiaries were also informed about the project activities and results through the dissemination activities were approx. 10.000 people were involved. 4. ACTIVITIES Almost all activities were performed as they were planned. However, due to the pandemic, most prisons were closed in Europe for the non-essential staff. Therefore, the project had to adapt its activities in order to achieve its aim and objectives. The main activities were: conduct national evaluations to identify the training needs and trainees expectations, design a training plan (taking into account the European standards for informal and non-formal validation), develop a training platform, pilot it and evaluate it and refine it. 5. RESULTS AND IMPACT The main result of the project is the use of an online training tool in the prison field. This project is one of the first ones that contribute to the opening of the prison system towards the online platform. The training platform created under this project helps prisoners better prepare for the new economy where digital and computational skills are crucial. Following the guidelines of the European Framework for validating non-formal and informal learning, the project is easily scalable across Europe in prison and alike institutions. 6. LONG-TERM BENEFITS The project is an example of how prisons can use the online platform to enhance education. We can expect the use of this environment to be expanded in the near future towards other sections of prison life: vocational training, job searching, visits and so on.