We believe that it is possible to have an impact on key skills of lifelong learning through new innovative and creative pedagogical methods. We want to focus especially on supporting social inclusion and abilities to participate in the society, work toward equality and enhance abilities in the working life for learners with special needs or disabilities and individuals who are otherwise in a vulnerable position in life. The main goal is to increase capacity to use creative pedagogical methods for professionals who are working with the target group. Indirect beneficiaries are learners with disabilities and special needs or other marginalized groups. The project group consist of organisations working in the field of vocational education, special education, research, circus arts and organisations working with young people and various vulnerable groups. The partner organisations will join forces to disseminate best practices and develop practical tools for using creative pedagogical methods with the target group. The project is coordinated by Invalidisäätiö´s vocational special education center Vocational College Live based in Helsinki, Finland. Sirkus Magenta, a non-profit association working in the field of social circus, also based in Helsinki, will offer their expertise on social circus. Vocational College Live and Sirkus Magenta have worked together in a previous social circus project, where the benefits of creative pedagogical methods were noticed and the idea for a transnational project was born. Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Center from Estonia will share their knowledge on creative use of digital environments and Move and Develop Foundation based in Wrocław, Poland, will offer viewpoints to gamification. Institute of Technology Tralee from Ireland and especially their UNESCO Chair Research Centre will conduct a scientific literature review and offer their expertise in outdoor activities. Friesland College from the Netherlands is a specialist in the field of dance and theatre. Six transnational meetings will be organized to ensure the smooth proceeding of the project. Three intellectual outputs will be produced during the project. IO1 will be a scientific literature review which aims to develop a comprehensive review of existing policy and best practice of social circus methodologies, outdoor learning, dance and theatre, creative use of digital methods, gamification and the links with social inclusion. The IO2 will be a guidebook on these methodologies and it is meant as a practical manual for professionals working with the target group, such as teachers, counsellors, other educators and study and job coaches. The IO3 will be a toolkit for practical use in a form of a cardpack of the creative pedagogical methods with pictures and qr-codes for video instructions. The project activities include five short-term joint staff training events - one in each country. These learning, teaching and training activities cover all the creative pedagogical methods represented in the project. New creative pedagogical methods are disseminated through the training events for the members of the project group and the staff of the participating organisations. Activities consist of workshops and reflection on how to adapt the methods to each organisation´s field of work and clientele. An acitivity based multiplier event will be hosted in each country, where the outcomes of the intellectual outputs and project activities will be disseminated to associated organisations outside the project group. The outcomes will also be disseminated via various networks and channels including social media and the project blog. As a result of the project, the knowledge, tools and usage of creative pedagogical methods will increase. The participants will gain a wide knowledge of creative pedagogical methods. They will disseminate the knowledge and practical tools they gain in their own organisations and in their networks. Activities will also increase the key competences of lifelong learning, especially the personal, social and learning to learn skills of the target group. The increasing of basic skills will result in improvement in their social inclusion. This will also be a long-term result when the methods gained in the project will transform into continual practices.
Our aim was to emphasize the promotion of social inclusion and the facilitation of active engagement in societal activities, striving for equality and improved capabilities in the professional lives of learners facing special needs, disabilities, or requiring extra support. Our strategy involved the utilization of novel, inventive pedagogical approaches to positively influence essential skills necessary for lifelong learning. The primary objective was to enhance proficiency in implementing these creative pedagogical techniques among professionals dedicated to assisting the specified demographic. As a result, the ultimate beneficiaries were individuals with disabilities, special needs, or those belonging to marginalized communities. We wanted to foster and promote the use of creative pedagogical methods for students with special needs. These innovative approaches cater to diverse learning styles and individual strengths, fostering a more inclusive and supportive educational environment. Creative methods, such as interactive activities, hands-on projects, and artistic expressions, capture students' interest and maintain their attention, leading to improved participation and motivation as well as fostering a sense of belonging.
As participating in society can be more difficult for marginalized groups or people with special needs, we wanted to promote means of enhancing social inclusion in creative ways. According to the Council of European Union, the development of key competencies should be supported by establishing good practices for better support of educational staff in their tasks, improving their education, and introducing new and innovative forms of teaching and learning (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32018H0604(01)&from=EN). Another focus of the project was to empower the students and enhance their possibilities to participate in creative activities and develop their social and interaction skills. The goal of our project was in alignment with these statements. During the project, we created new creative teaching material, used gamification, and used the methods of adventure pedagogy together with the teaching staff and students. We also disseminated new and innovative teaching and learning forms and methods.