Our first objective was to create a strong evidence basis on how NGOs have already successfully boosted the bridge-building between migrant families and schools. On the basis of this evidence we aimed to provide training materials for teachers to enhance their skills when working with migrant families. The project wanted to give voice to both the teachers and the migrant families, by allowing them to share their stories and highlight both their good and bad experiences. We aimed to provide support for families directly as well by sharing useful materials and information. The project aimed to also identify policy gaps and reach out to policy makers with recommendations on how the gaps could be closed.
In line with the efforts of the European Union on inclusion in education, the Parents Engage project aimed to increase the engagement of a particularly vulnerable group, migrant parents, in their children's education. Parental engagement is already a challenge for many schools, as professional educators do not receive adequate training on how to work with parents in general, let alone with families coming from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds. The project is providing solutions targeting both professional educators, by increasing their readiness to reach all families of students in their classroom and parents, by providing information and exercises that promote learning at home. Through supporting both teachers and parents, the project stimulates meaningful cooperation between these two crucial stakeholders in the children's lives. While the local collaboration of teachers and parents can already make a big difference, to inspire long-lasting change, the project also highlighted the gaps in policy to support this cooperation for the benefit of the children and the role non-governmental organizations can play in achieving this goal.