With the implementation of the "Virtual Reality in Education" project, we contributed to improving the quality of the educational process and overcoming the negative consequences related to socio-economic isolation, poverty and the dropout from education systems of representatives of marginalized communities. We realized the common goal through cooperation between non-profit organizations Association "For a Better Future" and "Institute for Development of Human Resources" (Fundacja ECCC), engaged in the field of socio-economic integration of vulnerable social groups, in particular students. We also received support from our partner SS "N. Vaptsarov", Hadjidimovo, whose representatives were the direct target group of the project. Fulfilling the set sub-goals: identification, transfer, approbation and sustainable introduction in Bulgaria of the innovative approach from Poland for socio-economic integration of marginalized communities, through Virtual Reality in Education (VR EDUCATION), we increased the self-esteem and self-awareness of the participants, facilitating the processes of social and economic integration, their motivation to learn and we contributed to their preparation for independent life in the community.
We implemented the "Virtual Reality in Education" project with the aim of overcoming the challenges to the sustainable educational and social integration of marginalized communities such as the Roma in our country, focusing on 3 main problems: 1. Unsatisfactory education of marginalized groups, an early dropout from the education system, lack of motivation to continue education and self-improvement 2. The outdated teaching methods in many training and educational institutions in our country, fail to fully engage the attention and retain the interest of marginalized communities 3. Lack of motivation for integration; loss of self-esteem, undeveloped self-improvement skills; alienation, isolation and falling into the vicious circle of poverty-unemployment-isolation-poverty. For this purpose, we applied the innovative approach VR EDUCATION, based on androgogy and already established in Poland. The project contributed to the integration into the Bulgarian educational system of the innovative practice of Information Technologies for Education, mobilizing the potential of various innovative technologies for sustainable and full social and economic integration of marginalized groups.