EMPATISE was designed with the overall objective of empowering teachers and educators in addressing the challenges of educational disadvantage, early school leaving and low basic skills, through an innovative educational model based on empathy towards students and cooperation with local actors in the educating communities. Specific objectives: 1. To improve the skills of teachers and educators in non-formal learning and in adapting to the individual needs of students 2. To provide capacity building tools for educators working in disadvantaged contexts 3. Aligning educational programmes to learners' individual competences and interests 4. Increase opportunities for young people, especially those at risk of dropping out of school In addition to improving the skills of teachers and educators, the project aimed to promote capacity building of disadvantaged communities in dealing with youth issues, the increase and improvement of educational opportunities for young people living in disadvantaged areas and the strengthening of cooperation between educational and social actors in and between EU communities
The EMPATISE project was born to tackle common needs in the target areas, rural or disadvantaged, of Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal, which share common challenges in the education system. The context analysis conducted revealed several relevant problems: high rates of educational poverty, uniformity in school curricula, lack of coordination between local actors, isolation of teachers, high rates of school drop-out and NEETs, as well as unemployment and emigration. According to Eurostat (2019), 22.5% of children in the EU are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, with negative consequences for their future. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues, especially in the most vulnerable areas, where early school leaving was already a significant challenge. EMPATISE was created with the aim of improving educational opportunities (school and extracurricular) for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, breaking the vicious cycle of poverty, early school leaving, unemployment and social exclusion, and contributing to the creation of a more inclusive education system, based on cooperation and empathy and oriented towards local community development.