- Body Awareness - Improving Skills and Competences: Enhance educator's ability to understand and respond to the needs of marginalized groups through body awareness. By learning new methods to interpret body language, educators improved their competence in sensing and communicating non-verbally, which is crucial since 80% of communication is through the body. This aligns with the priority of improving educators' competences. -Connecting with Marginalised and Discriminated People: Establish professional connections between organizations and educators working with marginalized groups. The Bodywise-Laboratory facilitated better understanding through body sensing, particularly where language barriers exist. The project provided educators with tools to better listen to and understand vulnerable target groups, promoting inclusion and diversity. -Releasing Mental Stress: Introduce methods that support body awareness to help release stress. Educators learned and applied simple activities to reduce stress in their workshops and classrooms, especially during intense periods. These methods were made available online and in publications in three languages, promoting physical and mental well-being.
We applied for this project to address the significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts, which intensified personal and organisational discomfort. Our goal was to support trainers working with marginalised groups, such as migrants, refugees, and the unemployed, by enhancing their communication and connection skills. We recognized the crucial role trainers play in fostering understanding between cultures and the need for them to develop deep listening skills, involving the whole body, to create a safe and trustful learning environment. Additionally, we aimed to provide trainers with tools and methods to maintain their mental and physical health, preventing burnout. The Bodywise workshops and the development of the Wise Body manual and website were designed to offer practical activities and learning opportunities, tested with vulnerable groups, to support educators in their professional and personal development. This project facilitated cross-border exchange and the dissemination of knowledge in English, Italian, and Estonian, addressing the need for improved communication and connection tools among trainers of disadvantaged groups.