The objectives of the Xplore project were selected with reference to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, especially SDG 4.1. The project objectives can therefore be summarised into two main goals, aligned with the project priorities. 1. To develop teachers’ skills to perform the role of mentors in their work with upper secondary school students who are at risk of dropping out and becoming NEETs. A high level of learning was achieved regarding the use of digital tools available to teachers for guidance and mentoring activities—skills that were transferred during the online and in-person training phases carried out in each national context. 2. To effectively support young students at risk of early school leaving in self-assessment activities through mentoring pathways implemented by teachers trained as mentors, enabling students to gain awareness of their own abilities and preventing the risk of interrupting their studies in the four partner countries.
XPLORE is built upon three pillars that take into account the current evolutionary context outlined by the European Union with regard to strengthening school education; the context of the countries involved, with particular reference to early school leaving; and the sustainability of the successful projects already carried out by the partnership, which are highly transferable and adaptable to the school environment. The first pillar is based on the NextGenerationEU strategy relating to school education and training, which aims to reduce future NEETs by enhancing and modernising the structures, models, and values of educational institutions. It also embraces horizontal priorities, with particular attention to the dimensions of digitalisation and inclusiveness. XPLORE adopts a strategy to strengthen inclusion in schools and to offer tailored services for everyone through innovative, effective, and inclusive guidance activities that help prevent early school leaving. Upper secondary schools in the 4 countries—Italy, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria—have been selected for the introduction of an experimental guidance and mentoring model with a strong digital and inclusive component, which is replicable in various European school contexts.