The project aimed to promote inclusive education, reduce inequalities, and empower teachers and students through an innovative puppetry-based methodology. Responding to European priorities such as reducing early school leaving and supporting vulnerable groups, it addressed the persistent challenges faced by students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. By integrating puppetry into classroom practice, the project sought to enhance emotional expression, communication, and collaboration in diverse learning environments. It supported teachers in developing inclusive pedagogical skills through co-creative workshops, puppet-making and improvisation, helping them build confidence and practical strategies for daily teaching. At the same time, it offered students engaging creative and digital puppet-based activities that foster participation, empathy, creativity, and social awareness. A multilingual online repository was developed to ensure long-term access to educational resources, while cross-national cooperation between Greece and Poland strengthened shared expertise. Overall, the project positioned puppetry as a transformative tool for inclusion, emotional literacy and culturally aware learning across Europe.
PuppetINTEGRATE addresses clear educational, social, and pedagogical needs affecting teachers and students, especially those from vulnerable or marginalized backgrounds. Schools across partner countries face challenges in inclusion, emotional expression, intercultural understanding, and student engagement, while teachers lack creative, accessible tools to support participation and communication. The project responds by introducing puppetry as an inclusive, interactive methodology that fosters social-emotional learning, creativity, cultural awareness, and collaboration. Puppetry helps engage diverse learners, creates a safe space for emotional expression, and supports discussion of sensitive topics such as diversity and discrimination. The project also tackles the shortage of training in arts-based pedagogies by equipping teachers with practical skills in puppet-making, improvisation, and animation. In addition, it contributes to digital transformation through a multilingual online repository offering open-access materials and resources. Overall, the project strengthens inclusive school cultures, promotes European values, and enhances teachers’ capacity to support vulnerable students.