DE-SCHOOLING IN SCHOOL: Re-shaping school practices to bring motivation, grit and choice in disadvantaged youth learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

DE-SCHOOLING IN SCHOOL: Re-shaping school practices to bring motivation, grit and choice in disadvantaged youth learning

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Research and innovation; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

THE MAIN AIM of our project assumed by the international partnership was to bring motivation, grit and choice in learning, and to promote practices based on research through an approach developed around the concept of `de-schooling`.
We understand DE-SCHOOLING as a model of attractive learning, relevant and appropriately paced by students, as opposed to current SCHOOL practices that promotes non-motivating learning and leads to learning outcomes that are not relevant for the labour market.
We aimed to equip the students to meet future challenges and to achieve their full potential as adults.
We developed and delivered to students the set of transferable knowledge and skills, defined as “21st century skills“, which were recognized and validated in practice, also in an international context.

THE OBJECTIVES were defined distinctly for the two targeted groups:
(I)CONCERNING STUDENTS as target group, we assumed to develop a non-curricular program, including disadvantaged groups, and
(ii) CONCERNING THE SCHOOLS we assumed to re-shape the school practices, within and outside the school, through improved quality of teaching-learning environment and better performing students.

The project has been implemented based on the contribution of the six partner organizations, from three countries: four institutions with direct educational responsibilities, covering various type of students, with their specific needs, and two support organizations, demonstrating the usefulness of the cooperation between the educational system and stakeholder organizations.

Through direct activities the project reached much more than the estimated 160 students, ( Indicator1. P1.41 students, P2:40; .P4:40 .P7.300)
and 46 school & educational professionals (Indicator5. P.1.11; P2:10; P4:10; P7:15) from 3 countries, involving 6 partners.(after the withdrawal of P5 from UK)

During the implementation we focused our attention to the disadvantaged students, as target group, facing various obstacles for self-realization, as having unemployed parents or over-employed parents, no time for children support; immigrant background or parents working abroad; poor results in primary school, lack of motivation and self-confidence, lack of learning skills; risk of marginalization, non-discovered talents or non-recognized competencies; lack of positive school-experience etc.

THE balanced, complementary and enthusiastic PARTNERSHIP was the key success factor for the development of this complex project, including further multiplication.
The activities were built around the process of development of the three Intellectual Outputs:
The project adopted an INNOVATIVE AND CHALLENGING APPROACH, by addressing the students as target group, delivering the services in “THE SAFE SPOT“ (first year) and later to assist the whole school to experience an organizational management cycle, as the piloted innovation will be integrated in the school practices (second year of the project implementation)
Starting from the state of the art for partner country, the LOCAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT (O.1) included also the Scenario building, Expert team creation for the main intervention for students within “The Safe Spot“.

The whole partnerships` contribution was necessary to produce the PACKAGE OF SERVICES (O.2. “HANDBOOK OF LEARNING PACKAGE: THE SAFE SPOT”) dedicated to the students in order to bring motivation, grit and choice. The components of the services were developed and delivered first as non-curricular activities.

The third phase, the complex TRANSFER OF METHODS, TOOLS ATTITUDES, INTERACTIONS INTO CURRENT SCHOOL PRACTICES, PRODUCING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT CYCLE METHODOLOGY (O.3).

As reached results we mention the formal support delivered to the teachers, for RE-SHAPING the school practices, based on the non-curricular experience, including transfer of methods, tools, attitudes, new type of interactions into daily school activities.

The envisaged impact is measurable through the
– more than 420 students involved, and most of them motivated, with raised awareness and specific competencies ( Indicator 1 )
– the 4 Safe Spots services created in the 4 partner schools (Indicator 9)
– the improved competences of the staff (46, Indicator 5) working with their stakeholders for continuous improvement of the education.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 165911 Eur

Project Coordinator

Liceul tehnologic “Ioan Slavici” & Country: RO

Project Partners

• G.G. EUROSUCCESS CONSULTING LIMITED
• Centrul Educativ Buzias
• HIGHGATE PRIVATE SCHOOL LIMITED
• Mersin Il Milli Egitim Mudurlugu
• Sabiha Ciftci Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi