FOSTERING DIVERSITY IN PRIMARY TO SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSITION TO PREVENT EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING Erasmus Project

Project Title

FOSTERING DIVERSITY IN PRIMARY TO SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSITION TO PREVENT EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

“DREAMS: Fostering Diversity in Primary to Secondary School Transition to Prevent ESL” is a 24 month strategic partnership composed of three schools and two organizations dedicated to school education: CESIE (IT), Agrupamento de Escolas do Barreiro (PT), Istituto Comprensivo Statale Cassarà – Guida (IT), Escola L’Esperança (SP), and La Xixa (SP).
Transition from primary to secondary education has been identified by the European Commission Thematic Working Group on Early School Leaving as a key moment for ESL prevention. All partner schools indicate that prior to transition ESL risk factors are already identifiable, and that a diversity-based approach needs to be taken in order to assure proper attention to the needs of all students, particularly those that are more vulnerable to ESL, during this delicate phase in their education and development.

The main aim of the DREAMS project is to apply early ESL prevention by supporting students, teachers, families and school community in assuring a smooth Primary to Secondary School transition with inclusion of all forms of diversity.

To reach this aim the DREAMS project has the following objectives:
-Research best practices in Primary to Secondary school transition and generate adequate school protocols for early ESL risk detection
-Explore the needs of the students and the school community in relation to transition, with particular emphasis on gender, cultural diversity and minority groups in order to address ESL gaps
-Create and evaluate an innovative methodology to address the identified needs based on Process Work and Theatre of the Oppressed where the transition is understood as an opportunity for skill and leadership building, and where diversity is considered an asset towards this goal
-Implement pilot workshops and activities in schools with different target groups to try-out, evaluate, and disseminate the methodology and resources
-Create a Smooth Transition Tool-kit composed of three intellectual outputs (IO1 – best practice report, IO2 – teacher handbook, IO3 – family booklet) to assure the dissemination, use and multiplication of results, as well as project impact and sustainability by providing replicable profile-specific easy to use pedagogical material.

The methodological approach of the DREAMS project is based on Forum Theatre and Process Work. Forum Theater, within the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology, seeks the staging of conflicts, so that the audience can propose alternatives and try them out on stage in order to rehearse real life situations. It provides a safe and participatory space for reflection and action with inclusion of all voices where diversity is a basic key for creation and searching for alternatives. Process Work or Process Oriented Psychology is a method facilitates the transformation and growth of individuals and groups based on a deep understanding of diversity. It is used to redistribute power in groups, address conflict as an opportunity, challenge the hopelessness of achieving change, improve group processes, and transform conflict into spaces for reflection and action.

The project primary target groups are:
-Students and Families – Last year Primary School
-Teachers, Tutors and Counselors – Last year Primary School and First Year Secondary
The project secondary target groups are:
-Students and Families – First year Secondary school
-Local school authorities and policy makers

In total, 540 participants are expected to be directly involved in project activities.

Main DREAMS activities are:
-Continuous management, assessment and dissemination, including 4 transnational partner meetings
-Development of 3 outputs including audiovisual material
-2 Joint Trainings for teachers and school staff
-3 local Student Pilots on Forum Theatre and Process Work applied to Primary to Secondary Transition to prevent ESL
-3 Local Open Orientation Forums to address transition within the schools and present project results
-An international final conference

DREAMS main final result is the “Smooth Transition Toolkit” composed of:
-IO1: The Transition from Primary to Secondary Education to prevent ESL from a Diversity Perspective: Best Practices
-IO2: Bridging the Gap: Facilitating Diversity-based Transitions from Primary to Secondary School to prevent ESL. A Handbook for Teachers and Counsellors.
-IO3: Working on transitions from home: Resources for Families to Facilitate Diversity-based Transitions from Primary to Secondary School to prevent ESL

All project outputs will be available online in all partner languages and in English.

At least 7500 people will be involved indirectly through a Dissemination Plan. At least 50 Primary Schools will receive the DREAMS Smooth Transition Toolkit for its use and exploitation. Our “Quality and Evaluation Framework” will pin down the necessary measures to ensure that our products are good quality, fulfill their objectives and to evaluate the pedagogical innovations proposed.

Project Website

http://dreamsproject.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 131509 Eur

Project Coordinator

Associacio La Xixa Teatre & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas do Barreiro
• I.C. Cassarà-Guida
• CESIE
• Fundació per a les Escoles Parroquials-L’Esperança