Networking the Educational World: Across Boundaries for Community-building

Project Information

NEW ABC

Grant agreement ID: 101004640

DOI

10.3030/101004640

Project closed

EC signature date 3 November 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 December 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Europe In A Changing World - Inclusive, Innovative And Reflective Societies

Total cost

€ 3 111 896,25

EU contribution

€ 3 036 657,00

Coordinated by

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - NEW ABC (Networking the Educational World: Across Boundaries for Community-building)

Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Ensuring equal educational opportunities is essential to promote the meaningful integration of migrant children and young people into European society.
the NEW ABC project adopts an inclusive and participatory approach that actively engages teachers, children, educators, families and policy makers in co-creating effective practices. Rooted in participatory action research, the project is guided by care, compassion and a bottom-up perspective key elements in addressing the systemic barriers migrant children face. By fostering collaboration between stakeholders who rarely interact, such as children and policy makers, NEW ABC aims to create meaningful and sustainable change.Through participatory and co-designed practices, the project empowers migrant children and ensures that their voices and experiences shape the future of education. This broad aim is broken down into three main objectives, which the NEW ABC project successfully achieved, while also establishing a sustainability process.First the project aims to develop co-participatory research with stakeholders to accurately understand and identify children's real needs. Based on these insights, nine pilot actions were co-designed with teachers and pupils and then tested in educational institutions.Secondly the project aims to empower migrant children and young people by raising awareness of their role in the educational environment and highlighting the value of their voices in shaping inclusive practices. Thirdly, the project aims to promote integrated approaches at local and (inter)national level by making best practices and innovative actions accessible to all educational institutions interested in promoting the inclusion of migrant children. The impact of the participatory action research (PAR) approach has extended beyond the official timeframe of the project. Many of the activities initiated by NEW ABC have continued to be implemented autonomously by stakeholders, demonstrating both the effectiveness and sustainability of the methodology

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

At this stage of the project, the research consortium has successfully achieved all of its initial objectives. First, the research team developed co-participatory research across various educational institutions, completing both the first and second rounds of testing for all nine pilot actions. The second testing specifically assessed the scalability, replicability, and sustainability of the first testing in different contexts. Second, the project effectively engaged stakeholders and ensured that their voices played a central role in shaping the activities. This was made possible through the creation of a dynamic and responsive system that guarantees continuous stakeholder involvement, not only throughout the project’s duration but also beyond its completion. The activities have been—and will continue to be—designed to raise awareness of the challenges and solutions related to the inclusion of migrant children and young people in education. The independent implementation of activities by stakeholders following the first and/or second testing confirms the successful achievement of this objective. In addition to the official NEW ABC platform, the NEW ABC Science Shop was launched as an innovative platform bridging academic research and local community needs.Third the project fostered stakeholder engagement through horizontal synergies within and across educational institutions and vertical synergies to involve policymakers. Events, tools, and reports, including a lesson learned report and a policy brief, were developed to connect with local communities and inform policymakers about the educational needs of children and young people.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

At this stage of the project, it is possible to assess the impact of the first and second testing of the nine pilot actions. By being permeated by the concept of care and compassion, NEW ABC pilot actions have been able to generate a direct and long-term impact on the mutual understanding of stakeholders who are often set apart by misconceptions, diffidence and preconceptions. As originally planned, NEW ABC’s cross cutting activities have ensured impact throughout the life of the project, based on resources and tools that have also been made available on the online website to support other initiators of projects or initiatives based on co-creation processes. In general, the activities had a significant impact at local level and will potentially reach different educational institutions at European level. Firstly, the pilot actions promoted effective practices for the social inclusion of children and young people, which are now part of the stakeholders' repertoire and are disseminated through various channels. These good practices contribute to the development of more inclusive educational institutions capable of enhancing the sense of belonging of children and their families. In addition, the activities have been showcased through various channels (e.g. at local events or through NEW ABC social media). In this way, the good practices of the nine pilot actions influenced the professional practice of other stakeholders in different educational institutions. Secondly, the nine pilot actions improved horizontal and vertical synergies and cooperation between different stakeholders in order to take up good and innovative practices.Thirdly the first and second testing of the pilot actions empowered stakeholders in different educational contexts, as the activities were able to help stakeholders develop competences to deal effectively with the challenges they face in their daily lives. The development of new competences also concerned teachers and educators, who acquired social and intercultural skills through their continuous engagement with researchers and other professionals.The pilot actions also raised stakeholders' awareness of their situation and their potential role in the educational institution and in society at large. Finally, the NEW ABC project is relevant and innovative from an academic point of view, as it advances important methodological insights. The implementation of the pilot actions allowed researchers to develop tools and strategies to measure and monitor the stages and impact of the co-creation process in different educational institutions. This experience can serve as a reference for future projects and initiatives, helping other researchers to identify strengths and weaknesses in their co-creation initiatives.

New ABC logo