AFLATOUN – Boosting social inclusion through targeted action

We applied for this project to bring a change in the field of social and financial education. The project enabled participating countries (Slovakia, Serbia, Netherlands) to improve primary and secondary education on the systematic level, spread this innovative program to all countries and work systematically on competences within the chosen target groups (children, their parents and teachers/professionals). The main needs addressed by the project: 1. developing competences of primary and secondary school children and teachers, especially social and civic competences by implementing an innovative program of integrated social and financial education Aflatoun in 3 participating countries (Slovakia, Serbia, Netherlands) 2. empowering children and their parents through civil and social competences development to become agents of change for them and their communities 3. extending the educational curricula for all target groups with the methods of Aflatoun (child-centered and experiential learning). The project focused also on social-emotional wellbeing of children, and brought relevant information for quality parent involvement and for developing family social and financial skills in the aftermath of COVID-19.

The main aim of this project was connected with SDGs and EU education policy – it strived to provide inclusive and equitable quality education for all children (from majority population, migrant children and children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds or Roma children), as well as quality and strong parental involvement. The general objective of this project was to empower children and their parents through civil and social competences development to become agents of change for themselves and for their communities. This is especially important in times of and after COVID-19 with many families losing income causing children and their parents falling into poverty which might have an extremely negative long-term impact on children. The specific objective of the project was to extend the educational curricula offered by teachers for target groups with innovative methods of Aflatoun. Reaching this target enabled participating countries to improve the primary and secondary education also on the systematic level. The project also brought an innovation of in person, online and blended approach to social and financial education.

Activities implemented: 2 Training manuals (for trainers and teachers) in English, Dutch, Slovak and Serbian. 3 National trainings of trainers in SVK, SRB, NL: For teachers/professionals working in nonformal education/trainers responsible for leading national trainings. 3 National trainings of teachers, teaching professionals and paraprofessionals in SVK, SRB, NL: Their aim was to spread the methodology of the integrated SFE to schools and NGOs working with children and their parents on local level. Workshops in SVK, SRB, NL: Carried out by previously trained teachers, teaching para/professionals in their schools/facilies. Children and parents took part in these workshops. Development of Policy recommendations for local, national and EU stakeholders. National roundtables in SVK, SRB, NL: Held to bring a change on a systemic level. Relevant stakeholders took part in these events to promote productive knowledge sharing. Final Conference in Slovakia: The most important dissemination event, start of broader advocacy activities for quality SFE. Platform for discussions about the importance of SFE and for presenting project findings and best practices from all participating coutries (SVK, SRB, NL) to professionals and stakeholders.

Total number of involved participants: 15 trained trainers of trainers, 60 trained teachers and professionals, 120 involved children, 30 involved parents. Total number of indirectly involved participants: 1000 municipality/local community members (inhabitants of involved localities), 100 teachers, representatived of teacher´s associations, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders on local/national/international level. Activities: 3 National trainings of trainers, 3 National training of teachers, teaching professionals and paraprofessionals, 45 Workshops in 15 facilities in 3 coutries (SVK, SRB, NL), 3 National roundtables (in SVK, SRB, NL), 1 Final Conference Intelectual outputs (all in English, Dutch, Slovak, Serbian): Training manuals for Social and Financial Education - Training of Trainers, Training manuals for Social and Financial Education - Training of Teachers, Policy Recommendations. Activities were implemented to reach these project results: systematically implemented and improved SFE, improved competencies of teachers, parents involved in direct work with children, children and parents empowered, created network of professionals and organisations using the Aflatoun program for SFE, best practices disseminated.