PARENTS ENGAGE: AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

PARENTS ENGAGE‘s international workshop will be held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 25th of January 2024. Its aim is raising further awareness of the project’s outputs and overall progression, as well as attracting the interest of national and EU-level policymakers. 

The function of this final event is to disseminate all the intellectual outputs of the project to a broader audience, and inform schools, teachers, CSOs, any informal and non-formal educators, parents, and any potential multipliers, of the existence of the PARENTS ENGAGE initiative and results.

A special session will be dedicated to the results of the small-scale pilot phase of the PARENTS ENGAGE online materials for teachers, the lessons learned, and recommendations for further policy. Also, a further discussion of the needs and learning opportunities of the target groups of teachers and parents will take place together with plans for making PARENTS ENGAGE sustainable after the project’s finalization. Finally, the event will attempt to stimulate a reflective discussion on innovation, education, and parental engagement in school life.

PARENTS ENGAGE: Agenda 

1:00 – 1:30 pm: registration and arrival 

1:30 – 2:00 pm: Introduction to the Parents Engage project 

2:00 – 3:00 pm: Keynote by  Prof. Miquel Essomba on working with migrant families in school and Q&A 

3:00 – 3:30 pm: coffee break 

3:30 – 5:00 pm: Interactive session on working with migrant families in school

REGISTRATION

Hit the link below, and book your seat!

https://forms.gle/uc6RJp2mhSBAekdq5

Within the framework of our collaboration with Vytautas Magnus University, our team has started training teachers of upper secondary schools in Lithuania. These colleagues are going to teach life skills, a new subject in schools, but we have tried to train them to support the development of relevant competences and skills in a transversal way. The IPA team of 3 trainers will return in January and February. Between 6-10 December, we had the opportunity to meet and work with about 250 teachers.

In 4 days, we had the opportunity to train teachers from Vilnius and Kaunas as well as the regions around the two main cities where the university has campused, and we were training other groups in Panazevys, Plunge and Klaipeda.

Our 3-stage training covered the following topics:

Competence frameworks to curriculum with special focus on

• The EU competence frameworks
• Universal Design for Learning and inclusive methods
• Healthy interpersonal relationships

Lesson planning and assessment with special focus on

• Collaborative teaching
• Connected learning – linking life skills to other school subjects
• From planning to assessing

Social-Emotional Learning with special focus on

• Environmental education and using arts
• Trauma-informed approaches
• Lesson planning for these

Teachers need this training since it is still difficult for them to identify what competence development they are doing in their everyday practices, to set desired learning outcomes and assess them. Hopefully, the training, combined with online consultation opportunities will help them succeed.

Conference Focus: the Potential of Democratic Citizenship

The need for citizens to be autonomous democratic agents has never been more urgent. During the conference, the DEMOCRAT team will address challenges such as mediatization, technocratization, radicalization, and more, putting the spotlight on how education can fortify democratic values.

The conference will delve into conceptual and practical perspectives, showcasing innovative ideas, techniques, and interventions supporting responsible democratic citizenship through education. From curriculum development to digital tools, and the role of teacher education, experts and participants will explore a wide spectrum of approaches aimed at nurturing reflexive, autonomous, and constructive democratic agents.

Key Topics on the Agenda:

• National, European and global frameworks for Education for Democracy
• Curriculum development and supportive pedagogies
• The use of Living Labs, and other innovative approaches to democratise education
• Digital citizenship and its implications and repercussions
• The role of teacher education in furthering education for democracy

DEMOCRAT Project: Shaping the Future of Education to Democracy

DEMOCRAT is a Horizon Europe-funded groundbreaking initiative aiming to redesign Education for Responsible Democratic Citizenship through participatory methods, context-sensitive curricula, and innovative learning approaches that strengthen liberal democracy in the European Union.

A Call to Changemakers

Academics, practitioners, representatives of EU projects, policymakers, and anyone passionate about democratic education is welcome to join us for two days of engaging dialogue, inspiring connections, and the exchange of ideas. This transformative conference is open to all, free of charge. Registration opens on December 18th, so stay tuned for updates. We’ll keep you posted.