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Description
The project is addressed to children and young people from four classes in primary schools in the cities of Gdansk and Rumia. Its aim is to open children to emotions, to develop the acceptance of oneself and others and to recognize one another’s needs. We work with a group of children who know one another and who belong to the same community, but who have grown distant from each other due to isolation caused by the pandemic of Covid-19. We conduct drama workshops where children work with their emotions, build openness, acceptance, self-confidence and develop relationships with their environment. During the workshop we use storytelling. The drama exercises and tasks are followed by joint story writing – the aim of the exercise is to integrate the group and to create opportunities for artistic expression for all children in the group. The project involves 55 children, including 18 children with Down syndrome.
Summary of project results
The project involved a series of drama workshops for 4 classes under the supervision of the MEE TOO Foundation in 4 public schools in Rumia and Gdańsk. In total, the project covered 55 children, including 18 children with Down syndrome. The workshops were intended to build children''s openness, acceptance, self-confidence, the right to dream and have friends.
As part of the series, each class took part in 10 workshops. The classes selected for the project are the only classes working under the Foundation''s supervision implementing inclusive education according to the Gdańsk Model of Including Children with Down Syndrome in education in public schools. The specificity of these classes is to combine a group of children with Down syndrome with children
normative. Education is based on peer teaching and research results
by Down Syndrome Eduction International and the belief that social inclusion and reaping
behavioral patterns from normative peers is the only path to independence and inclusion
into the society of an adult with Down syndrome.
The pandemic period from March 2020 to May 2021 deprived children of the opportunity to develop among others
peers. One of the most important goals of creating classes in the concept of open education
run by the ME TOO Foundation in 4 public schools, there is teaching
peer. For children with Down syndrome, it is the basis for correcting undesirable behaviors
development of socially accepted attitudes. It determines their future independence in
society. Deprived of peers, children with Down syndrome have lost almost a year and a half of their lives
social development, while losing models for action. We managed to create a community and environment where everyone felt accepted and understood.