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Description
"Common Paths" is a vocational education project involving interdisciplinary vocational education of teachers and teaching staff from the Podlasie Voivodship who have professional contact with students from particularly vulnerable groups. Among these groups, the phenomenon of exposure to exclusion and marginalization is often observed, and it is particularly intense among indigenous national and ethnic minorities [NEM] (Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian, Lithuanian, Romani), economic migrants from Belarus and Ukraine (in the first and second generation) and refugees (mainly from Chechnya, Ukraine and Kosovo).
As part of the project there will be implemented mobilities in Podlasie region as well as interregional, and a study visit to Norway. The substantive program will be based on cross-cultural issues supplemented with aspects of psychology and special education. The main idea is "learning through life" and the sentence "travels educate", therefore the mobility will take place outside the regions of work and residence of the participants so that they can draw as many program solutions from other regions with a similar social structure
The aim of the project is to increase the professional competences of teaching staff through training, workshops and study visits for increasing sensitivity to other cultural codes, social and religious sensitivity, and taking actions for social inclusion.
300 participants will take part in the project. Enrollment will be conducted on dedicated internet platform and the target group will consist of teachers and teaching staff from schools, and care and educational centers in the Podlasie Voivodship.
The project management methodology is Project Management Institute (PMI) and extensive questionnaires will be conducted for evaluation purposes.
The project will result in increasing the professional competences of the participants and developing a vocational training program. Implementation in other regions will be a long-term benefit.
Summary of project results
The project was implemented in accordance with the assumptions indicated in the Offer. As a result, the participants increased their awareness and cross-cultural competences for better contact, also of an educational and didactic nature, with representatives of religious and ethnic minorities residing in Poland. The task brought closer identity differences and, therefore, other sensitivities typical of representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and also directed how beneficiaries can individualize contact and work with people under their care in the spirit of overcoming broadly understood social and intercultural barriers
The objectives of the task were achieved, among others: through the implementation of two project meetings, through the implementation of 5 mobilities in the form of educational trips of task participants in Kartuzy (22-28/09/2023), in Opole (1-6/08/2023), in Puńsk (28/02-3/03/2024), Gorlice (17- 21/01/2024) and Oslo (25-30/10/2023), 2 dissemination events were also carried out in Ciechanowiec (15-16/03/2024) and Białystok (22-23/03/2024). Moreover, in connection with the implementation of the project, two variants of a didactic study were prepared for the participants: a vocational training guide on the issues of pedagogical work in a multicultural environment, prepared by experts experienced in working with representatives of other cultures, and the second variant extended with the substantive value collected during consultations and mutual (intermentoring) ) exchange of experiences with the task participants during the mobilities. Both variants of the manual were published in the public domain on a dedicated website in order to expand the target group, which also contributes to strengthening the aspect of durability of the task, due to the planned maintenance of the domain for at least another year from the end of the implementation of the activities.
It should be noted that completing the task is characterized, in a broader sense, by the aspect of durability, since the knowledge and competences acquired by the participants will be retained throughout their further activities. In relation to the assumptions of the Offer, there were some differences in the schedule for carrying out some activities (without a negative impact on the overall course of the task), which resulted from the COVID-19 epidemic and the war in Ukraine.
Summary of bilateral results
Cooperation with institutions from Donor States has brought numerous benefits to the "Common Paths" project. The inclusion of partners from these countries allowed for the transfer of knowledge and experience. Thanks to our cooperation, we were able to use modern and proven methods and technologies used by our foreign partners, which improved the quality of the activities carried out. Bilateral cooperation under the "Common Paths" project has led to many positive effects. Joint educational activities, workshops and seminars contributed to increasing ecological and cultural awareness among project participants. Partners exchanged knowledge on best practices in heritage protection and sustainable development. Bilateral cooperation resulted in the establishment of lasting relations between institutions. The partners plan to continue cooperation in the future, implementing further projects of a similar nature.