Description
The project addresses prevention of school dropping out. The project aims at supporting school students at risk of dropping out through a mentorship programme. First, 7-10 schools in Sofia City with the largest number of children at risk will be selected for mentorship. Second, the mentorship programme will be presented to humanities students of the partner university and the included schools. Third, 60 students will be selected as mentors and 60 children/adolescents will be selected as participants. Fourth, mentors will be trained to work individually with the person in a family environment. Finally, 60 pairs of mentors and school students will be formed, the pairs meeting twice per week for 2 hours during the school year. There will be also meetings with parents and school staff to follow progress. The project will benefit the school and university students, the parents, teachers, institutions and the public. The partners will help with select mentors and school students.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at promoting mentorship as a suitable approach to reduce significantly the risk of dropping out of school and establishing mentorship as a social and educational practice that can cover broader groups at risk and complement school education and family care. Under the project 15 schools were identified in Sofia City to be most in need of student mentorship. More than 300 students in subjects related to children and adolescents learned about the project and its approach. In the course of the project, 53 mentor-student and child-young person couples were successfully formed. 4 public discussions, 4 group meetings with parents and teachers and 14 group supervision sessions were held. In addition, a Manual on the methodology, principles and procedure of mentorship was developed and could be further used. The project raised the sensitivity of student mentors to the specificity of the risk of dropping out of school, social inequality and poverty. The students who joined the project received individual support, became more independent, improved their social interaction and discipline, improved their performance and had their interest in school life boosted. The partnership with New Bulgarian University is a sign of the clear intention to continue mentoring students in the future as well. The other project partner, the Regional Inspectorate of Education in Sofia City is a guarantee and an opportunity to involve the state in the solution of the problems facing children and adolescents. For more information about the project, please, visit:
http://www.redhouse-sofia.org/Content.aspx?id=88 https://www.facebook.com/redhousesofia/
Summary of bilateral results