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In Europe, children with an immigrant background often find themselves facing barriers and inequalities in education and beyond.
“This challenge is exacerbated by the fact that national policies and measures for including this population vary considerably across Member States, making it harder for these children to thrive both academically and emotionally,” explains Rachele Antonini, an associate professor at the University of Bologna.
With the support of the EU-funded NEW ABC project, Antonini is leading an effort to promote the social inclusion of children and young people in and out of the classroom. “Our goal is to empower migrant and refugee children to find ways not only to cope with the realities of inequality, but to persevere both in school and beyond,” she says.
From a club for young translators to an educational escape room
Using a co-creation approach that involves students, teachers, families, NGOs and local communities, the project designed a wide range of educational solutions. “This bottom-up method avoids imposing top-down policies and instead respects the voices and experiences of migrant children,” notes Antonini.
One of the project’s most innovative solutions is the Young Translator Club, which supports young children who often act as interpreters within their communities by enhancing their interpreting skills and well-being.
Another popular tool is the educational escape room, which challenges students from all backgrounds to solve problems through teamwork. “Our innovative digital escape room has proven to be particularly effective at promoting collaboration and inclusion in an interactive way,” adds Antonini.
Practical solutions for supporting social inclusion
The project’s solutions and activities were tested in nine EU countries. To ensure that the solutions could be applied broadly and at scale, each activity was tested in one country and then successfully adapted to another.
“The pilot actions provided practical tools that educators and schools can use to support social inclusion, emotional well-being and academic success for young migrants,” remarks Antonini.
The project has made all its resources freely available to educators online. It also launched the NEW ABC Science Shop, which will enable communities and educators to continue working together on educational research beyond the end of the project.
“This ensures that our lessons and materials are available to support future work in inclusive education and are shared across other projects and community organisations,” says Antonini.
A significant impact across Europe
Through its promotion of social inclusion in education and support for disadvantaged groups, the NEW ABC project is making a significant impact across Europe. For example, by developing inclusive educational practices, the project helped build more united schools and communities.
Furthermore, by actively involving children from migrant, refugee and disadvantaged backgrounds, the project played a role in breaking down barriers that often hinder their chances of finding future employment. In doing so, the project also contributes to social cohesion and economic productivity.
Last but not least, by devising adaptable educational tools and practices that are affordable and easy to implement, the project has ensured that its work will continue to have an impact well into the future.
“By fostering more inclusive schools and stronger social integration, the NEW ABC project promotes democratic values, active citizenship and more cohesive communities,” Antonini concludes. “All of which are essential to ensuring Europe continues to be a ‘continent of integration’.”