Intergenerational Education for Social Inclusion and Solidarity: The Case Study of the EU Funded Project "Connecting Generations"

This paper reflects on lessons learned from a validated model of international collaboration based on research and practice. During the European Year for Active Ageing, a partnership of seven organizations from the European Union plus Turkey implemented the Lifelong Learning Programme partnership “Connecting Generations‘ which involved universities, non-governmental organizations, third age Universities and municipalities in collaboration with local communities. Reckoning that Europe has dramatically changed in its demographic composition and is facing brand new challenges regarding intergenerational and intercultural solidarity, each partner formulated and tested innovative and creative practices that could enhance better collaboration and mutual understanding between youth and senior citizens, toward a more inclusive Europe for all. Several innovative local practices have experimented, attentively systematized and peer-valuated among the partners. On the basis of a shared theoretical framework coherent with EU and Europe and Training 2020 Strategy, an action-research approach was adopted throughout the project in order to understand common features that have been replicated and scaled up since today

Chapter A Student Voice Approach in Work-Related Learning. From Lesson-Learned in Secondary School to Suggestions for Higher Education

This paper presents a research on work-related learning through School-work Alternance in Secondary Education that involved researchers of University of Florence, ten secondary Schools, public and private entities in the Province of Arezzo and La Spezia. From the analysis of three case studies, it elicits criteria for an educational model that integrates work-related learning with student voice perspectiv

Educazione attraverso l’arte per il dialogo interculturale: verso un ecosistema di apprendimento inclusivo

Is it possible to create intercultural and inclusive learning environments based on education through art? Can art enhance competences to foster inclusion of children with migrant background and/or belonging to minority groups? These are the core questions of “META - Minority Education Through Art”, an Erasmus Plus KA3 Project (2015-2018). The central hypothesis, based on previous researches and experiences, considered arts capable to foster inclusion in primary school intercultural contexts. META adopted a holistic and transformative paradigm to approach the problem and consistent multi-methods strategy and mixed-methods research techniques. Main output are a tested competence framework for building inclusive learning environments and recommendations for a methodology centred on innovation in teaching, as key for genuine valuing of richnessand potentiality of different cultures, discovered through artistic experience. In this work, we present research outcomes as elements of reflection indicating a transition from schooling to open learning environments. In doing so, arts become an important methodological tool to foster integration of formal, non-formal and informal education.È possibile creare ambienti di apprendimento interculturali e inclusivi basati sull’educazione attraverso l’arte? L’arte può migliorare le competenze per favorire l’inclusione di bambini con background migrante e/o appartenenti a gruppi minoritari? Queste sono le domande chiave di “META - Minority Education Through Art”, un progetto Erasmus Plus KA3 (2015-2018). L’ipotesi centrale, basata su precedenti ricerche ed esperienze, considerava le arti capaci di favorire l’inclusione nei contesti interculturali della scuola primaria. META ha adottato un paradigma olistico e trasformativo per affrontare il problema di ricerca, una strategia multi-metodi coerente e tecniche di indagine miste. I risultati principali sono un quadro di competenze testato per la creazione di ambienti di apprendimento inclusivi e raccomandazioni per una metodologia di insegnamento innovativa, come elementi chiave per la valorizzazione della ricchezza e della potenzialità delle culture attraverso l’esperienza artistica. In questo lavoro presentiamo i risultati della ricerca quali elementi di riflessione che indicano una transizione dalla scuola verso ambienti di apprendimentoaperti. Le arti così diventano un importante strumento metodologico per favorire l’integrazione dell’istruzione formale, non formale e informale

Educazione ed innovazione sociale

This book proposes an interpretation of continuing education as an enabling factor of social innovation. Continuing education is an opportunity for transforming and co-creating structural and socio-cultural conditions in work contexts, through inclusive and collaborative practices and processes. The reflection presented in the book starts from an eco-systemic analysis of educational processes entailed in the social innovation dynamics, and develops a definition of educational action for formulating and testing responses to complex social needs. The educative action, oriented to creatively combine tangible and intangible resources, individual talents, collective imagination, improves capacity to rethink educational and socio-educational services and face the challenges that reality presents