Introduction
DROP’IN ACTION is an online portfolio that brings together the experience of teachers and students using non-formal techniques at school system level.
It has been developed within the DROP’IN project, an Erasmus + project (K2: Strategic Partnership | School) that aims to develop strategies to prevent Early School Leaving (ESL) and school dropout by introducing non-formal methods in schools. This approach was possible thanks to a partnership between associations, municipalities, universities and schools where teachers and non-formal education experts worked together, leading innovation in their respective fields and collaborating at each step of the project.
The development of these non-formal methodologies comes from a state of the art followed by an analysis of the school system in the various countries involved (Bulgaria, France, Italy, Latvia), responding to the need to actively involve teachers and students in the process of non-formal and alternative education that can educate them on fundamental issues for the growth of both, the students and the teachers, as active protagonists of their educational and human development.
What did we need to DROP’IN?
The DROP’IN project team of teachers and experts in non-formal education has produced a manual of techniques useful for the introduction of non-formal education, EDUC’Action: The Education in Action!
It’s a catalogue of non-formal education techniques focused mainly on the following 6 main topics:
Ice Breaker, Team building, and Get to Know Each Other Activities
Self-esteem, self-awareness and reflection
Team Building and the Feeling of Equality
Building up Your Own Environment and Taking Responsibility for It
The Importance of Education and Motivation to Learn
Learn to Say NO!
The foreseen actions developed has a creative approach to fight the phenomenon of ESL and takes into account many of the recommendations made at European level by the ET 2020 School Policy Working Group, namely:
the implementation of an intersectoral approach and increased cooperation with many partners and the wider community to address problems for which schools do not have the expertise;
the application of new interactive methods to deal with subjects that are more global than the lessons evaluated (class life, school life, etc.);
considering the fact that learning for teachers is necessary throughout their careers;
the encouragement and creation of peer tutoring spaces within the school and in networks of schools, becoming places for sharing good practices.
Within this framework, DROP’IN has developed 5 main results, which you can find here:
The project has been implemented in 5 countries, involving 8 organizations/institutions:
- PISTES SOLIDAIRES (France – Coordinator)
- COLLEGE ROSA PARKS (France)
- GULBENS NOVADA DOME (Latvia)
- CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO CREATIVO DANILO DOLCI (Italy)
- ISTITUTO SUPERIORE “DUCA ABRUZZI” LIBERO GRASSI (Italy)
- KNOW AND CAN ASSOCIATION (Bulgaria)
- 119 SECONDARY SCHOOL “ACADEMICIAN MIHAIL ARNAUDOV” (Bulgaria)
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LEUVEN (Belgium)