E-COOL
Creative education organized trough Outdoor Learning
Description
Hercules Association, in partnership with Middle School no. 3 Buftea and Middle School no. 1 Glina implemented between 03.08.2022 – 31.12.2023 the project E-COOL – Creative Education Organized through Outdoor Learning.The project was co-financed by the European Social Fund through the the Human Capital Operational Programme 2014–2020,Priority Axis 6 – Education and Skills, Thematic Objective 10: Investing in education, training, and vocational training for skills and lifelong learning, Investment Priority 10.i: Reduction and prevention of early school leaving and promotion of equal access to good quality early-childhood, primary and secondary education including formal, non-formal and informal learning pathways for reintegrating into education and training. Specific Objective 6.3: Reducing early school leaving through integrated prevention measures and ensuring equal opportunities for students belonging to vulnerable groups, with an emphasis on Roma students and students from rural areas/socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Specific Objective 6.6: Improving the skills of teaching staff in pre-university education to promote quality educational services tailored to students' needs and inclusive schooling. The total value of the project is 1,730,323.61 RON, of which the non-reimbursable funding amounts to 1,709,256 RON.
General Objective
The project ”E-COOL – Creative Education Organized through Outdoor Learning.” aims to implement participatory, non-formal outdoor educational activities focused on primary and lower-secondary students (340 students, of whom 185 are in primary education and 155 in lower-secondary education) The goal is to reduce the risk of early school leaving, dropout, illiteracy, and discrimination, with an emphasis on students belonging to vulnerable groups or at educational risk. Specifically, the project targets students from rural areas (140 students, 41.18%),roma students (117 students, 34.41%) students with disabilities or SEN – special educational needs (15 students, 4.41%) This is achieved by empowering 36 teaching and support staff members to conduct integrated non-formal education activities, aiming to improve the educational offer at the partner schools in Ilfov County. Thethree participating schools Gimnazială School No. 3 Buftea (legal entity), Gimnazială School No. 4 Buftea (affiliated with School No. 3) and Gimnazială School No. 1 Glina (legal entity)are located in disadvantaged communities, considering the socio-economic disparity between the implementation county and adjacent urban areas. The project includes equipping and furnishing educational spaces for outdoor activities and improving the specific skills of teaching/support staff to initiate and conduct such activities over 18 monthsensuring the long-term sustainability of the implemented measures even after the project's completion.
Specific Objectives
SO1 targets 340 primary and lower-secondary students (185 primary and 155 lower-secondary), with an emphasis on students belonging to vulnerable groups or at educational risk from partner schools in Ilfov County. The objective is to integrate them into non-formal outdoor education activities through various clubs, interdisciplinary programs, and other student empowerment activities. These actions aim to promote the inclusion of diverse student groups and reduce the risk of early school leaving over 18 months by improving the educational offer of the partner schools.
SO2 targets 340 primary and lower-secondary students, focusing on those from vulnerable groups or at educational risk from partner schools in Ilfov County. It aims to integrate them into empowerment activities designed to help them achieve concrete results through their own efforts, overcome personal limits, and become aware of their own potential. This will actively contribute to maintaining the motivation of the target group and increasing participatory involvement in project activities while developing transversal skills through specific activities over 18 months.
SO3 targets 36 teaching and support staff members from the partner educational institutions in Ilfov County. It aims to create the necessary context for implementing participatory non-formal outdoor education activities by enrolling teaching and support staff in training programs, courses with transferable credits, information and motivation activities, and know-how transfer and scaling activities. Additionally, this objective includes the equipping and furnishing of 3 educational spaces dedicated to participatory non-formal outdoor activities centered on children over a period of 4 months.
Activities
A1.1 Project management through planning, organization, monitoring, verification, and activity control.
A1.2 Information, publicity, visibility, and other administrative activities required for optimal project implementation.
A2.1 Technical coordination to ensure the proper implementation of partners' activities.
A3.1 Informing, selecting, and motivating the project's target group (teaching and support staff) to engage participatively in project activities.
A3.2 Setting up and equipping 3 spaces dedicated to non-formal outdoor activities within each of the 3 partner schools.
A3.3 Developing the competencies of teaching and support staff in non-formal outdoor education through transferable credit courses and training programs for multidisciplinary approaches.
A3.4 Developing and publishing a guide of tools and best practices for organizing and conducting non-formal outdoor educational activities to transfer and scale know-how at local and regional levels.
A4.1 Informing, selecting, and motivating the target group (students) to engage participatively in project activities.
A4.2 Developing an interdisciplinary program to reduce functional illiteracy, promote non-discrimination, and provide orientation for students in terminal grades to support school transition during critical moments.
A4.3 Conducting non-formal outdoor activities within clubs focused on sports, creative arts, nutrition-hygiene, and science-technology to develop children's socio-emotional skills and reduce early school leaving.
A4.4 Conducting financial education and entrepreneurship workshops for primary and lower-secondary students to empower them to overcome their limits through their own efforts.
A4.5 Implementing environmental cleanup campaigns at the local community level involving children, parents, and teachers to develop healthy principles of civic and social solidarity.
A4.6 Organizing prize-based competitions to motivate children to leverage their creative potential and empower them to achieve concrete results through their own efforts.
Achieved Indicators
36 teaching and support staff members who have improved their skill levels.
346 students who benefited from support to participate in educational programs (primary and secondary education).
186 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Primary school students.
92 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Roma students (primary education).
71 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Students from rural areas.
159 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Lower-secondary students.
67 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Roma students (lower-secondary education).
69 students who benefited from educational support, specifically: Lower-secondary students from rural areas.
36 teaching and support staff members who benefited from training programs and best practice exchanges.