The Erasmus+, KA2, with the title “Managing the refugee and migrant flows through the development of educational and vocational frames for children and adults”, with the acronym “Xenios Zeus”, and the contract number 2016-1-EL01-KA201-023512 will be realized in the following 2 years, from 01/09/2016 to 31/08/2018.
The coordinator of the project is the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Central Macedonia and its partners are: 1) the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, both the Department of Primary Education and the School of Modern Greek Language, 2) the University of Western Macedonia, Department of Early Childhood Education, 3) the University of Aix-Marseille, ESPE France, 4) H.R.Y.O, Human Rights Youth Organization, Palermo, Italy, 5) Municipality of Paionia, Polykastro, Kilkis, 6) Municipality of Delta, Diavata, 7) Diktyo “Alpha”, Center for the Prevention of Addiction and Promotion of Psycho-social Health in Western Thessaloniki, 8) the Cartographic Heritage Archives, department of the General State Archives of Greece- Historical Archives of Macedonia.
The aim of this project is to change the ways the implicated agents are dealing with the refugee and migrant flows in the Macedonia region on an educational and pedagogical level.
In this framework, “Diktyo Alpha” expertise will be exploited for a positive, cooperative and psychologically supportive community between children and adult refugees/migrants to be created, while Cartographic Heritage Archives’ expertise on new digital information and communication technology will be exploited complementarily.
In collaboration with the specialists on refugee/migrant issues, the project’s partners aim at designing, creating and distributing educational material, a toolbox full of activities, instructions and educational programs, engaging adult refugees/migrants together with their children.
The goal of the project is the language education development through the use of computers, as well as the development of cultural awareness and human rights awareness. The Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Central Macedonia cooperates with the above municipalities, the specialists on refugee/migrant issues, as well as the specialists on issues related to the Greek as a second/foreign language and multicultural education in order to provide basic literacy skills to the refugees/migrants. Further objectives are the development of trustworthy relations between the locals and the refugees/migrants, together with their preparation for their smooth transition abroad (second language learning, ICT skills).
Furthermore, the foreign partners contribute to the exchange of practices on refugee/migrant issues. In particular, H.R.Y.O, Human Rights Youth Organization, from Palermo, Italy, will create a support network in hotspots for the implementation of educational programs on a local and international level. France has gained great experience in receiving refugees/migrants and this knowledge will be conveyed to all the partners.
The main axes-priorities are:
- The creation and the development of a toolbox for the refugee/migrant and their teachers/trainers. Its content is related to the material for kids, teenagers and adults, created by the teachers/trainers for future users.
- The design and implementation of daily seminars in Greece, Italy and France. These will be addressed to educators, researchers and other interested institutions, which will take action in relation to educating refugee/immigrant flows and will exchange practices.
- The use of the toolbox by future users and the design of a platform for the evaluation of the project, on the basis of the refugee/migrant needs in each country-partner, adapted to the continuously changing needs.
The dissemination and publication of the results to all the partners and to all the decision-making institutions will lead to the sensitization of the local communities towards the refugees/migrants and their children.
