“There is no loneliness like the loneliness of a stranger in a strange city.” – Helon Habila, Travelers
Migration of people from one country to another is a phenomenon that has been taking place from the beginning of humankind. People have migrated from one continent to the other, from country to country or internally, inside the same country. Currently, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) states that there are about one billion migrants around the world. This number includes 214 million international migrants and 740 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Migration can be defined as “a process of moving, either across an international border, or within a State. Encompassing any kind of movement of people, whatever its length, composition and causes; it includes refugees, displaced persons, uprooted people, and economic migrants.” (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, 2016).
The European Union, in particular the European Commission, has taken actions and addressed priorities with regards to migration, in order to help with the safety, education and integration of migrants in the new country that they moved into. “The European Union needs to increase support for cities and regions and border countries that are on the front line of managing migration”, the European Committee of the Regions said on 22 March 2018.
The EU’s assembly for local and regional politicians expressed particular concern about the challenges faced by islands and coastal regions in the Mediterranean and called for greater shared European responsibility and investment.” (The EU’s Assembly of Regional and Local Representatives, March 2018). In the countries which are part of this project, migration is a very pivotal issue. The European Commission through the policy named ‘Migration and education’ states that “Education plays a crucial role in helping migrants and refugees settle in new
countries and environments.”
Mosaic Enhancing intercultural integration in schools – 2019-1-MT01-KA201-051243
The objective of ‘Mosaic’, a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ project, was to enhance the access, participation and integration of newly arrived migrants in school education in Malta, Greece, and Portugal:
1) By strengthening the competences of teachers and school staff to promote diversity, empathy and inclusion in schools,
2) Through an Educational Platform, this project supported the schools with regards to facilitation integration and success of migrant students; while making the communication process between migrants, parents, and school community easier and accessible.
The material that we as a team of partners have created, can be found in this website, and can be easily adapted by other educators and/or youth workers and make use of it with the young people and/or migrant students that they work with. The following is a list of material that we created and that can be found on this website:
1) Online Training Modules: We have created 4 training modules that tackle different topics. The topics that are tackled are Cultural Awareness and Multiculturalism, Sensitivity of the Educator, Conflict management in the classroom environment and Interagency Approach,
2) Toolbox for educators working in an Intercultural setting: Our partners, together with the educators, have come up with several tools that can be used in the classroom setting. These tools are not just for the educators but can be used by anyone working with children or young people.
Mosaic+ Person-centred resources – 2021-1-MT01-KA220-SCH-000032537
This Erasmus+ co-funded project builds up on the Erasmus+ Mosaic project which has equipped educators who teach migrant students with more skills and provided a space for parents to connect with different schools. This new project provides educators with various pedagogical methods that will enhance their teaching skills in an intercultural setting.
This is done by:
1. Emphasizing the importance for the educators to get to know the students’ various learning characteristics, strengths and needs in order to enable their active participation in the curriculum. This is done by going over the different learning styles and Gardner’s multiple intelligences,
2. Compiling and creating resources that enable the educators to provide content and process differentiated learning. This involves the educators’ skills in diversifying the curriculum and adopting different teaching methods to stimulate and empower all students leading to successful learning through the use of their diverse strengths,
3. Focus on holistic education by underlining the importance of soft-skills in formal education through game-based learning. Being proficient in languages and mathematics is not enough. Students should learn to accept each other’s differences, respect and value each other equally, learn to live together and support each other,
4. Continue building on the existing educational platform by providing more resources to the educators as well as creating other sections specifically for the students that will enable them to continue their learning experience at home through educational games.
Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the 2021-2027 period. Education, training, youth and sport are key areas that support citizens in their personal and professional development. High quality, inclusive education and training, as well as informal and non-formal learning, ultimately equip young people and participants of all ages with the qualifications and skills needed for their meaningful participation in democratic society, intercultural understanding, and the successful transition to the labour market. Building on the success of the programme in the 2014-2020 period, Erasmus+ strengthens its efforts to increase the number of opportunities offered to even more participants and to a wider range of organisations, focusing on the qualitative impact of the Programme and contributing to more inclusive and cohesive, greener, and digitally fit societies.
The general objective of the Programme is to support, through lifelong learning, the educational, professional and personal development of people in education, training, youth and sport, in Europe and beyond thereby contributing to sustainable growth, quality jobs and social cohesion, to driving innovation, and to strengthening European identity and active citizenship. As such, the Programme shall be a key instrument for building the European Education Area, supporting the implementation of the European strategic cooperation in the field of education and training with its underlying sectoral agendas. In addition, it is key in advancing youth policy cooperation under the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and developing the European dimension in sport.
Specific objectives
1. To promote learning mobility of individuals and groups, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion and equity, excellence, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of education and training,
2. To promote non-formal and informal learning mobility and active participation among young people, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of organisations and policies in the field of youth,
3. To promote learning mobility of sport staff, as well as cooperation, quality, inclusion, creativity and innovation at the level of sport organisations and sport policies
Both Mosaic and Mosaic+ projects have been funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.