ON HOW THE READER CAN BECOME THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THEIR OWN STORY

Once upon a time… marginalised adult learners were recognised in their diversity, taught with adaptive methods, and hence empowered.

Would you like to hear this story?

This is the story that AIFED, LINC, Form2You, ASEDDEDIPE, and System in Bewegung e. V. are co-writing with the European Union right now. Their adventure involves creating a shared European methodology to provide operational tools for educators working with marginalised adults. These tools aim to stimulate autonomisation, dialogue, reflection, self-recognition, and personal development within their target groups.

AIFED (Asociación de Innovación Formación y Empleo para el Desarrollo Sostenible) is an organisation that focuses on training, culture, and employment. LINC (Lavorare Insieme nella Comunità) is a non-profit social cooperative working in the field of community psychology. Form2You (Associação para a Ação Educativa Cultural e Desportiva) empowers disadvantaged communities through social activities and personal skills development. ASEDDEDIPE (Syllogos Ekpaidefsis Kai Anaptixis Atomon Me Idikes Angke) supports education and development for disabled individuals. Finally, System in Bewegung e. V. promotes education, culture, adult education, and lifelong learning.

This project began with the realisation that, in each partner country, marginalised social groups are often excluded from traditional teaching methods. Since everyone thinks and learns differently, traditional education, which is often vertical, oral, or written, can inadvertently leave out those with diverse learning styles. This exclusion can lead to discouragement and a lack of motivation. For instance, people who learn better through hands-on practice or motoric activities often struggle in conventional systems. Additionally, language barriers, as faced by immigrants or individuals with dyslexia, can make learning even more challenging.

Stories, as a form of oral transmission, offer a powerful alternative. They are easier to understand, more engaging, and inherently motivational. Stories have the ability to spark discussions, set examples, inspire self-reflection, and foster creativity.

The project has already started with the creation of an e-book available on its website. This e-book collects various stories and organises them based on the values they reflect, such as resilience, creativity, self-confidence, active citizenship, equality, and democracy. Readers can explore the tales of a pastor who takes jokes a little too far, an ambulant vendor who unites communities with stones, and a vegetarian fox with a surprising perspective. The e-book is available in English, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Greek.

The next steps include launching an online platform to collect similar stories and organising face-to-face activities to encourage discussion. The project also plans to create a set of game cards to support these discussions and activities.

This story ends well, but it marks the beginning of a journey toward empowerment and inclusion.