Project outputs
Checkout planned project outputs, events and advocacy actions throughout its implementation.
Research describing the state of the art around Europe concerning service learning and its contribution to social inclusion of young people including the examples of good practices as well as the lessons learnt from other EU funded projects tackling the same topics.
A service learning curriculum to be used in secondary schools for students aged 12-16 incorporating role model component and NFE methodology.
Training programme for school teachers and role models involved in the programme in order to prepare the teachers and role models to deliver service-learning modules in schools to young people.
DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT (English version)
DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT (Spanish version)
DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT (Slovak version)
DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT (German version)
SLUSIK partners organised specific training for secondary school teachers and university students – who were involved in the model as mentors or role models. In total, 29 secondary school teachers and 32 university students participated in training in 5 partner countries. P3-P7 established cooperation within the PLACE model implementation with 9 schools. In total, 234 students were involved in the piloting activities, meaning they were engaged in service-learning projects, 5 of whom were students with disabilities. Of 29 trained teachers, 23 were involved in the piloting activities, and 37 university students participated as mentors. During the piloting activities, secondary school students cooperated with 8 community partners. Students implemented 22 service-learning projects beneficial to more than 2600 direct and indirect beneficiaries. The evidence of the effectiveness was gathered using an interdisciplinary approach and a combination of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methodologies. Based on different inputs, documenting the effects of the model on the:
– Development of civic and social competencies of young secondary school students.
– Changes regarding the impact of the models on early school leaving and improving their chances for social inclusion.
Read the full report here, the external interim evaluation report here and the final external evalution report here.
A series of events took place to facilitate discussions on a cross-sectoral level. Partners implemented Multiplier Events (local events) from 15 September to 30 October 2022 involving 74 school students, 149 representatives from HE students, 65 teachers, 27 educational institutions, 37 representatives from NGOs and 21 policymakers. The goal was to present the project’s results, the findings and the recommendations to relevant organisations, schools and policy-makers.
AUSTRIA: The University College of Teacher Education in Vienna organised an online event on 17 October 2022 with 35 participants. In this event, the outputs of SLUSIK were introduced and the participants gave feedback on how to make use of these outputs and how to profit from them in formal but also non-formal education context. Guided by the goals of the SLUSIK project, the participants discussed how service learning can be implemented at school with the cooperation of teacher education institutions. They used the world cafe method and padlet for the discussion.
CROATIA: The University of Rijeka organised an online event on 21 September 2022 and an offline event in Rijeka on 25 October 2022 with 63 participants. They introduced to the participants the concept of learning by commitment in the community, and with the model of its introduction into everyday work in (non)formal education through the PLACE model. They also presented the materials made for the application of the PLACE model, as well as the experiences of representatives of the Philosophical Faculty, association “Delta” and Economic school Mijo Mirković where the piloting of PLACE models was carried out.
IRELAND: The University of Limerick organised an event on 19 October 2022 in Limerick with 23 participants. This was a bespoke event constructed for: a) Students who had been participants in the SLUSIK field trial, and would be accompanying the project partners to Brussels, to practice talking & presenting in different environments. b) Representatives across relevant organisations that directly or indirectly impact on policy. It was an in-person event and declared to be PowerPoint free – NO PowerPoint presentations – and instead the focus was on discussion. A range of different presenting forms were used to maintain interest and ensure that students felt central to the event.
SLOVAKIA: Matej Bel University organised an event on 11 October 2022 in Banska Bystrica with 208 participants. They introduced the service learning strategy as a tool for the development of social and civic competences of young people and education for volunteering in the environment of primary and secondary schools. They presented the results of the SLUSIK project and examples of good practice in the implementation of service learning projects in Slovakia and abroad. Representatives of 3 self-governing regions presented good examples of how their local governments support youth volunteering.
SPAIN: The University of Granada organised an event on 20 October 2022 in Granada with 138 participants. The event was organised around two sessions: the first one aimed at introducing Service Learning to the students and future educators by means of three presentations lasting for approximately two hours; and the second session consisting on the presentation of three Service -Learning projects from three secondary schools from both rural and urban schools, followed by a round table in which practitioners, academics, and policy makers discussed the pros and cons of introducing Service -Learning projects onto the non-formal and formal educational structures delivering education services in the province of Granada.
This event took place to present project results and foster dialogue and policy and practice development. On 18 November 2022 in Brussels, CEV organised the Final Conference with the support of all partners, which was attended by 80 participants (5 from EU institutions, 4 from CSOs, 30 school students and 41 university teachers), from which 20 project partners. During the conference the project results, in particular the SLUSIK Policy Paper and the Service Learning curricula, the SLUSIK Toolkit and the evidence collected as to their effectiveness were showcased. The potential of the Community of Practice was also presented.
Ivana Davidovska was moderator of the conference. Alzbeta Gregorova Brozmanova (Matej Bel University) presented the SLUSIK project framework and the outputs. After her presentation, there was a panel discussion with Giuseppina Tucci, Secretary-General of Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), Éva Birinyi, Policy Officer in DG EAC, European Commission and Domenec Ruiz Devesa MEP from S&D. The panel opened topics and questions about what are values and benefits of Service Learning for students; how does Service Learning contribute to the social inclusion of students and their engagement; how can policy-makers enable and encourage a deeper understanding of the benefits service-learning brings to the school environments, particularly to preventing social exclusion and is this integral part of the social inclusion policies; does SL have something to contribute to citizenship education, and in what way?
The Final Conference was closed by Gabriella Civico underlying that policy-makers should enable schools, through financial and policy support, to create a space in educational curricula and learning programs for diverse service-learning experiences set in a ‘real-life’ context with not-for-profit community partners that combine both formal and informal learning outcomes with a positive impact on social inclusion and preventing social exclusion.
In order to advocate for the new curricula not only at the practitioner level but also on the policy dimension, the partners established and implemented local and international advocacy plans. They implemented five local advocacy plans and one European advocacy plan.
Gathering feedback, lessons learned and recommendations from all partners in order to establish a policy paper on how Service learning in formal education secondary school curricula improves and develops social and civic competences, fostering knowledge, understanding and ownership of values and fundamental rights in secondary school children ages 12- 16 leading to increased social inclusion.
Community of practice is a space where the partners and the stakeholders discovered and engaged with the information available, thus continuing to improve the quantity and quality of knowledge on Service Learning. The community of practice made a key contribution in ensuring that even more teachers and schools take advantage of the project results through peer support and information exchange that can be tailor-made to individual and emerging needs. OTB organised six Community of Practice workshops during the whole project period, with 81 participants in total. As part of the project outputs, the SLUSIK Platform with a landing page was developed. The webpage till now has 56 articles, 11 pages, and 42 experts signed on for the Community of Practice Platform, interacting independently and through the CoP events. Register here and join the SLUSIK Community!