Call for pilot projects: A Toolbox to engage ALL parents and guardians in dialogue

Call for projects: INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS – A Toolbox to engage ALL parents and guardians in dialogue

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many changes within the education realm. Specifically, across many European states, schools closed as part of the public health safety measures. Classes moved online and this had wide ranging ramifications for teachers, students and parents/guardians. For example, interaction between parents/guardians and schools was often strained or non-existent during the pandemic.

It is well established that parental engagement with in-school activities (for example, attending parent-teacher meetings) impacts positively on pupils’ experience of learning. Cohesion between families and schools and actively engaged parents/guardians are recognised as essential to improving children and young people’s development. Quality communication between parents/guardians and schools can help to identify needs and prevent potential problems for students.

Against this context, this pilot project will develop a Toolbox for secondary schools to engage parents/guardians. More specifically, parents/guardians from marginalised and/or disadvantaged backgrounds and those who are difficult to reach are among the target groups of this project.

The Toolbox proposed has the potential to encourage beneficial exchange between parents and teachers, and to create a school environment where open dialogue is enabled and fostered.

What sort of projects are we looking for?

The pilot project will aim to:    

• Identify gaps in participation and what would different groups of parents need to overcome the current barriers they face in relation to engaging with schools
• Ensure school communities are aware of the barriers that may deter parents from engaging with their child’s education
• Define a Toolbox to support school communities to address these barriers, especially for disadvantaged/marginalised groups of parents
• Involve parents in the design of the Toolbox collaboratively with schools other and relevant stakeholders (as appropriate)
• Ensure that the Toolbox is accessible to as many school communities and parents as possible.

what should the project achieve?

The outputs of the project should be:

1. A published Toolbox for schools to engage with parents, in the form of a manual, website or similar, in both the language of the applicant’s country and in English,
2. A public event (either at local, national or EU level), such as a conference and/or seminar (also on-line), to present the Toolbox,
3. A social media campaign to disseminate the project among the general public.

Timeframe and funding

The pilot project should run from September 2022 until April 2023.

The total maximum available grant for the project is 40,000€.

Who can apply?

Projects should be implemented in one of the eligible countries: EU27 as well as UK, Serbia, Iceland, and Turkey (except Spain, Austria and Turkey, since applicants from these already received funding to implement the first cycle pilot projects).

Eligible applicants are parenting groups (local, regional, and/or national formal associations); NGOs, civil society organisations, and other community groups; artistic and cultural groups/organisations (to coordinate a pilot themselves, and/or to take on the development of more ambitious and creative actions arising from the Toolbox).

It is envisaged that the pilot project will be primarily coordinated by the main applicant, who will engage with relevant, key stakeholders in the development of the Toolbox at a local level. National-level organisations are welcomed to apply, as long as their proposal is grounded in the local dimension.

How to apply?

This call is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted applications!

Do you have a question?