22 Set The Toolkit journey in schools – Snapshot from Italy | Take 2

Palermo is ready for promoting social inclusion at school! CESIE and ITI A. Volta are ready to launch the piloting phase of the SOCI@LL project based on the “Toolkits per inclusive classrooms and schools” developed by the SOCI@LL consortium.

In Palermo, CESIE and ITI A. Volta are working for launching the piloting phase of the SOCI@LL project. During the last year, the SOCI@LL consortium has developed the so-called “Toolkits per inclusive classrooms and schools”, a set of guidelines and practical materials to be used by school directors and teachers.

Now it’s time to test them! Teachers from ITI Volta are receiving training on how to think and promote an inclusive school, based on 4 pillars: visibility, empowerment, inclusion and cooperation. Then, during this autumn, they will be supported in the process of promoting inclusion and human rights in their classes, by proposing the “SOCI@LL lessons” to their students. Finally, the school will organize the “SOCI@LL WEEK”, a set of events in which educators and students, together with families and institutions, will capitalize on what they have learned, and think about concrete ideas, opinions and proposals on the inclusive and participatory process for schools. These activities will boost the whole school community skills, conscious, creativity and participation, towards a more inclusive and equal society. Also as a part of the SOCI@LL project, in Palermo it has been launched a Social Lab involving the Municipality and other relevant stakeholders, where challenges about inclusive education are identified and solutions discussed.

Imagine a bowling game. In the first round, less experienced players often play in a way that causes the so-called split: they aim at the centre of the bowling pins and as a result, they leave single pins on the two sides of the track. At this point reaching the “marginal” pins in the second round is practically impossible and requires great skill – or a miracle.

Within the SOCI@LL project, we like to use the metaphor of “education as a bowling game” in order to promote a school, which firstly aims at the “hardest pins”, being students with special needs, and then to all others. This means that instead of building an educational system geared towards the majority of children and then looking for adapting it to the needs of students who require more support, the school reaches those who are on the side of the track because that is how it will reach everyone.

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