Page 57 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

4.2.3. Creating inclusive learning communities
Family and community participation is a significant area of effective educational
practice in Europe. One emerging trend in this regard is a supportive learning
community approach which fundamentally constitutes a group of people who
share common values and beliefs, and are actively engaged in learning from
each other. The term ‘learning communities’ is interpreted in different ways but
typically such communities are linked geographically or by shared interests, and
they use learning and skills development to create more sustainable and socially
cohesive communities in which individuals are connected, involved in learning
and supportive of one another in their learning efforts. Activities to support
inclusion are not necessarily linked to academic attainment, but encourage
integration and can help to tackle issues such as poor attendance and low
aspirations of both students and families.
The Cluster on access and social inclusion in lifelong learning, which brings
together interested Member States to work on issues related to equity in education,
has identified that learning community approaches are relatively common in many
southern European communities. Many towns, cities and regions have realised that
caring community members and other volunteers are capable of making an
immense contribution to local schools. For example, in Italy, there are national
(ESF-PON) and regional (e.g. Scuole Aperte in the region of Campania) funding
streams aimed at increasing skills levels and school attainment, so reducing early
school leaving in the most disadvantaged communities of Italy. These are based on
a principle of horizontal and vertical networks of schools collaborating with local
civil society organisations, churches and other grassroots-level actors. Further,
opportunities for members to take part in learning processes have greatly
increased as schools have opened their doors to parents and other community
members. As a result, primary and secondary level school children in many of the
poorest communities of Italy are supported and guided in their educational journey
by networks of their local community members.
The learning community approach has been introduced in a more formal and
coordinated manner in over 100 communities across eight Spanish regions.
Based on similar approaches in the United States, they aim to transform school
life by developing participatory education using objectives developed by the
members of the local community (including teachers, parents, pupils and other
stakeholders). Specific objectives are developed by each community, but
everyone involved in the project works towards the same goal: to achieve the
best schooling for every child and to set high education objectives for all.
Volunteers from the local community constitute an integral part of the Spanish

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