VOLATE – eVOluted analysis and Learning model for Associations committed in Tackling Educational poverty in small communities.

"<< Background >>The VOLATE Project was created to improve skills in the planning and implementation of interventions to combat educational poverty by associations operating in small territorial areas characterized by the phenomenon such as rural areas and peripheral urban areas.These associations can rely on a small internal staff and some volunteers despite having to operate on large heterogeneous groups (in terms of age and problems) of school-age children.The project contributed to supporting the educational support action by improving the skills of the staff in the self-assessment of training needs and enriching the training offer through the creation of a ""Peer Community"" as a place for the use of contents as well as for the exchange of experiences and good practices.The context of the intervention is that of Romanian and Italian rural and urban communities characterized by the presence of students at risk of marginalisation, coming from families living below the poverty line, single-parent or numerous.The target has been the EDUCATIONAL STAFF committed to the implementation of educational support activities.<< Objectives >>The VOLATE project was aimed at entities involved in educational support activities for the primary school students in small communities characterized by educational poverty, such as rural areas and peripheral urban areas.The aim of the project was to improve the quality of support teaching carried out by teachers/educators and volunteers by improving the analysis of the context , the training needs of the staff and the planning skills of interventions to combat educational poverty.The main objectives achieved by the project were the following:- having provided operators with easy-to-use tools for the analysis of the local educational context and the detection of their own training needs, a correct assessment of special educational needs and the design, planning and evaluation of effective interventions against educational poverty.- having started a ""Peer Learning"" Community as a place for discussion and exchange of good practices and with a training offer made up of videos and materials produced ""by peers"" (teaching staff and volunteers).<< Implementation >>The project developed into three main activities:The FIRST ACTIVITY produced methodologies and tools that made it possible for the partner associations (and those involved subsequently) to have a more precise survey and data of the context of educational poverty in order to plan more effective and concerted interventions with other relevant subjects of the such as (schools, municipalities and social services, etc.).The SECOND ACTIVITY improved the ability of the educational community to self-analyze its own training needs and to plan a training and self-training path useful for improving its educational action on large and heterogeneous groups of young students in situations of educational poverty.The THIRD ACTIVITY made it possible to create a ""Peer Learning Community"" as a place for training and informal discussion between peers (educators, counselors, volunteers) thanks to which it is possible to update and exchange opinions, experiences, and success stories on the fight against educational poverty.<< Results >>As part of ACTIVITY 1, a methodology for the analysis of educational poverty contexts was produced; 3 reports on educational poverty of the three communities involved in the project, 3 annual intervention plans to combat educational poverty; 3 impact evaluation reports in terms of change in the school dropout rate; academic performance of the children followed; degree of inclusion (Inclusion Index); 4 dissemination seminars (2 IT; 2 RO).As part of ACTIVITY 2, a self-analysis methodology was produced for the training needs of educators and volunteers involved in interventions to combat educational poverty in small communities; 20 individual training plans were drawn up and implemented for educators and 12 for volunteers for whom an evaluation report was drawn up in terms of acquisition of skills to combat educational poverty.As part of ACTIVITY 3, a ""Peer Community"" was created consisting of a project site, a YouTube channel and a WhatsApp channel made up of teachers, educators, volunteers, and other stakeholders involved in the fight against educational poverty. The Community is a place for the production and use of training and training material."