INCLUDL-Schools: Promoting inclusive schools in Europe through Universal Design for Learning and Service-Learning

<< Background >>Inclusion is a global challenge for education. Supranational bodies and institutions are calling for inclusive education as a global challenge. The 2030 Agenda makes explicit in SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises the right of persons with disabilities to inclusive and quality education, and the Equality Union Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, where the European Commission urges Member States to ‘support the development of inclusive schools that can become a reference in inclusive and innovative teaching and learning across the EU’. It is in this context that our project makes sense. The literature review has shown that teachers are key to moving towards inclusive education, being the protagonists of our project. Teacher trainings to promote their competences in designing inclusive curricula boost the capacity of schools to achieve these goals.<< Objectives >>In this context, the overall aim of the project has been to bring together a team of European education stakeholders to contribute to fostering inclusion in European schools by improving teachers' skills to integrate more inclusive teaching programmes in their schools and wider communities. Specific objectives- To explore the synergies between a competence-based learning model through the Service-Learning (S-L) methodology that integrates Universal Design for Learning (UDL). - Design, develop and share teaching programmes based on ApS methodologies to enrich the capacity of teachers and schools to integrate inclusive practices.- Develop a good practice guide for inclusion by collecting the results of good teaching practices and programmes implemented by schools. - Collect ICT tools for inclusion in order to create a Toolkit for teachers and schools to promote inclusion.- Create a user-friendly application that facilitates teachers to design inclusive teaching proposals (S-L projects) including the principles, guidelines and checkpoints of the UDL.<< Implementation >>To achieve these objectives we have developed the following activities:1.- MANAGEMENT- Initial digital survey to the participating teachers about their conception and inclusive practices, their knowledge about ApS and DUA, and the ICT tools they use. The results of this analysis have been taken into account in the design of the project's teacher training sessions.- Design of the inclusive teaching programmes by each participating Educational Centre (after the Training Sessions) and supported by the Consortium partners specialised in Inclusive methodologies for Education and Service-Learning. CEIP Carlos Cano from Spain has been included in the consortium as a partner school, in order to have a practical experience in Spain, the country where the coordinating entity of the project is located.- Website to share resources, experiences and activities of the project. The products of the project are freely accessible through this website. https://includl-schools.eu/ 2.- TRANSNATIONAL MEETINGS (TPM). 3.- LTT- C1 Inclusive Synergies: Active Methodologies, UDL and Service-Learning.- C2 Enrichment through the exchange of experiences after implementation.4.- RESULTS5.- MULTIPLIER EVENTEnglish: https://youtube.com/live/19X_4zrdc_Q<< Results >>The three main outcomes we have developed during the implementation of the project are: 1. ‘Guide of Inclusive Inspiring Practices’ based on the practical experience of implementing inclusive teaching programmes, useful for any school committed to promoting inclusion in its educational practice. 2. ‘INCLUDL in S-L’ is a digital app that facilitates the integration of the UDL when planning a S-L project. 3. ‘ICT toolbox for inclusion’, as a collection of ICT tools that teachers can use to promote their inclusive teaching programmes.Other intangible results of our project have been: - Improved knowledge and skills of teachers to carry out real inclusive educational proposals in their schools, through the incorporation of the UDL approach. - Promoting the capacity of schools to connect with their context and become active agents in the community through the development of S-L projects. - Contribute to closing the digital divide in schools and the community to which they belong. - Enhance the role of ICT as a useful tool for inclusion, capable of widening accessibility and participation of all learners. - Contribute to real learning of key competences through the design of Lifelong Learning.