Supporting Inclusive Education By Social and Emotional Learning

<< Background >>The project was developed in response to clearly identified needs of schools from Poland, Spain, Lithuania, and Türkiye to strengthen students’ social and emotional competences and improve teachers’ skills in inclusive education. Analysis revealed challenges in managing emotions, weakened peer relationships, reduced self-confidence, and limited collaboration, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. An important aspect was the need to support students with migration backgrounds, including refugees who had experienced trauma. The aim was to implement an SEL-based approach to improve well-being, school climate, and integration. The project included exchange of good practices, development of lesson plans, workshops, mobilities, mindfulness exercises, integration activities, and actions on climate awareness and recycling. A key outcome was a freely accessible e-book with SEL activity examples for schools and educational institutions worldwide. The project resulted in a lasting network of international cooperation and a measurable reduction in absenteeism, disciplinary issues, and peer violence.<< Objectives >>The project aimed to develop students’ social and emotional competences and enhance teachers’ skills in inclusive education. Based on the OECD Big Five model and LifeComp, it focused on task performance, emotional regulation, collaboration, open-mindedness, and engagement with others, comprising 15 sub-skills. SEL activities supported students’ self-awareness, self-control, empathy, cooperation, creativity, and mental resilience. The project sought to improve school climate, increase the sense of belonging, and reduce absenteeism, peer aggression, and social exclusion. A crucial goal was to support students with migration and refugee backgrounds. A free e-book of good practices and lesson plans was created for global use. The project supported Erasmus+ priorities by promoting equal opportunities, key competence development, and climate-conscious and recycling initiatives, building a solid foundation for inclusive education while strengthening long-term international cooperation and dissemination of results in Europe and beyond.<< Implementation >>The project implemented comprehensive activities in Lithuania, Spain, Türkiye, and Poland, including international, local, and online actions. Preparatory meetings, needs diagnosis, good practice analysis, and creation of the “eMotions Club” were carried out. A logo and slogan contest took place. Lesson plans, worksheets, class routines, mindfulness exercises, and integration materials were developed and tested. In Klaipėda, SEL workshops based on the Big Five model, school and institutional visits, dance, theatre, ICT, coding, art therapy, and eco-activities were held. In Spain, creative and integration workshops, field activities, and presentations were organised. In Türkiye, SEL sessions, art workshops, integration activities, and visits to local institutions were conducted. In Poland, SEL workshops, team games, group projects, meetings and presentations for parents, events involving the local community, study visits, and climate and recycling activities took place. Results were promoted at Project Fair 2025, in trainings across Europe, in the media, and on partners’ and project websites, reaching wide audiences nationally and internationally and creating a lasting network of international cooperation.<< Results >>The project delivered lasting results including lesson plans, worksheets, class routines, and mindfulness and relaxation exercise sets supporting SEL integration, now applied in school practice. A freely accessible e-book of activities and good practices was created for use by schools in Poland and abroad. Students improved their social and emotional competences, including recognising and regulating emotions, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution, confirmed by teachers’ observations and a reduction in problem situations. Teachers acquired and enhanced skills to integrate SEL into various subjects and gained confidence to apply them systematically, raising the quality of inclusive education. Student clubs promoting peer support were established. Competitions, presentations, and dissemination activities increased local communities’ awareness of SEL’s importance. Local authorities, following presentations and meetings, learned about the project’s aims and the need for further action in this field, expressing readiness to cooperate and integrate SEL into strategies for supporting children’s and youth well-being.