Civic integration is more than just learning a language; however, language skills are determinant for the successful integration process. There exists clear evidence that migrant/refugee women have disadvantageous preconditions for learning. On average, women have a lower level of schooling and vocational training and, due to childcare responsibilities, women are less likely to have access to integration supported linguistic offers and are therefore less likely to learn the host language.
In order to create a possibility for migrant women to feel empowered to participate in learning activities, and to learn the local language and city, CSC will work together with other partners in Europe to reduce the social exclusion of migrant women through a non-formal and alternative language course, and capacity building for trainers. All of this is part of the project Feeling Home.
Feeling Home kicked off in February 2022 with the official kick of meeting on the 13th and 14th of April in Berlin, hosted by the coordinator of the project Iberika, and together with partners from Greece, Spain and Sweden.
Over the next two years, the partners of the Feeling Home project will work together to create a language curriculum for migrant women based on local needs of migrant women in each of the partner’s countries and with the possibility to combine it with family responsibilities. Children are therefore always welcome during Feeling Home activities! The implementation of the language course will consist of the creation of local city maps, mapping places that are important for migrant women. In the process of creating them, migrant women participants will discuss and express their needs, improving in this way their linguistic competences in the local languageand feel empowered while learning new things. The whole experience will be documented and presented by the end of the project in a short, collaborative documentary. During the process, trainers will continuously discuss the process and experiences during focus groups, both locally and internationally. They will also develop a methodology for other language teachers and trainers, and collect all materials and experiences, in order to create a ready-to-replicate language course for vulnerable groups, through a manual and interactive platform.
We are currently in the stage of drafting the first version of the methodology and curriculum. At the same time, partners are contacting organizations working for and with migrant women, to start the learning process and understanding better the needs of migrant women, so to start developing the actual language course and creation of city maps.
Do you want to know more about the project, or would you like to participate in the project activities? We are still looking for organizations working with migrant women who would like to participate in the language learning opportunities that will take place between September 2022 and December 2023. We are also looking for trainers working with migrants who are interested in teaching languages, or language teachers who are interested in learning a new, non-formal methodology of language teaching, to join some of our activities. If this interests you, do not hesitate to get in contact with Vidjaya Thelen at this address: vidjaya.thelen@danilodolci.org
About the project
Feeling Home is an Erasmus+ project, financed by the KA2 – Strategic partnership in adult education programme, and is aimed at reducing the social exclusion of migrant women through learning opportunities for migrant women and trainers/language teachers.
Its partners are:
- Iberika Education Group Ggmbh – Germany, coordinator;
- Active Citizens Partnership – Greece;
- SwIdeas Ab – Sweden;
- Associacio La Xixa Teatre – Spaina;
- Centro Per Lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci – Italia.
For further information
Contact Vidjaya Thelen: vidjaya.thelen@danilodolci.org