The field of education has faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, the field was already dealing with issues and difficulties that would have negative effects: school principals and teachers are currently in urgent need of rediscovering their sense of purpose, experiencing support from society, and engaging in meaningful self-care. It is crucial to prioritize the well-being of educators, as they currently perceive a lack of acknowledgment in a profession that has often felt expendable throughout the pandemic.
This group holds considerable potential impact over their classrooms, schools, and the lives of countless students. Through fostering strong connections and introspection, this community has the potential to transform the educational institutions, infusing them with empathy, compassion, and proactive engagement for both students and the environment as a whole.
The primary objective of the LIFE project focuses on enhancing the well-being of educators and principals by cultivating a raised sense of purpose in their lives. By engaging in this initiative, teachers and principals will develop their expertise in relational teaching methodologies and be empowered to apply these approaches throughout their schools and curricula. By initiating a positive impact at the individual level, the Life Worth Living project will subsequently influence the students whom educators and principals interact with, so influencing the school culture and fostering an improved environment for work and learning.
A second aim is to train local facilitators in the Life Worth Living approach to facilitate the in-person retreats in each partner country and support the development of the content of the platform including learning modules, virtual workshops and train-the-trainers manual.
A third aim is indeed to create a rich blended learning training program which will allow participants to constantly engage in multiple ways in the learning, and create a strong community, internationally.
Activities
- Train the Facilitator training involving 10 facilitators in total – 2 from each partner country – where facilitators can acquire the knowledge on the method Life Worth Living.
- Two 2-day in-person national retreats per country, involving 15 participants among teachers and principals who will build a national learning community of colleagues, read and engage with diverse philosophers, actively working on empathy building, reflect on own ideas of meaning in life; listen deeply to the thinking and experiences of others and practice participatory and relational pedagogies.
- One international in-person retreat, bringing together all the LIFE project participants, a total of 75 people.
RESULTS
- 10 facilitators – 2 from each country – trained in the Life Worth Living method, who are able to share skills and competences with participants and other facilitators.
- 75 participants – 15 from each country – among teachers and principals who take part in 2 national retreats per country and 1 international retreat, trained in the Life Worth Living method.
- A facilitators’ manual for future facilitator trainings, available online in the LIFE digital platform.
- A full blended-learning program, including the creation of an online learning community, learning modules and an Interactive Platform entitled LIFE, where to access all the materials will allow participants to stay engaged and continue the learning experience.
Partners
- Coordinator: NORTH Consulting ehf – Iceland
- HASKOLI ISLANDS – Iceland
- NATSIONALNA SHKOLA PO MENIDZHMANT – Bulgaria
- CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO CREATIVO DANILO DOLCI – Italy
- BLUE ROOM INNOVATION – Spain
- DJAPO – Belgium
- KMOP – Education and Innovation Hub – Greece