The considerable increase in migratory flows regarding Europe in the last few years has become a central issue within the European political agenda, especially after the peak reached in 2015. Yet, the societies of host countries have often shown a certain reticence in welcoming new cultural identities, strongly limiting the integration of people with migrant backgrounds.

As a result, despite all the numerous efforts made to promote interculturality, the integration of people with migratory backgrounds is still lagging behind in several fields, in comparison to the native population. It has been proved that migrant or refugee students do not manage to attain the same level of education as their peers from the host country and they are forced to face many disadvantaged conditions.

 This gap depends on many different causes, such as teachers’ ignorance of cultural differences, difficulty in learning a new language or to contemporarily use different languages, the traumatic experience of leaving one’s own country of origin, teachers’ lack of time to get to know their students more deeply. Within the education field, all these factors automatically reduce TCN students’ chances to improve their academic development or to facilitate their access to the working field.

Thus, how to overcome these obstacles with innovative methods, ensuring the respect and promotion of core European values, such as social inclusion, intercultural exchange, and active citizenship?

The project TEACHmi addresses those teachers working in multicultural classes as well as school directors, with the aim to provide effective instruments, teaching material and guidelines to promote the integration of students with migrant background, recently arrived in the educational system of the host country. The project aims to make teachers able to respond to the needs of European multiculturality within the education environment.

How?

During 3 years, these results will be reached through the following activities:

• Creation of a specific “toolbox” of teaching languages for students, which will be available online on the project platform;
• Development of an e-learning and networking platform for the exchange of good practices: this will be an interactive platform, aimed to help professionals wishing to improve their teaching competences and assist students with migratory background in the improvement of their integration at school but also in the society.
• Development of curricula and induction classes for welcoming students with migratory background: the objective is to eliminate all factors hindering the full development of TCNs’ potentialities, thanks to the transfer of common European values.
• Elaboration of an evaluation guide for newly coming students with migratory background.

Through Seminars, Workshops and Study visits, teachers will be guided along a path of professional and personal growth, becoming an example of “Lifelong learners” for their students, enhancing their hopes and aspirations in the long-term.

The ultimate goal is to strengthen the value of integration and social inclusion within the European political agenda, reaffirming their primary role in the development of our own identity.

The beginning of the project, funded by the program Erasmus+ Key-Action 3, was inaugurated by the Kom taking place online on 12 March, as an emergency measure to respond to the current international crisis. The warm intent for cooperation shown by all the project partner was another proof of how the strong European unity can overcome any border.