New challenges for participation in the “active Community” project
In Latgale region, the implementation of the “active Community” project of the Centre for Education Initiatives was launched in March of that year, involving the municipality of Rezekne, the municipality of Aglona, the municipality of Preille and the city of Daugavpils. The project implementation period will run from March 2019 to February 2021.
The aim of the initiative is to develop the cooperation skills of educational institutions and local society and to participate in the creation of active local communities and the promotion of social entrepreneurship.
The “active Community” target of the project is teachers of pre-school educational institutions and general educational institutions, as well as local community activists (parents, employees of local government institutions, NGOs, media, etc.).
The main project activities are focused on societal benefits in the field of knowledge and practical activities. Activities include:
- training programmes and seminars for teachers (A courses) and groups of Communities (64 workshops);
- The establishment and placement of Community Resource Centres (KRC) in each of the municipalities involved in the project (4 centres), their operational planning;
- the organisation OF local Community mobilisation and activation measures IN THE KRC (total 20 measures);
- development of supporting materials (guidelines etc.);
- the organisation of measures to promote social entrepreneurship;
- symposium and other good practice events (video creation etc.), partner meetings (8) etc.
The implementation of the project will use internationally used approaches and learning methodologies on diverse opportunities for families and local community members to participate in the learning and development of children, while developing local community participation and social co-responsibility skills in building a common living space.
The sustainability of the project will be ensured at several levels: the level of educational institutions (the use of acquired knowledge and skills), the level of local government (extension of the activities of the Communities' resources centres), the level of policy (defence of the needs of the target group, the initiation of the necessary changes in the context of a new educational content).
On June 20, first project seminars were held for teachers, parents and active local community people. In the seminar “Teacher's role in the development of local community”, the project team - Director of the Centre for Education Initiatives (IIC) Daiga Zaķe and project manager Kristine Liepiņa - Rēzekne municipality educators called for the role and role of the teacher in the context of the opportunities and challenges of the globalised world, on the obstacles to teachers, families, Community cooperation. The question of what is an active Community and how to involve it in the educational process was discussed?
On the other hand, the seminar “local and global community: how it affects me, as affected by the eu”, enabled local community activists to insist on and raise awareness of our area of living and responsibility, on civil responsibility, on global challenges and on the opportunities for strengthening the local community.
Next educational seminars are planned in autumn of this year.
Project co-operation partner and financier: British Council representation in Latvia https://www.britishcouncil.lv/
Social media profiles:
https://www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilLatvia/
https://www.instagram.com/britishcouncillatvia/
Biruta Rephen,
local Community coordinator of the “active Community” project