The first video presenting how Project OpenSpace reinterpreted the challenge against educational poverty, even during the health emergency, is now on-line. It all starts in the suburbs of Bari, in the San Paolo neighbourhood.
It’s a story of resilience that arrived directly from the OpenSpace educating community. School year 2019-20 ended with a sensation of nostalgia and tiredness for all the hours spent on digital devices, far from classmates. The new year has continued both with distance learning and lesson at school, notwithstanding the many complex issues that must be managed both by teachers and students and their families.
In this situation, the partner associations of OpenSpace, a project selected by “Con i Bambini” as part of the Fund to contrast the educational poverty of minors, acted timely to save the work that had already been completed. The 12 schools involved in the project adapted their spaces at school and completely reorganised lessons to avoid another school closure.
“OpenSpace managed with its initiatives and by readapting methodologies and tools to keep innovative and participatory educational activities alive. At the end of this year, teachers in participating schools confirmed the fundamental role that was played by the project to prevent and contrast school dropout rates,” pointed out Luca Fanelli, OpenSpace Project Manager for ActionAid Italia. “Thanks to Project OpenSpace, I have understood what I want to do in the future. I was also involved in renovating the school, but above all I have really gotten into 3D printing. These printers can also be used to created prostheses for children,” explains Giorgia (13) from Bari.
They have been months filled with unexpected challenges, but also precious opportunities: adaptations and remodulations have allowed us to maintain the enthusiasm by the young men and women and adults working together to improve and increase opportunities both at school and in local communities. Advanced learning courses were transformed into individual and group support courses to help all those who were facing the greatest hardships. In terms of social theatre activities, the videos and experiences of the students during the lockdown were transformed into short, distance theatrical challenges. On-line courses were organized for teachers to explain how to best employ digital resources for didactic activities, along with the organization of on-line labs for coding, robotics and more. Moreover, all activities aiming to prevent school dropouts were reorganized. Last but not least, in Bari, renovation work was completed on the “Grimaldi Lombardi” School following the project developed by the students and their families, while a similar project was presented in Reggio Calabria.
