Fostering inclusive learning environments: Strategies for Supporting Parenting Students in Higher Education. This is the name of an Erasmus+ project which aimed to reduce barriers to education for students with childcare responsibilities, It involved a mix of partners, namely universities and NGOs from Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, including COFACE Families Europe member NOE (large family association) in Hungary.
One of the key outcomes of the project is a TOOLBOX, which is the final result of the research activities carried out within the framework of the project. With the comprehensive resources created in this TOOLBOX as a result of the project and their use, the partnership aims to implement inclusive, family-friendly curricula and practices in the higher education institutions involved in the project. Comprehensive focus group research was carried out within the institutional frameworks of the partner organizations as part of the project.
The TOOLBOX is based on data collected throughout the project duration on the challenges families face in university life and the skills teachers need to respond to these challenges. Based on the research results and testing by partner institutions, this TOOLBOX was compiled in order to provide guidance and methodological tools for teachers to support students with families in higher education institutions. The document focuses on specific skills needed to create an inclusive learning environment, such as communication, empathy and compassion, flexibility and adaptability, technological and collaborative skills.
The TOOLBOX contains a collection of recommended tools for dealing with issues, challenges, or situations requiring support that affect students who are raising children, have families, or, in some cases, are expecting children. It is important to emphasize that the tools named and described are only recommendations and are not detailed, as the feasibility of most of them depends significantly on employee capacity, financial resources, and opportunities. Furthermore, the tools presented should be viewed as a collection or repository, as many of them overlap, so it is not recommended to introduce all of them in parallel, regardless of the availability of resources. The document presents options for tools, from which those deemed worthy of consideration and detailed, institution-specific development can be selected.
You can see the full TOOLBOX here
