Ready Teddy Go!

We believe that all young people must have the chance to develop the full range of key competences within formal education, SEN students as well. These include, among others: DIGITAL skills and CIVIC AND SOCIAL COMPETENCES. Despite their importance, school children do not develop them fully. For schools to change this situation, it requires a shift in the way learning happens through linking learning with real life experiences, promoting project- and problem-based learning to better prepare SEN students for social and work life. Our project aimed to support SEN students and educators in that change. The partnership has addressed the following needs: - Increased educational opportunities for SEN students, - Upskilled special educators/teachers who work with SEN students to use TEDDY AVATAR adapted to the diagnosed needs, - Enhanced key skills (civic/social, digital) of learners with intellectual disabilities, enabled their participation in society and thus increased their social inclusion, also in the holistic school education system, - Improved and enriched EU education systems with innovative methodology that is more adaptable to individual needs of SEN learners.

People with intellectual disabilities represent one of the most marginalized and discriminated against groups. What is especially worrying is discrimination in education - they receive fewer educational opportunities than any other group. Also teachers generally feel unprepared to teach SEN students and lack the support needed from schools. Bearing that in mind we aimed to promote inclusion and diversity in education, address digital transformation through development of digital readiness among SEN students and teachers, and develop social/civic and digital competences of SEN students. By implementing the project we wanted to: - bring SEN students at risk of social exclusion closer to society through the development of social/ civic/digital competences, - strengthen the profile of educators making their careers more diverse, open up the space for their creativity, expand their personal capabilities and scope of occupational activities, - promote innovativeness in competence-oriented education through the introduction of new tools for SEN sts, which will entourage educators to use more student-friendly new technology-based tools, - promote cross-curricular collaboration between EU countries due to the diverse education systems.

Dissemination was based on project’s Dissemination Strategy. All dissemination activities were oriented on a wide audience at local, regional, national and EU level. This was mainly local and EU level inside the partnership. However, outside the partnership we tried to reach as many people interested in the subject of the project as possible at local, regional, national and EU level. Furthermore, the stakeholder database was created and was continuously being expanded. Partners used various dissemination channels and included organization’s networks, personal networks (colleagues, partners through former national/international projects), Internet, websites, social media, mailing, newsletters, seminars and webinars, multiplier events, EU Dissemination/ Project results platform and F2F contact.

The tangible results in our project were: 1. IO1: E-compendium 2. IO2: Online Training Course 3. TEDDY Avatar app 4. E-platform providing learning/teaching materials and gathering all project results. During the IMPLEMENTATION of the project we produced: Project Management Handbook, Project Brand Manual, Sustainability Strategy, Quality Management and Evaluation Strategy, Project Logo, Project Website, Project Facebook Page, Final Evaluation Report, Final Dissemination Report, Stakeholder contact database. AT THE END of the project we also produced: 1. Multimedia Guidebook and Platform Manual. 2. Local Multiplier conference events (7) 3. 120 SEN teachers and 360 other individuals (parents of young students with IDs, professionals working with SEN students, practitioners, volunteers taking care of young students with IDs, etc.) were trained within IO2 and pilots or involved within other activities. 4. 90 SEN students tested (pilot testing) project’s results and a comparative report was developed. 5. 36 NGOs working in the field of special needs education and 60 special needs schools/centres where students with intellectual disabilities are learning/having therapies were engaged in the project.