Staff or educators tend to position themselves in a one-sided helping relationship with the people concerned and too often the intervention models are not based on the needs expressed by the latter, but on those perceived by the workers. At the same time, these adult learners sometimes demonstrate, often unconsciously, self-discrimination. They then adopt attitudes of resignation to avoid facing situations that seem hostile to them. Too often, these so-called "vulnerable" groups are therefore qualified by their weaknesses and shortcomings rather than by their potential, their aspirations and their resources, even though they develop incredible survival strategies.

Main steps

Three working objectives were defined in the framework of this project:

• To change the pedagogical reference paradigm of the educators and staff accompanying these learners;
• To make the learners' skills explicit and their potential visible;
• To fight against self-discrimination of adult learners.

To achieve these objectives, the partners decided to create innovative educational resources that can be used by professionals in the field of adult education. These resources are:

• A reference tool for trainers to build a conceptual framework around "empowerment". The aim is to develop each individual's power to act and to encourage self-esteem, self-confidence, initiative and creativity in order to increase their skills;
• A gallery of "inspirational portraits" or "role models" created with the target audience, accompanied by a methodology for enriching and using this gallery. These "role models" are neither idols nor superheroes, but inspirational leaders who enable them to recognise themselves in people close to their experience and reality and to break the spiral of self-discrimination. This educational tool should enable learners to become actors in their integration and learning process.
• A board game co-designed with the learners to make their potential and skills visible in order to help them build a life path, a path to employment and social inclusion. This pedagogical tool should help to change the way educators and other staff who support adult learners look at things and to support people who are far from employment in building a life path, a path to employment and social inclusion.

The innovative work methodology developed by this project can be applied in all training sectors and with all types of audiences: women, young people, people with disabilities, migrants, but also schoolchildren, students, apprentices, etc. Indeed, it allows educators, trainers and teachers to put in place the right conditions to encourage a more social and collaborative learning process, thus allowing everyone to develop their skills.

Partners

Within the framework of an Erasmus+ strategic partnership, this project brings together 6 structures with specific and complementary fields of expertise in 4 European countries:

• IRFSS Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France) (leader)
• Pôle Culture et Santé Nouvelle Aquitaine (France)
• Collectif Formation Société - CFS (Belgium)
• Association internationale pour la promotion des valeurs humaines AIHV (Luxembourg)
• CEPS Projectes Socials (Spain)
• POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ – PLS (Belgique)

Change of view in short

• Kick-off, Bordeaux, 18-19 September 2019
• First training activity (co-construction of the project's pedagogical tools), Luxembourg, 25-29 November 2019
• Second training activity (workshop #1, on the elaboration of the board game and the role model gallery), by videoconference du to the COVID-19 crisis, June 2020
• Third training activity (workshop #2, on the development of the board game), by videoconference du to the COVID-19 crisis, week from 31 May to 4 June 2021
• Reference frame on empowerment, October 2021
• Board game, October 2021
• Gallery of inspirational portraits, October 2021
• Public event presenting the project tools and results, Spain, October 2021
• Final congress presenting the project tools and results, Montrouge, France, 21 October 2021