Food Includes aims to leverage the power of food to create flexible learning opportunities, promoting inclusion and access to upskilling pathways in adult education.
The importance of adult education in helping individuals adjust to a fast-changing society and labour market cannot be understated, particularly for vulnerable populations such as refugees and those affected by the war in Ukraine. Continuing education programmes offer opportunities ranging from boosting literacy and numeracy to gaining professional qualifications.
At the heart of these services is Principle 1 of the European Pillar of Social Rights: “Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education.” Yet, as the demographics of our communities’ change, many individuals face barriers to education, whether they are cultural, psychological, gender-related, or socioeconomic. Those who could benefit most from adult education are often unaware of, uninterested in, or impeded from participating in the available educational opportunities.
We aim to use food as a central element in pedagogical approaches to enhance learning and engagement, particularly among refugees. The Starter Kit focuses on creating culturally sensitive outreach strategies tailored to the specific needs and experiences of refugees, promoting trust and building strong relationships between refugees and their host communities. The goal is to leverage food-related activities to foster inclusion and provide effective educational opportunities for vulnerable populations.
We aim to focus on developing resources to support food-related educational initiatives. This work package will create Open Educational Resources (OERs) and ensure they meet legal and statutory requirements for food initiatives. Expertise in upskilling refugees will be utilised to make sure the developed resources effectively support refugees in acquiring new skills and knowledge. The objective is to create adaptable, high-quality educational materials that effectively address the diverse needs of learners
We will focus on the real-life testing of the FOOD INCLUDES approach and rigorous analysis of the results, which is essential for scaling the initiative. This stage will utilise knowledge and expertise in social and academic inclusion, particularly for migrants and refugees. It will involve defining the methodology for the pilot study, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. A pool of experts, including academics and professionals, will support the design and development of the study and the subsequent research paper. The aim is to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness of the FOOD INCLUDES approach and provide evidence-based recommendations for its broader implementation.
