Pathways Inspirational Development > What > Projects > Explorations in European Economic Education

This two year project, begun in 2005, aims to enhance the skills of teachers and assistants by devising innovative education programmes that develop, with disadvantaged people, economic understanding. Essentially, the value and uses of money for commercial and social exchange which improves opportunities, choices and quality of life for individuals and groups

The programme, which is funded by the EU Socrates-Grundtvig Fund, brings together an eclectic mix:

		Nicolina Technical High School in Iasi, Romania who are managing a major education programme for unemployed adults in a profoundly disadvantaged area of the city.
		Womaston School, Mid Wales, part of MacIntyre Care and dedicated to providing education for resident students with complex learning difficulties.
		Galileo Technical High School, Vibo Valentia, working to develop appropriate programmes with adult males in the local prison.

Each partner is developing a programme in its own institution:

		In post-communist Romania, the context requires introducing and developing basic understanding of a market economy with both the adult students but also the teachers within the school.
		At Womaston, the focus is on developing, with support staff, programmes that introduce the students to basic procedures associated with monetary exchange all of which assist in increasing the self esteem of the participants.
		In Vibo, work has focused on developing programmes with prisoners that will assist develop skills and abilities in financial management and to be used after incarceration.

There were meetings in Romania and the UK, at which the partners discussed progress, planned future developments and quite literally, explored the local environment, experiencing the differences of food and culture.

Underlying the specific project aims lies a broader aim of providing spaces, through the trans-national meetings, for education professionals and students to meet together and learn of each others professional, social and cultural contexts. The programme provides opportunities to share expertise and ideas and increase mutual understanding in the new Europe.