Gooves: Growing knowledge

Topic(s) addressed

• Fostering the personal and professional growth of socially disadvantaged pupils
• Rediscovering the values of the rural environment.
• Dignifying work in the sector.
• Sustainable agricultural production in the Mediterranean

Target groups

• 8 intermediate VET students (17-22 y/o) with a history of school failure and special educational needs

Methodologies

• Learning modern production and marketing techniques.
• Using available technological resources (computer, internet)
• Consolidating links between the young participants from France, Italy and Spain
• Prioritising inclusion over academic success
• Attending practical classes at the host centres and visiting local companies 
• Keeping a travel diary and a practice notebook to share the information with fellow students

Environments

• The space of our institute emulates the working conditions of an Asturian farm. 
• Making the open-air spaces the essence of the training
• Transforming the spaces to accommodate new activities 
• Applying ecological production techniques based on sustainability and respect for the environment (coordinated by the agricultural department)

Teachers

• The initiative to apply inclusion to agricultural vocational training came from all teachers of different specialities.
• Self-training and collaboration with other departments resulting modifying the attention given to pupils and enriching teaching techniques. 
• First-hand experience of similar circumstances in other countries 
• Highlighting our own initiatives as well as good practices

Impact

• Improvement of the academic record and the integration of pupils more prone to drop out 
• Bringing Erasmus+ closer to disadvantaged pupils with experience of school failure 
• The results of the activities were evaluated and presented by the participants to their peers which helped transform the initial suspicions into an appreciation.