S.T.E.P. - Single-parent Training and Empowerment Program

Summary

S.T.E.P. shows what "competences for life" mean in practice for adults who rarely have access to adequate educational support. It built a replicable, open-access European model rooted in inclusion, active citizenship, and the belief that every parent, regardless of their social circumstances, has the right to develop the skills they need to participate fully in society, and to pass those competences on to the next generation. 

"I left feeling good, confident and courageous. I gave empathy and received empathy in return." 

Topic(s) addressed

• Citizenship competence as a life skill
• Inclusion and access to foundational competences
• Digital competence and digital inclusion
• Innovative and experiential methodologies for adult competence development 

Target group(s)  

• Single parents  
• Facilitators and adult educators 
• Indirect beneficiaries 

Methodologies used

Every methodological choice made in the project was shaped by this philosophy: meaningful adult learning happens when content is emotionally relevant, methods are participatory and the learning environment feels safe. The programme drew on multiple fields: clinical psychology, psychodrama, art therapy, mindfulness, narrative practices and non-formal education. Facilitators applied expressive writing, role-play, creative visualisation and guided group reflection, creating a rich methodological toolkit adapted to the needs of each group. The program focused on personal and social competences, with accessibility and inclusion embedded throughout. Participants described the group experience as a transformative element that provided an opportunity to be heard, recognised and supported.

Innovation environment

The coordinator brought a strong organisational culture of experimentation and responsiveness to the community. The association has experience working with parents through psychodrama-based methods, psychoeducational formats and structured programmes, and it used this as a foundation to co-create a European blended socio-emotional programme for single parents. The collaboration with the partner organisation added a layer of creative and experiential expertise rooted in arts-based adult education and work with vulnerable communities in Portugal. The inclusion of a neurodivergent team member from Portugal actively enriched the team's approach to inclusion and accessibility, both in the programme’s design and in the working climate. 

Teachers’ role

The facilitators were co-authors of the programme from the beginning. They participated in focus groups, World Café sessions, and brainstorming workshops to jointly develop the theoretical modules and the structure of the practical workshops. This co-design process resulted in a programme that was grounded in real facilitation experience, not just theory. 

Facilitators approached each workshop with a dual awareness: attending both to the learning content and to the emotional state of participants. Single parents often carried significant stress, grief or isolation into the group space. Facilitators used psychodrama techniques, guided reflection and expressive methods to create a safe environment in which these experiences could be acknowledged and addressed constructively, rather than suppressed. 

Impact and output

Pre- and post-programme questionnaires measuring self-regulation, empathy, conflict management and communication skills revealed a 30% improvement among single parents, with over 80% acquiring at least two concrete emotion management strategies. The eight facilitators also experienced transformative professional growth: 100% reported learning at least five new working methods, all documented a significant improvement in their use of experiential tools and the majority reported an improvement of over 50% in digital skills and intercultural communication. In Romania, the project directly led to the establishment of a new, ongoing support group for single parents in Sibiu, an institutional response to the needs identified through the programme.

Learn more about the project