On 20 September, the Sharehouse Refugio in Berlin hosted the „Healing Classrooms - Stabilising learning spaces for an open society “ took place. Between 2019 and 2022, IRC Germany, together with SchaU-Werkstatt für Migrationspädagogik, organised the two projects Healing Classrooms and BuildUp (co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund) for the further training of educational professionals at schools. The aim of the project was to support professionals in empowering refugee pupils in their environment and providing them with the necessary support in a safe learning environment to expand their social-emotional, linguistic and technical skills, develop their potential and participate in society on their own responsibility.
Am „Healing Classrooms“ symposium, the team from IRC Germany and SchlaU-Werkstatt für Migrationspädagogik reflected on the measures implemented in recent years together with the participants. They also discussed what schools and the education system will need in the future in order to provide stabilising, empowering and open learning spaces for refugee pupils.
A total of around 70 people from various locations in Germany who work in the education sector took part. The day began with a brief introduction to the IRC project „Healing Classrooms“ and the results achieved over the last three years (you can read the evaluation reports from the Institute World:City:Neighbourhood in short and long version for Healing Classrooms and BuildUp here view). Afterwards, four different workshops were offered, of which the participants could attend two units of their choice.
You can download the documentation of the individual workshops (Designing schools and lessons to be anti-discriminatory, Supporting and overcoming crisis experiences in a resource-orientated manner, Performance assessment for refugee pupils, Refugee experience in everyday school life), as well as the Overall documentation of the symposium.
Many thanks to all participants for the interesting exchange and the suggestions they shared with us on this day. We would also like to thank the Al-Farabi Music Academy and their fantastic musicians for bringing music to our symposium. We would also like to thank all the educational professionals throughout Germany who have worked with us on these two projects over the past three years, getting involved and helping to shape them! How wonderful that we can continue this work together in the future!
Photo: Maik Reichert