FROJOL PROJECT, KICK OFF MEETING

In december we had our first meeting related to the Frojol project. Partners from France, Netherland, Austria, Poland and Italy gathered in the beautifull city of Citta di Castello in Italy (Umbria Region). Considering there are too many employees without a sufficient qualification level for a strong and mondial competitive European labour market. We need to find clever solutions to 'trigger' more trainees, and offer them fitting opportunities to succeed in education, training and finally the labour market. Therefore the project Freestyle Montessori on the job learning (FROJOL) will transfer and improve the innovative didactic of Lingua Piu, the Italian partner in this Leonardo da Vinci LLL-project.

The meeting was held on 14, 15 and 16 December. We had the opportunity to review the project management and to discuss the following points: Research and New Learning Methodology, the first International Report, Dissemination, Exploitation...

Coordinator of the FROJOL project is Landstede (NL). The other partners are: GEFAS - Academy for Generations (AT), Politeknika Ikastegia Txorierri – HETEL (ES), RADAR – B (FR), Centrum Kstalcenia Ustawicznego w Sopocie (PL) and the already mentioned Italian partner Associazione Lingua Piú.

Within the European educational field the Maria Montessori method is well known, but untill today it is used with the target group of 4-16 year olds. FROJOL wants to use the basic principles of this method with a new target group, age 16+. As consortium we will focus on future and existing students in traditional VET, as each 16+ student more or less has his own lifelong learning experiences. Meanwhile we are also aiming at a second chance group of learners that should be challenged in a (job)surrounding that triggers to gain experience and learn. And a target group fearing failures and not entering VET, may be reached by the project, because they could be offered personal and reachable goals within the curricula.

We aim to design a new learning methodology for a new target group without the use of starting specific Montessori schoolsfor VET

Train the trainers in blended learning

Pilot the method in on-the-job learning like an internship or stage

Valorise the outcomes through strong local, regional, national and international networks

The consortium aims to address the new learning method (also) to groups at risk. 

What impact do we expect?

FROJOL will provide  a new method for on the job learning, offering the possibility of attacking the percentage of not qualified youth and early school leavers. An international report, comparing National qualifications, might also open possibilities for partnerships with study mobility on VET level within the consortium countries, which also is important for the Netherlands, as students can already use study mobility in the Netherlands.