School teachers and other personnel face the lack of available sources of information about the systems of education for non-EU countries. Teachers recognise that this information is necessary in their work in order to improve communication and intercultural skills when non-EU immigrant children attend schools. Improvement of intercultural communication skills remains very problematic in the school environment, especially since the funding for teachers’ professional training has been remarkably reduced at the time of the economic crisis.

The Project was designed to provide necessary information on the systems of education of non-EU countries by using interactive online tools. Continuously uploaded information and an interactive communication forum among experts in education and teachers facilitated active teachers’ networking and exchange of experiences, good practices on the issues of intercultural learning, integration of non-EU immigrants and diversity at schools.

There was a survey carried out to identify the main needs and difficulties teachers and other educational personnel face when working with immigrant children. The results of the survey suggested the main themes and profile of the information uploaded on the project website. The Project activities also included a series of training seminars for primary and secondary school teachers, school administration and other personnel, social service providers and policy makers to improve their intercultural competences, provide tools for everyday work with students and enhance the policy-making process. There were three different educational programmes prepared, registered with and accredited by the Education Development Centre so that the seminars would be officially recognised by the educational institutions. The participants had an opportunity to learn not only from the trainers and lectures, but also through sharing experiences followed by lively discussions and networking workshops. There were a lot of practical examples discussed during the seminars, part of them were prepared by the teachers and other educational staff participating in the seminars. This created a ground for mutual learning and joint problem solving and encouraged the project participants to engage in professional networking. There was a short social advertisement encouraging integration of immigrant students into the system of primary and secondary education, released and screened on national television.

It was the first time when a project managed to involve educational personnel from all the primary and secondary schools where non-EU immigrant children are studying in Lithuania. Through the seminars, teachers, school administration and other personnel, social service providers and policy makers improved their intercultural competences, exchanged good practices and shared lessons learnt. The project provided spaces for teachers and other educational personnel from all over Lithuania to network and maintain active contacts through created webpage. This allowed teachers to ask relevant questions, follow other discussion and share their own experiences in the online forum. The project experts provided topical information and consultations related to integration and education of non-EU immigrants during the seminars and online (the project website and discussion forum). There were 100 school staff members, 20 service providers, 10 policy-makers and 10 non-EU immigrants directly involved in the project activities. There were not less than 10,000 visitors to the project website. In addition, not less than 30,000 people saw the social advertisement encouraging integration of immigrant students into the system of primary and secondary education, released and screened on national television.

The primary and secondary school teachers, school administration and other personnel, social service providers and policy makers gained knowledge and skills to evaluate their own school environment, political decisions and identify potential solutions to make the schools more inclusive and open for diversity through both formal education and informal communication. Networking has proven to be an effective way to maintain inter-school cooperation, exchange of practices and lessons. In general the feedback from the project participants was very positive. They felt that the project activities reflected their needs and they were able to take advantage of the expertise and communicational spaces provided by the project.

Primary and secondary school teachers, school administration and other personnel, social service providers and policy makers. Indirect beneficiaries: school students and local communities.

The project was funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country nationals.