Did you know that around 8% of the European Union’s population, which equals approximately 34 million inhabitants, were born outside of the EU? Unfortunately, many non-EU born adults seeking connection to the labor market, lack a high level of education, and young migrants are more likely to drop out of school and be at risk of poverty or social exclusion. 

With this project, we strive to support schools in their potential as hubs for integration and therefore the development of an inclusive society. The BuddyMigrants project has two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to address the barriers that newly-arrived third country national families face when accessing social services such as education, healthcare, employment, and information. Secondly, it aims to promote inclusive environments that foster social inclusion, equity, and equality, and respond to the needs of the wider communities in the project countries.

The project’s priorities are to raise awareness of European Union common values and principles among newly-arrived TCN families, encourage their participation in democratic life, and help them overcome difficulties in actively engaging and participating in their communities. Additionally, BuddyMigrants aims to develop the social and intercultural competences and critical thinking of teachers, parents, and children, and offer opportunities for participation in social and civic engagement through formal and non-formal learning activities.

The project achieves its objectives by developing a tailor-made pedagogical toolkit for integrating intercultural dimensions into formal learning, including a curriculum for developing intercultural competences of teachers. This informative toolkit, together with an online learning course and suggested school activities, will be available on an online educational platform. In addition, the creation of inclusive local groups of families supports effective social inclusion, the implementation of local actions by these groups and the creation of a wide network of local groups to strengthen peer learning.