On April 12th, an International Day for Street Children, ASB’s implementing partner on a project funded by German Federal Foreign Office – ARSIS, has introduced the new concept of informal education to refugee children in Thessaloniki – The Mobile School.
The Mobile School is a cart on wheels, with extendable blackboards, close to 350 educational learning games and a software that can be installed everywhere. The mobile school can easily be set up and torn down and that way it can be used on sidewalks, squares, parks and slums of the big city. The idea and the concept were created by the Belgian organization – Mobile School, for the needs of children living and working on the road and having no access to the school environment. The concept covers diverse themes, which makes it possible to offer a wide-ranging basic education to street children: literacy, creative therapy, health education and through that – drugs and AIDS prevention. Fully extended, the mobile school cart is no less than 6m long.
The educational curriculum does not aim to replace the traditional school curriculum. All the materials and games target an increase in self-respect and identity, the discovery of talents and empowerment of each child. This way, on the street, teachers and social workers can try to build a strong foundation of faith in one’s abilities, self-confidence and the motivation necessary to support further growth processes.
Yesterday’s intervention gathered more that 30 children (up to 50) who were introduced to the Mobile School in the framework of the International Day for Street Children. The Street Work Team of ARSIS was present approaching the children and introducing them to the Mobile School concept.
The project was made possible by the donation of German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by ASB Greece and its implementing partner – ARSIS.