A strategic choice of MYTILINEOS Group, in line with its responsible operation and its commitment to enhance its contribution to society, is to support selected social programmes which can substantially contribute to the efforts to strengthen social cohesion and address the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding during a difficult period for Greece.
To this end and with a strong interest in children’s education, MYTILINEOS Group, in direct cooperation with the “Together for Children” Association, developed the Innovative Pilot Programme “I’m in!”, whose objective is to help mitigate the effects of School Drop-out, i.e. of children quitting school early, before completing their basic education.
The implementation of the programme is fully financed by MYTILINEOS Group, with Group executives taking an active part in the Programme’s key planning stages. The detailed action plan was developed by the “Together for Children” Association, drawing on its valuable knowledge and long experience in the development of social programmes, with the scientific support of the non-profit organisation “MERIMNA” and the “Prolepsis” research organisation, which worked closely with a team of volunteer teachers from the 2nd Experimental Lyceum of Athens and the Centre for School Psychology Research and Applications of the University of Athens.
In its current pilot stage, the Programme comprises of three key modules which complement each other and cover the needs of the schools of the 7th School Community of the Prefecture of Attica, as well as those of other beneficiary population groups.
Module 1:
Supplementary education programme for 30 students with learning and family difficulties, who are vulnerable to school drop-out. This module consists of 300 teaching hours covering literature, mathematics, physics and chemistry, in parallel with the implementation of 15 experiential actions that seek to strengthen the psychological resilience and self-confidence of the 30 participating children, by developing their social attitude and skills. This provision is accompanied by a free nutritious and healthy lunch, school supplies, new shoes and other material goods that substantially help alleviate the children’s food insecurity.
Module 2:
Teacher training programme in managing students with learning difficulties, aimed at boosting their psychological resilience. This module comprises of 30 hours of counselling and guidance for the educators who will teach in the Programme, and 34 hours of training by psychologists focusing on managing students with psychological problems, as well as on handling school crises. This training regards the Programme’s teachers as well as other teachers from the 7th School Community, who wish to attend.
Module 3:
Material and psychological support programme for vulnerable families, offering free attendance of up to 8 family counselling sessions at the Counselling Centre of the “Together for Children” Association, as well as the provision of free meals for up to five families for a period of six months, provided they meet the corresponding income criteria.
The Programme’s key objectives for the school year 2015-2016 are:
- To achieve a 60% success rate in keeping in school the children who will participate in the programme and who run a high drop-out risk during the current school year.
- To improve the children’s learning performance.
- To lessen their food insecurity rate.
- To improve their psychological resilience and social functioning skills
- To provide 100% of the teachers participating in the programme with the tools that will allow them to better handle high drop-out risk students and the specialised knowledge for handling school crises.