Unique-project: EqUal iNclusIon of LGBTIQ stUdents in VET

The Unique project focuses on developing on training of VET (vocational education and training) teachers in Europe. This Erasmus+ KA3 project has 9 partners from Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Cyprus, Croatia and Germany. The project was implemented from 15-01-2020 until 31-05-2023 in Greece, Poland, Cyprus and Croatia. **

Strategy

Attention to LGBTIQ people in vocational education has been neglected.

The UNIQUE project aimed to reverse negative perceptions and attitudes towards LGBTIQ+ learners in vocational education and training (VET). It focused on training VET teachers to more openly discuss “sensitive” issues in the classroom and more specifically to support LGBTIQ+ students. The project undertook the following activities:

1. Mapping LGBTIQ+ related discrimination in the partner countries and non-discriminatory educational strategies in VET
2. Developing e-learning training for VET teachers
3. Pilot testing of the training material
4. Promotion of inclusion by VET teachers who become ambassadors for inclusion

The project hoped to:

1. enhance visibility of sexual and gender diversity into VET education by tracking discriminatory behaviors against LGBTIQ learners and teachers
2. improve the expertise and competences of VET teachers
3. to create an inclusive VET training system

Products

• Mapping reports of Greece, Poland, Cyprus, and Croatia, transnational report
• E-learning training for VET teachers
• A model curriculum and curriculum monitoring tool (GALE objected to this product because it was too culturally based on USA notions/sources, overly politically correct and unimplementable in the pilot countries. However the critical feedback was not taken  into consideration. We don't republish it here because it GALE does not want to disseminate counterproductive publications.
• A manual on how to recruit and coach ambassadors. This product by GALE was not used adequately in this project because the pilot phase had to be rushed due to earliers delays in the project. It is also not a formal deliverable of the project, but due to its innovative content, we make it available here.
• A monitoring tool to assess regular curricula on sexual and gender diversity content. This is an international edited and updated version of a Dutch monitoring tool developed by GALE. It is not a formal deliverable of the project.
• The dilemmas encountered when developing UNIQUE Policy Recommendations and the final publication of the policy recommendations
• The presentation of GALE at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in 2021 the needs assessment of the UNIQUE project
• The innovative GALE e-learning unit on how to handle conflict management around sexual and gender diversity (slightly abridged version)
• The presentation of GALE at the School's Out conference in Sofia (2022) on how to upscale EU LGBTIQ+ education projects
• The submission of the UNIQUE project for the Cedefop Toolkit Early School Leaving

Media

Project website: uniqueproject.eu
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uniqueproject.eu
LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uniqueproject
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniqueproject.eu

Partners

The project has 9 partners: AKMI (vocational institute, Athens, Greece), GALE (international LGBTIQ organization, based in Amsterdam), IBP International Polish Association (NGO, Krakow, Poland), KES College (vocational institute Nicosia, Cyprus), NAVETS (Association for promotion of VET, Sofia, Bulgaria), VUA - Visoko Uciliste Algebra (educational IT provider, Zagreb, Croatia), CCI Center for Civil Initiatives Poreč (human rights NGO, Poreč, Croatia), Symplexis (NGO social on cohesion, Athens, Greece), BK Consult (service provider EU projects, Germany)

News and updates

The project proposal was awarded in August 2020. Due to COVID-19 the project started in January 2021. Check out the website at uniqueproject.eu/, the Facebook page uniqueproject.eu/ and the LinkedIn page uniqueproject.eu.

• 30 May 2023: Short Dutch presentation and discussion meeting: register here; Zoom link
• 12 May 2023: Final conference Brussels (or online): register here
• 5 May 2023: Press release on the final conference
• 27 April 2023: European UNIQUE project approaches final events
• 21 April 2013: UNIQUE project warns against increasing discrimination through social media
• 15 March 2023: Emotional intelligence needed for safer schools
• 2 November 2021: Presentation of preliminary conclusions from the needs assessment during the World Anti Bullying Conference in Stockholm: PowerPoint presentation, video recording, summary of the presentation and Q&A session
• 27 March 2021: New project researches LGBTIQ discrimination in vocational education

This project is co-financed by the European Erasmus+ KA3 program. The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.