The Inclusion and Diversity in Education (INDIE) project unites policy makers in the field of Education and Inclusion with head teachers and ‘young leaders’ – (pupils drawn from participating schools) from eleven European countries: Belgium, England, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Wales. The five Belgian schools participating in INDIE come from the Flanders region: Sint-Jozefinstituut in Genk-Bokrijk, Onze Lieve Vrouw Lyceum in Genk, Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Aalst, Koninklijk Atheneum in Gentbrugge and Koninklijk Atheneum 1 Pitzemburg in Mechelen.

Young Leader Training
The first training sessions in Belgium were organised in November 2007. Under the guidance of professional trainers Wim Vogelaere, Steve Verbist and Ronald Keersmakers, the Young Leaders learnt to develop ideas and express them to others through a four-day training session in Brussels. All pupils had the opportunity to debate on the subject of inclusion and diversity and to develop their skills in communication and team working. At the end of the training session, pupils voted for one delegate from their school to go to the Brussels Conference as their representative. Benjamin Vande Velde from Sint-Jozefinstituut, Sara Harti from Onze Lieve Vrouw Lyceum, Veronique Van Der Gucht from KA Gentbrugge, Yana Van Roy from KA 1 Pitzemburg and Jeroen Bockstal from the Academie in Aalst were the lucky ones.
More about the Brussels Conference

A second training session involving new Young Leaders from the same schools is organised in all countries this autumn. Click on the following links to read the reports on the Belgian training courses:
Young Leaders Training in Genk, from 13 to 15 October 2008
Young Leaders Training in Mechelen and Aalst, from 5 to 7 November 2008

Cluster meeting
The five schools in Belgium are linked to five schools in Italy, five in England and two in Malta. Their Cluster Meeting took place in Milan on 15 and 16 May 2008. Representatives from schools in Belgium, Italy, England and Malta met to finalise the in-school projects they feel will best put the European Youth Charter on Inclusion and Diversity into practice. Read the European Youth Charter on Inclusion and Diversity in Education: in Dutch and in English

School projects
Between September 2008 and June 2009, the 16 INDIE schools from the Belgium-Italy-England-Malta cluster will each work on two projects that they have created jointly.

Here’s a list of the projects:
A life in a day
Our different stories

Improving the rate of student's language learning
Helping minority pupils to belong

A healthy mind in a healthy body
Strengthening student voice

Capturing student voice through art
Induction of newly arrived pupils / mentoring

The family: culture, tradition and environment
Student voice

We are working in partnership with the following:
The Flemish Ministry of Education

For more information contact Canan Marasligil: canan.marasligil@britishcouncil.nl

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