EPEA is happy to be involved in a number of projects, with a specific connection to European Prison Education. We will only consider participation in projects which have a clear connection with European prison education. Each project proposal will be considered on its own merits.
Our involvement can take a variety of forms :
- Letter of support for projects which align with our mission, but where we will not have active participation
- Sit on the advisory board for a project
- Dissemination of project outcomes/ progress via newsletter, email, webinar with EPEA members, or through a face to face event or workshop
- Facilitating active participation through our members, who can be partners in specific projects
- Evaluating projects
Our current projects are :
BLEEP
Project number KA204-0A61C675-EN
BLEEP project (led by Innovative Prison Systems, IPS) is about digital inclusion in the broadest sense. It foresees the creation and implementation of an innovative, creative, Europe-focused blended learning platform for all (ex-)prisoners. Within this project the individual has the ownership of the learning process that can be monitored to stimulate progress in developing skills. Furthermore, BLEEP project will contribute to the prison staff (teachers, mentors, social workers, psychologists, reintegration coaches) professional development through supporting re-integration of prisoners into society just before they are released from prison.
EPEA is an active participant in regular project meetings and will be hosting a workshop at our biennial conference to provide an update on the project.
What we want to achieve is that adult prisoners should gain basic skills or develop the ones already possessed thanks to the use of various artistic activities, during which we will smuggle a diversified set of exercises thanks to which participants will increase (consciously or, more often, unintentionally) their literacy, numeracy and/or IT skills.
We are awaiting funding decisions on these project applications, which have been submitted in the first part of 2020:
Open ETN
This project aims to train a new generation of early-stage researchers at doctoral level.
EPEA hopes to participate in supervisory board meetings, offer co-supervision of a researcher, provide relevant online training sessions and disseminate information through our networks
Arts of Freedom
Project will promote education and training of visual artists for participation in projects involving work with prisoners and in prison, and the education of prison employees to raise their awareness of creative work.
Proposed project outcomes are :
1. educational book to improve soft skills of visual artists for work (murals and art workshops) in prison spaces – Art Therapy
2. educational book for employees and general public to raise awareness of importance and effectiveness of such projects for whole prison community
EPEA will attend partner meetings and host a dissemination event in the Netherlands in summer 2022.
An EPEA member is also contributing chapters to the book, as a partner in the project.
HEROIC
The project HEROIC (in conjunction with Innovative Prison Systems, IPS) aims to address the prevention of vulnerable and marginalised groups from being pulled into the world of extremism, targeting teachers and educators in different sectors.
One of its main priorities is to increase education staff’s ability to detect signs of radicalisation and reach individuals in danger of becoming radicalised, as well as instruct them on how to use screening tools that will be developed by the project.
EPEA will contribute to this project by disseminating information during the project via a dissemination toolkit and will also support an international final conference.