eduRoma – one step closer to an inclusive Society

eduRoma is an educational non-governmental organization that was founded in 2012. Its vision is an inclusive society. We consider quality education and a fair approach to it to be the basic tool for creating an inclusive society.

Through the field program One step to forward, we work directly in the field of schools throughout Slovakia. We educate and support children and young people from excluded communities, as well as educators, youth workers and representatives of the helping professions. Through the advocacy program IncluNETWORK, we monitor and draw attention to discrimination and unequal access of Roma children to quality education. We bring alternative solutions to schools and educational institutions in the education of Roma children. We support positive changes in the education system at the local and national level towards social inclusion. Through the De Facto media program, we develop the understanding and critical thinking of the general public, as well as promote tolerance and respect for minorities and other vulnerable populations. As part of this program, we have been implementing the Ray of Darkness award since 2018, and we have been publishing the minority online magazine Romano forum since 2021.

Other goals of the civic association are:

EVENTS – IncluCAMPUS

The goal of the IncluCAMPUS project is to create space (virtual, physical) and daily opportunities for active learning and support for the emergence of new thoughts, ideas and activities, which result in social inclusion and active civic participation of people from excluded Roma communities. All activities carried out as part of the IncluCAMPUS project, the recipient of which is the civic association eduRoma, are financed by Norwegian grants and the Slovak state budget.

We implement the goals of IncluCampus through:

From November 2022, we at eduRome regularly consult, plan and network in order to gradually realize our new inclusive project called IncluCAMPUS. One of the outputs of the IncluCAMPUS project is to build a consortium of experts for the promotion of social inclusion of vulnerable population groups in Slovakia.

Dear students,

we would like to invite you to our free one-year training program that will equip you with the skills and sensitivities needed for the challenges of the 21st century. The program will consist of a series of occasional informal trainings prepared for you by experienced lecturers. They will teach you how to properly communicate and mitigate conflict, how to be a team player or how to recognize discrimination and what to do about it. You will learn more about the history of the Roma, the power of human rights and how to tell truth from lies on the Internet. You will get to know examples of successful Roma women or the basics of project management. In short, you will gain knowledge that is difficult to do without today. You can register via this form (skolenia.eduroma.sk) or by sending an email to marusa@eduroma.sk.

At eduRome, we realize that if we want to contribute to the improvement of the conditions in the education of poor children and young people from excluded communities, we must also cooperate with state and public institutions. That is why we are very pleased that in the coming years we will be able to cooperate with the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS) in this area. Through the IncluCAMPUS project, we will have many conversations and educational inclusive activities with mayors, mayors, teachers and representatives of school authorities in the coming year. On March 3, 2023, we agreed on long-term cooperation with ZMOS’s expert in the field of education Mrs. Mária Chorváthová. We are looking forward to our cooperation.

We are very happy that at yesterday’s meeting (March 8, 2023) we are gradually creating and expanding a network/INCLUNETWORK with our partners, through which we support and implement activities aimed at supporting the social inclusion of people from excluded communities. This growing network includes the civic association eduRoma, ETP Slovensko, Obec Výborná and the association Dadoro. We will gradually inform you about other members and their activities through our social networks.

On March 24, 2023, we had the first coordination meeting with young people from the Roma community. We are very happy that secondary and college students are gradually joining us. And also budding educators, scientists and activists. We are opening for other national minorities as well. We look forward to starting to work together on important topics and tasks that want to make our society better, more tolerant and more inclusive.

At eduRome, yesterday in Kežmark (March 27, 2023) – in cooperation with the Association of Cities and Towns of Slovakia, the State School Inspectorate and the Institute of Roma Studies of the University of Prešov – we organized a round table on the issue of school segregation of Roma pupils. Together with the founders, school directors and teachers, we very openly discussed its various manifestations and forms. But also about what factors cause, maintain and deepen it in schools. We have also named the steps that can lead to its removal by school founders, teachers and the state. We will continue to organize round tables with our partners in the coming months. We look forward to further fruitful discussions and cooperation.

During the weekend (March 31 – April 2), we educated and planned an important anti-prejudice campaign with high school and university students, as well as teachers and social workers, which we would like to launch together this year. We are glad that our first meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere full of great thoughts, ideas and ideas. We are already looking forward to the next meeting.

On April 24, 2023, we had a very important and extremely interesting discussion with school inspectors in Prešov on the topic of the education of Roma students and their discrimination in schools. At the beginning, we also presented the critical findings and opinions of Amnesty International Slovakia, which stirred up the discussion. We also thank Alexandr Mušinek from the Institute of Roma Studies of the University of Prešov in Prešov for his participation. We look forward to further discussions and exchange of experience between the State School Inspection and non-governmental organizations.

On April 25, 2023, we had an introductory conference for our IncluCAMPUS project in Prešov and an extremely lively and interesting discussion with school founders and teachers. We discussed the problems in the education of Roma children and their segregation in schools. In the course of May, we will interpret the conclusions to representatives of the Ministry of Education and we will also reflect them in our seminars, trainings and workshops for teachers. We thank our partners from the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Sloneska (ZMOS), ETP Slovakia and the Institute of Roma Studies of the University of Prešov in Prešov. We also thank the representatives of the Children’s Commissioner’s Office for their participation and involvement in the discussion. We look forward to further discussions, search for solutions and cooperation.

The network of organizations helping people from excluded communities is growing

We are very pleased that the network of non-governmental organizations and independent experts dedicated to the inclusion of people from marginalized Roma communities is gradually expanding in the emerging network called IncluNETWORK. One of the organizations that is part of the growing network is the DADORO association, which from March 30 to May 13, 2023, has already held several interesting and beneficial educational workshops and information seminars to improve the social inclusion of people from excluded communities in Kežmarok and its surroundings.

Organizations and professionals working with excluded communities join the informal IncluNETWORK

We are very happy that ETP Slovakia is another non-governmental organization that is part of the emerging network called IncluNETWORK. Within its community center in Stara Ľubovna, the non-governmental organization held a series of interesting seminars and workshops from March 24 to May 19 to support the inclusion of people from the local excluded community. We are looking forward to the fact that the inclusive activities of ETP Slovakia will take place for young people from excluded communities during the summer period as well.

The eduRoma team conducted training sessions for young students during the weekend (May 19-21, 2023). Lecturers Stanislav Cina, Dominik Pompa and Maruša Michalová addressed various topics such as the history of the Roma, or different ways and methods of educating children, as we see education as the most effective tool to fight prejudice. They talked a lot about prejudices and stereotypes and prepared campaigns designed to destroy them. We are looking forward to the opportunity to work and meet regularly with wonderful young people, we are already planning more meetings these days.

The IncluNETWORK continues to grow

Another organization that is part of the emerging network with IncluNETWORK is the Community Center in the village of Výborná. From March 13 to May 9, 2023, the Community Center held a series of inclusive seminars and workshops for people from the local excluded community. We are pleased that the activities of the community center, which support the inclusion of people from excluded communities, also take place during the summer period. We will inform you about other activities of the center on our social networks.

eduRoma at the biggest slovak summer festival Pohoda

Friends, this year July 7, 2023, we have implemented an information campaign for you at the largest summer Slovak festival POHODA. At our stand in the Repairers tent of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia, you had the opportunity to learn more about our work with children and for children who, unfortunately, do not have it easy in life. We are very pleased to have been able to convey important information to you through our materials and quizzes that set the mirror of the company. Thank you for your participation and we hope to see you again next year. We are already looking forward to seeing you. From eduRoma, we wish you all a relaxing summer.

eduRoma in Presov with young students

These days, we are looking forward to the next weekend event, which eduRoma organized last weekend on July 21. – 23.7. with young students within the Open Education program. We met again at interesting trainings and activities, we talked about our own prejudices and how we can work with them. We are happy with the new knowledge, but most of all with the new relationships and friendships that the Open Education program brings.

During two days (July 31 to August 1, 2023) we trained at eduRome. The main goal of our two-day training was to gain knowledge and skills about modern methods and procedures for conducting training in the field of social inclusion, as well as practical knowledge about building and leading a coalition of organizations gradually joining the IncluNETWORK network. The training will help us to streamline procedures in fulfilling our goals and activities within the IncluCAMPUS project.

Our partners from the civic association DADORO, ETP Slovensko and KC Výborná, which are part of the IncluNETWORK network, worked on strengthening the social inclusion of people from Roma communities during the summer months of June and July 2023. During their trainings and seminars, they focused on young people from excluded communities, but also social workers and teachers.

During two days (August 23 to August 24, 2023) we trained again at eduRome. The main goal of our two-day training was to continue acquiring knowledge and skills about modern methods and procedures for conducting training in the field of social inclusion, as well as practical knowledge about building and leading a coalition of organizations gradually joining the IncluNETWORK network. The training will help us to streamline procedures in fulfilling our goals and activities within the IncluCAMPUS project.

At eduRome, we managed to realize another educational weekend within the IncluCampus project – the Open Enrollment program. This time we met with elementary school teachers on October 27. – 29.10. in Prešov. During the weekend, we addressed the topics of inclusion in the classroom and in schools, we talked about the history of the Roma, we brought good examples from practice, and we also talked together about generational poverty. We thank the participants for their participation, openness and experiences they shared with us. Last but not least, we are happy to have the opportunity to meet teachers who really enjoy their work and are eager to learn.

We once again held a professional seminar in Prešov (November 6, 2023) for teachers and social workers. We talked about what it is good to focus on when working with poor children in schools and how to effectively work with differences in education so that all students, teachers and parents can benefit from diversity in the school environment. We are glad that one of the lecturers was our friend and colleague Adriane Miller from Dayton in the United States. Adriane is the director of NCCJ Greater Dayton, an NGO that deals with the inclusion of various disadvantaged population groups.

In the eduRoma, we started the year 2024 with another weekend education for primary school teachers. We met great teachers in Poprad (January 19 – January 21, 2024). We talked about inclusion, prejudice, working and communicating with parents of school-aged children and enjoyed the exchange of experiences and new wisdom that the teachers brought. We thank all the lecturers and participants of the weekend education, we look forward to further meetings and cooperation.

On February 19, we held an ongoing evaluation online conference, the aim of which was to evaluate our educational activities to date to support the inclusion of young people from excluded Roma communities within the IncluCAMPUS project. And then, on February 22, we also realized the 2nd part of our conference intended for the general public in the form of an interesting discussion about prejudices in society. We are very pleased that the discussion aroused great interest among you. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue our public activities in defense of the rights of minorities, human rights and democratic principles on which our society stands.

Last weekend (23.2. – 25.2.) we realized another educational weekend as part of the Open Education program with teachers and assistants of elementary schools in Poprad. We met old but also new faces and we are happy for new friendships and believe in future cooperation.

During the educational weekend, we talked about prejudices, stereotypes and the needs of teachers in cooperation with parents.

We realized another educational weekend for teachers through the IncluCampus project, where we met again with great teachers in Poprad during the weekend of 22.3. – 24.3. We talked about effective communication, offered various awareness-raising activities and had interesting discussions about how best to create an inclusive school environment for students. Thanks to all participants for their participation and all the wisdom they shared with us.

We realized another educational weekend for teachers through the IncluCampus project, where we again met with great teachers in Poprad during the weekend of 19.4. – 21.4. We talked about segregation and thought about how to create an environment for our classes or schools in which all children are welcomed and included in the educational process equally. Thanks to all participants for their participation and all the wisdom they shared with us.

Final conference of the IncluCAMPUS project

As part of our field program One step forward, we organized the final conference of our ending IncluCAMPUS project for teachers on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Prešov.

At the conference, we summarized and evaluated our activities to support social inclusion. We also introduced important actors in the field of applying new approaches in the creation of an inclusive school environment and discussed other challenges in the education of Roma pupils and students for their full social inclusion.

At the conference, we discussed the following main topics:

During individual presentations and subsequent expert discussions, we noticed a really large number of problems that the education department has been ignoring for a long time. Many interesting and important topics and initiatives were also discussed in the discussions, with which we will continue to actively work in the next period in eduRome.