In the current global context, our ability to effectively integrate asylum seekers and refugees from war torn countries into new host communities remains a critical priority. Adult education has long been considered one of the most impactful and sustainable routes to integration as it “makes an important contribution to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.”

Yet, despite the willingness of authorities, educational and community organizations to be responsive to refugees’ needs, the challenges which are met are substantial. Ireland recently received the first of up to 4000+ asylum seekers, in Spain there have been asylum applications reaching up to 8,700 in the third quarter of 2017, we must prepare for the future of these regions and those in similar situations, such as Tukey and Germany and Italy countries where support is already well established.

Education providers are gearing up their programmes, and face the problem of determining what services to prioritise, how to ensure they are delivered in an effective but culturally-sensitive way and how to quickly train the staff who will deliver them.

The overall goal of PROMISE is to facilitate the optimal integration of refugees and migrants into their host communities so that both can flourish. To do this, we will work with a range of adult education providers from local authorities to community organizations, to improve the quality of learning opportunities that are available to them. Specifically, we will produce:

• Action Plans linked to interagency networks, these will enable organizations in host communities to better plan their support structures and training activities in coordination with other actors.
• A Social Inclusion Toolkit presents best practice from across the EU which educators can replicate or adapt in their own communities.
• Open Educational Resources alongside an online resource which will be freely accessible. This will include a set of integrated multimedia resources organized around a our framework which provides adult education providers with the structure, example learning activities and suggested content to deliver comprehensive, effective intercultural training.

Through focused use of these tools this project aims to enable service providers to improve collaborative planning and coordination of education activities, increase the ability of educators to deliver effective, personalised and culturally sensitive education and develop an innovative learning framework that provides refugees with opportunities for knowledge and skills development in the areas most needed for a successful transition into a new life