The idea for a project such as Monopati [pathway,footpath] emerged from taking into account the difficulties faced by children approaching adulthood, and young adults themselves, in actively engaging with the contexts of learning and education in urban Athens.
The project’s mission was to increase the uptake of education from 16-21 year-old refugees living in Athens and reduce dropout rates by:
- using a proven case management system to support the creation of mentor and mentee Learning & Education Action Plans (LEAPs)
- utilising existing external formal and non-formal education provision
- providing ongoing support that enabled the accomplishment of targets set within LEAPs and, fundamentally, the realisation of young people’s full potential.
The creation and implementation of L.E.A.Ps was one of the major successes of Monopati, reaching 76 young people over 12 months at Velos Youth. Separately to this, through a collaboration with local partner organisation Orange House, the regular L.E.A.P workshops delivered at their centre engaged a further 60 people. As a result of this, there were 53 instances of direct enrolment into education opportunities and programs. 20 organisations were partnered with in order to facilitate these enrollments, and some were taught how to use the LEAP tool with their own students and participants. Enrolment to public school over the project was perhaps lower than we would have hoped, with 6 young people being supported through direct enrolment guidance. This lower figure represents the many obstacles to public school for young people in Greece, many of which remain today.