In response to the prompt and extensive response of our members to support schools and teachers in the COVID 19 emergency, NEPC opened an emergency fund for its members that could support 6 initiatives:

1# Community of Teachers in Action – Center for Educational Initiatives Step by Step, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Overall objective of the initiative is to provide quality online education through peer learning and exchange, as well as mobilising and organising network of teachers and experts, from preschool to secondary school. Diverse professional resources will be developed that can be used in the future for professional development and advocacy and over 10 000 teachers will receive professional support to provide most possible quality online education for children.

2# Bridge the Gap – Open Academy Step by Step, Croatia

This initiative provides support to educators working with children from vulnerable groups and their parents in a situation of physical isolation caused by a Covid-19 pandemic. Actions will be focused on two levels: kindergarten and primary school support to children and parents and professional and public awareness of the reasons why children who live in poverty and/or do not speak the Croatian language are exposed to the additional, risks of the exclusion from the educational process, both in preschool and primary school.

3# FORUM ONLINE Building creative online learning community of teachers, students and school management – Forum for Freedom in Education, Croatia

The general objective of the initiative is to support teachers in building the school community that cares about everyone and that provides space for all students to feel safe, supported and accepted in the time of Covid-19 crisis. Focus will be on developing resources in key domains that teachers pointed out as mostly underdeveloped (extracurricular activities, cross curricular topics and classroom and school management).

4# Strengthening our Support and Solidarity Action to Albanian Schools and Education – Children Are the Future, Albania

This initiative aims to help school leaders, teachers, students, parents and other stakeholders overcome challenges related to COVID-19 situation, strengthen communication and cooperation, improve teaching and learning process, and planning for the next academic year, as well as provide policy recommendations. This will be achieved through various activities/interventions, such as: open discussions through SKYPE, ZOOM meetings (and other programs); situation analysis through on-line Focus Group Discussions, questionnaires/surveys; awareness-raising and information sharing; designing/preparation of guidelines and information letters and similar.

5# Sharing Is Caring – Foundation for Educational and Cultural Initiatives “Step by Step”, North Macedonia

Main goal of this initiative is to continue to help teachers to overcome the everyday challenges they face and to help them to overcome the difficulties that on-line teaching brings. Two main directions of action are: mapping, selecting and sharing good examples for school support of students’ development (during school closure, but also after school re-opening until the consequences of the closure are felt) and developing brochures and other LR for parents and children.

6# Debates Club for school teachers PAIDEIA – new challenges in on-line learning space – Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA, Moldova

In Moldova, the unexpected stop in the educational institutions’ activity is even more challenging because the lack of financial investment and teacher training when it comes to e-learning. This action aims to improve teacher’s professional development (esp. digital skills and functional literacy) by on-line debates and teacher training within Paideia educational Club.

Some of the initiatives will last until Autumn – Winter 2020. Follow NEPC members for more information regarding the activities.