NEPC, as a lead of the policy outreach and advocacy in the  ARISE – Action for Reducing Inequalities in Education was a host of the ARISE: Regional Policy Lab held in Zagreb on 2^nd and 3^rd March 2022.

Regional Policy Lab consisted of two elements: learning sessions and policy solution generating session. The event gathered over 30 participants, policy makers, policy analysts and practitioners from the project implementing countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey). 

Participants had the opportunity to expand their knowledge on the topic of supporting the students from low socio-economic status (SES) background by participating in the learning sessions that approached the issue from different perspectives:

• core issues on the addressing poverty in the implementing countries based on the ARISE Comparative report (Ivana Cenerić, Centre for Education Policy (CEP))
• challenges in synergies of social and educational policies in regard to poverty (Olja Družić Ljubotina, University of Zagreb)
• Policy Road Maps: structure and the importance of development process and involvement of relevant stakeholders (Lana Jurko, Network of the Education Policy Centers (NEPC))
• social policies that support schools to better address the socioeconomic disadvantages (Paul Gorski, Equity Literacy Institute (ELI))

Additionally, second part of the event was focused on the generating the policy solutions for addressing the urgent issues regarding poverty and support to low SES students in the implementing project countries.

National teams were working on the plan to achieve the policy goals set within the National Policy Coalitions, by developing the national Policy Road Maps – tool that will help them achieve set policy goal by dividing it into segments and steps and developing and planning each element before taking actions. Participants will continue to work on further developing Policy Road Maps and achieving the set policy goal with the National Policy Coalition in their countries.