From September 24th to 26th, 2024, the partners of the CL.A.P project gather for an International Workshop held in Palermo. The event was attended both in person and online, ensuring representation from each partner organisation.
The first day focused on exchanging participatory practices, methodologies, and experiences. Each partner presented practices tested during the implementation of project activities. These contributions will form part of the handbook of best practices and experimental methodologies aimed at addressing children’s needs.
On September 25th, the second day of the International Workshop, ICDI conducted two sessions:
- Implementation of child-led research
ICDI began with a brief introduction summarizing previous work on child-led research within the project, providing a foundation for discussion. Partners then shared their experiences with the methodology, followed by group discussions about its successes and challenges:- Successes: Improved teamwork, greater activism, increased confidence, enhanced participation, empowerment of children, and fostering media literacy through research.
- Challenges: Addressing different age groups, adapting to socio-cultural contexts, managing time constraints, modifying materials, and varying levels of child engagement.
- Feedback on the child-led research toolkit
In this session, ICDI sought feedback from partners regarding their use of the toolkit, explored its practical applications, and gathered insights through an activity called “the sandwich feedback.” This activity, also used by children during project sessions, promotes a constructive approach to giving and receiving feedback by visualizing it as a sandwich:- Top bread: Positive feedback (what worked well using the toolkit).
- Filling: Constructive criticism (areas for improvement).
- Bottom bread: Positive feedback (the toolkit’s potential).
The insights gathered during this session will be used to refine the toolkit, making it a more effective resource for practitioners and children.
On the final day of the International Workshop, partners discussed methodologies to be included in the handbook. The workshop concluded with a collaborative exercise in which participants tested one of the proposed methodologies together.
The International Workshop was a significant milestone for the CL.A.P project, fostering collaboration and enhancing tools and methodologies to better address children’s needs.
