Youths experience personality, physical, social, and emotional changes, which sometimes create difficulties in schooling. Especially, migrant youngsters, including asylum seekers and refugees, are exposed to higher chances of marginalization at school and bigger communities, mainly due to their pre- and post-migration stressors (Fazel et al., 2012; Pastoor, 2015; UNHCR, 1994), as well as their lack of language skills and cultural knowledge. Also, in our recent research project, titled "Information seeking pathways (Project PEI, 2020-2021)" showed that their lack of language skills and cultural knowledge make them the most vulnerable and marginalized group in terms of obtaining essential information and getting integrated in a new society.
However, current formal education systems, particularly in Luxembourg, fall short of meeting their special needs and providing necessary measures for migrant youngsters to handle their challenges and gain more successful participation and integration. The so-called "reception classes" and "welcome classes" provided by Luxembourg's schools usually have a heterogeneous group of students, whose mother tongues, ages, socio-cultural origin, and levels of literacy are very different. Also, the fact that many of their schooling has been partial, fragmentary or long interrupted makes their learning even more difficult.
This presentation intends to give insights into how such a gap in the mainstream educational environment could be filled by non-formal learning activities that are holistic in nature (Fien, 2001; Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2015). As a case study, we introduce Project LEILU- "Learning to be in the new environment- a holistic approach for youngsters in Luxembourg", conducted from 2016 to 2019.
Targeting youngsters in Luxembourg (age: 15 - 30), including applicants for international protection, refugees, third country nationals, and Europeans, LEILU aimed to help them to get to know Luxembourg from the point of view of their and European values, by participating in social, sports and educational activities during their free time (evenings, weekends, and school holidays). For three years from 2016 to 2019, LEILU offered six modules of activities that are participatory, interactive and immersive, to approximately 380 participants. The six modules helped participants
- To learn non-violence and respect of the equality of men and women;
- To practice self-defence;
- To develop team building and mutual respect;
- To find / build one's talents and professional interests;
- To learn religious tolerance; and
- To discover Luxembourg through images (films).
The six modules can be categorized into three thematic dimensions, namely, "Me and myself", "Me and others", and "Me and the environment". The activities of LEILU are holistic in nature, namely, focusing on the affective, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of education. Also, inspired by "theory of knowledge", LEILU emphasizes the importance and necessity of sense perception, emotion, and trust/confidence as ways of knowing and learning. Thirdly, LEILU took a dynamic approach to integration that integration is not a single process but takes place in and across different domains, and that integration processes do not occur stepwise in one direction from 'not integrated' to 'more integrated' and then finally to 'integrated' (Phillimore, 2012; Spencer & Charsley, 2016). Project LEILU mainly focused on social integration through social interactions and cultural knowledge such as changing values, attitudes, behaviour and lifestyle, which can be found in the middle part of the model of integration put forward by Ager and Strang (2008). Lastly, LEILU was interested in transforming the time of idleness of the (forced) migrant youngsters into something meaningful and fun. By participating in playful and explorative activities during their free time, youths could experience personal development and learn about the new environment ("integration in leisure").
Based on semi-structured interviews with participants, this presentation will show that the main motivations of LEILU participants were social stimulus and cognitive interest (Boshier, 2004), and that they benefited from it in various aspects, namely, emotional, social, cognitive and professional. We suggest that a holistic approach to learning can help young migrants recognize the self and the social context of learning, and gain confidence (Thompson, 2003; Petal, 2003). Finally, we discuss the limitations and challenges of LEILU as a non-formal education (e.g., how to motivate target people and how to ensure continuity), and as a refugee project (e.g., how to manage people who are under ongoing changes).
The project LEILU was financed by Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte. The project PEI was financed by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region within the initiative PAN (National Action Plan on Integration).
