Co-creation of educational commons spaces to reverse inequalities: project SMOOTH and the Children's Club

• Published in: Frontiers in sociology 2023-08, Vol.8, p.1-10
• Main Authors: Fernandes, Natália, Sarmento, Teresa, Barra, Sandra Marlene Mendes, Silva, Daniela Andrade Vilaverde e, Martins, Fernanda, Casanova, Joana R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; Children; Ciências da Educação; Ciências Sociais; Democratic citizenship; Educational commons; Educação de qualidade; Inequalities; Social integration; Sociology
• ISSN: 2297-7775; 2297-7775
• DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1235782

This article presents an action-research project from the EU-funded SMOOTH project, which focuses on the potential of Educational Commons to address educational inequalities. The project adopts an emergent paradigm that views spaces for collaboration, content co-creation, socialization, governance, and play as catalysts for reversing inequalities. The action-research, conducted in a disadvantaged non-formal education setting in northern Portugal, involved children aged 8-10 years old. Over a span of 10 months, the innovative action-research program aimed to achieve several objectives: (1) reversing inequalities faced by vulnerable social groups, (2) strengthening inter-cultural and inter-generational dialogue and social integration, (3) developing essential social and personal skills, and (4) creating smooth spaces of democratic citizenship based on equality, collaboration, sharing, and caring. By understanding the tensions and conflicts that emerge in children's everyday situations, the project sought to build and foster community through embracing differences. This article analyzes the characteristics, behaviors, challenges, and strengths observed during the 30 sessions. The results provide insights into the dimensions of Children as commoners, in terms of sharing and care, cooperation and collective creativity and active citizenship. This research contributes to the exploration of Educational Commons as a means to promote equity and transform educational contexts. This work is part of the Smooth Project-Educational commons and active social inclusion (Ref. ID: 101004491), funded by Horizon 2020, with support from the European Commission, and by CIEC– Research Center on Child Studies (projects UIDB/00317/2020 and UIDP/00317/2020) and CIEd–Research Center on Education (projects UIDB/01661/2020 and UIDP/01661/2020), Institute of Education, University of Minho, through national funds of FCT/MCTES-PT.