The International Network of Productive Learning Projects and Schools(INEPS) is an international association of about 50 members from different institutions in 15 countries. Despite the diversity of their linguistic and cultural backgrounds they have decided to develop common concepts of Productive Learning.
Productive Learning is an educational process which promotes both the development of the individual within the community and the development of the community itself. The process is shaped by an educational itinerary based on product-oriented activities in real-life situations organized within the educational context of a group supported by educators
Productive Learning is based on individual and interactive learning which combines general education and vocational orientation.
Productive Learning could be used at all stages of lifelong learning an in different educational environments being a suitable methodology for a great variety of different students.
The idea to make changes to the educational system towards an appropriate schooling, that meets the demands of both students and society, originally started City as School in New York, USA, and has since spread to many European Countries.
Since 1990 INEPS is an international network which aims to promote the idea of productive learning - learning through activity and experience.
In this network educators from schools and projects all over Europe and the US are exchanging their current programmes, methods and perspectives.
The aims of INEPS are:
- To prepare our youth for peace, cooperation, respect and equality.
- To develop, to make known and disseminate the philosophy and the advantages of Productive Learning (PL).
- To develop the methodology and practices of PL.
- To foster cooperation between its members.
- To organize meetings, conferences and seminars to publish books or pamphlets, to use the modern media (web pages etc.) and to do everything that leads to the achievement of the above main aims.
OUR VISION: We want to persuade educators and productive project leaders to become more aware of the fact that education is an individual process, which needs an individual approach within the framework of schools, vocational projects and other organisations. Only if learners and trainees have the opportunity to take an active part in the learning process, can they determine their own lives and overcome the danger of dropping out.
We believe that the participation of students in professional life and in social activities motivates them to get stronger and more eager to learn, thus becoming self-confident and fit for society.
In a more and more globalizing world, education and training is a growing factor. With the methods of Productive Learning, we take steps towards fair education, in which everybody has the chance to learn in his or her own way, according of their interests, thus gets the chance to become a full member of society. By combining theoretical and practical education the learner or trainee - no matter what culture, language or background – will be enabled to plan, carry out and evaluate the learning process and direct his or her resources towards the progression of humanity, to learn self-respect as well as to respect others.
THIS VISION WILL BE LIVED OUT by Productive Learning schools, projects and organisations, which focus on humanism and realize that there is a gap between the demands of society and the reality of education and are building bridges to overcome the gap. Teachers and educators have changed their roles from directive instructor to a sensitive facilitator. They accompany the learners and trainees, helping them to go their own way instead of teaching them what they should need and want. Our aim is to have happier teachers for happier students.
The members of INEPS have a common aim to impress humanity and to apply common sense to their educational task contributing in this way to the betterment of society.
INEPS organises seminars and congresses for educators and for students with the purpose to exchange ideas, to share experiences and to spread Productive Learning to all levels (administrative, further education, etc...) and to all countries.
