REACH is an ESF-funded project which was coordinated by the ACCESS Cottonera Community Resource Centre together with four other entities namely: ETC, Agenzija Appogg, Sedqa – Secondary Prevention Team and the Lorenzo Gafa’ Boys Secondary School in Cottonera.

This project aimed to increase the likelihood of specific students, particularly those who are frequently absent, to complete their education having at least attained a School Leaving Certificate.

REACH offered an alternative learning method and different learning methodologies structured around the individual needs, whilst providing mentoring support, in order to encourage them to complete their schooling Moreover, the teachers’ training and support to families of students prone to absenteeism were also taken into consideration, in order to remove any obstacles that might hinder the young people in the completion of their education.  Activities tackled included life-skills, job-seeking skills, crafts, IT and outdoor sessions. Also, a number of students participated in the school’s summer work placement scheme.

Mr Stephen Cachia, head of Lorenzo Gafa’ Boys Secondary School, believes that this project gave the participating entities a more holistic view of the problem. He also noted that thanks to the help and support provided by experts, the students were motivated to attend school and managed to obtain their school-leaving certificates.  Most of the Fifth Formers therefore left school on a positive note and the Fourth Formers were introduced to the project during the second part of the scholastic year.

Mr Cachia noted that this project will not be an end in itself: the school is in fact planning to strengthen this synergy between the entities involved and also to develop their ideas further, possibly even via another project funded by ESF under the 2007-2013 stream.  A seminar presenting the project’s results will be held in September 2007.

The REACH project benefitted from €36,000, which represented 75% of the total project costs.