We provide the following educational programs:

• Adapted preschool programme (POPP),
• Adapted basic school programme of a lower educational standard (OŠPP),
• Special education programme for children with moderate, severe, and profound mental disability (PPVI) and
• Educational programme for residential care (DAS).

Employees in our organization also provide:

• additional support for children and pupils with special needs in mainstream preschools and schools (MSPS),
• Professional center supporting pupils, parents, and teachers (Strokovni Center COMPAS).

Other professionals within our Center:

• physiotherapists
• occupational therapists
• speech and language therapists
• educational psychologists
• social pedagogues
• pedagogues
• medical technician

Our Center currently employs 230 workers: teachers, educators, guardians, assistants, physiotherapists, counselors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, …

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Our Center also participates in international projects such as Erasmus+ and eTwinning.

1. 1. 2022 – 31. 12. 2023

Heritage&Sport was Erasmus+ Sport project took place aimed to increase the level of physical activity of primary school children with disabilities in mental and physical development. As partners, we are aware that innovative approaches are needed to motivate and involve children with special needs in sports activities. One of the biggest obstacles to the inclusion of all children in regular sports activities is accessibility. In the Heritage&Sport project, together with our partners, we will collect traditional European games and sports from partner countries and develop a Manual of traditional games and sports that will be adapted to the needs of all children. In all partner countries, we will organize sports events that will take place in public areas, such as parks, open areas in nature, and other free public sports facilities, so that all children can be included. The project’s main goal is to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities in sports. We want sports to be accessible to all children, including children with special needs, and to jointly emphasize the importance of sports activities. An important aspect of the project is to create synergy between international, educational, and sports organizations to promote sports and physical activities for EU children while ensuring equal opportunities for all. We will also create an e-learning platform where interested individuals (teachers, youth workers, volunteers…) will be able to attend the course and learn about the Heritage&Sport program.

1. 10. 2023 – 31. 3. 2025

The Theatre for All project is an Erasmus+ KA122 project. Cultural engagement through the theatre enables the development of communication, creativity, social skills, friendship development, problem-solving, perseverance, responsibility, memory, and positive self-image. We are already aware of this in our country, and we show it with the performances of musicals and the preparation of various theatre performances at school. With the learning mobility project of employees, we as an organization want to acquire new knowledge regarding methods and approaches in the field of theatre pedagogy for people with special needs, how to form a theatre group and prepare a theatre performance, and how to include elements of theatre pedagogy in the learning process. We expect to deepen our knowledge of teaching methods of theatre pedagogy and what skills we need to use in practice. We want to learn strategies on how we can teach students to express and understand emotions, opinions, and ideas appropriately through drama techniques. As part of the project, we will participate in job shadowing, where professionals will visit organizations abroad that include theatre pedagogy in their work. Professionals will also attend courses or trainings that focus on theatre pedagogy, integrating elements of theatre pedagogy into regular classes, and developing communication and social skills.

1. 11. 2024 – 30. 4. 2026

The MOSAIC: United in Diversity project is an Erasmus+ K122 project that falls under the Mobility of Staff and Students in General School Education for Non-Accredited Institutions. The project’s content addresses the challenges of teaching immigrant students with special needs and Roma students with special needs. Through project activities, we want to learn how to bridge the linguistic and cultural differences that arise in our organisation. We also want to gain new knowledge for the successful integration of immigrant and Roma students with special needs, enable international experiences for people with special needs and connect students of different nationalities, and thus increase respect for different cultures. As a result of the project, we expect that students’ motivation to attend classes regularly, connect with each other, and understand the importance of cultural diversity will increase. We expect that the professionals will gain insight into examples of good practice in teaching immigrant and Roma students abroad, which they will successfully transfer into practice and among their colleagues. We want to become an example of good practice in inclusion and promoting multiculturalism in school and spread knowledge at the regional and national levels.

In the school year 2022/2023, we carried out two eTwinning projects: “Cut the waste” and “Special Maths”. Both projects were awarded the National eTwinning quality label.

The “Cut the Waste” project took place with partners from Croatia, Italy, Romania, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. They worked with young people from the majority schools and learned ways to reduce waste and thus our impact on the environment. Students developed their computer skills by creating their own logo designs in Canva, taking a Kahoot quiz, and participating in Zoom calls. Some students also deepened their communication skills in a foreign language, as all communication with their peers took place in English. Thus, they practiced writing, reading, and speaking in the English language. As part of the project, we introduced ourselves to our peers from abroad, explored protected natural areas in Slovenia, got to know the protected areas of the participating countries, made greeting cards for partners from recycled material, conducted a survey on the topic of waste separation with school employees, and picked up trash around the school.

The “Special Maths” project focused on consolidating and learning mathematics for children and adolescents with special needs. Project participants had the opportunity to meet new friends, their countries, and cultures. They strengthened the use of theoretical knowledge in practice and in lessons, solved problems, and created by introducing diverse ICT. 19 teachers and 67 students from 9 countries were involved.

OTHER ACTIVITIES AT THE SCHOOL

In our Center, we have two PE halls, a snoezelen multi-sensory environment, exercise room, sensory garden, and outdoor play areas for basketball, football, athletics, gymnastics, and other activities. We encourage attending numerous activities outside the school, such as visiting sports matches, touring the city, etc.

We have a school vegetable and fruit garden, which is looked after by our pupils. With this, we promote spending time outdoors and becoming responsible adults. Using our produce, they prepare gifts for charity markets (jams, lavender bags …), that we organize for special events (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, start of Spring, etc.).

Annually, we organize various projects on a national scale and we provide numerous enrichment activities for people with special needs, such as Special Olympics, and sports activities, extra-curricular activities (swimming, hiking, table tennis, etc.). Following the national curriculum, we provide swimming classes and classes to obtain a cycling license.

Regularly we organize competitions in swimming, athletics, and alpine sports on the national level for people with moderate, severe, and profound mental disability. Our pupils attend competitions on an international scale, most recently the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany in 2023. Its main purpose is to motivate our population to become more active, and healthy, and socialize, travel, acquire new friendships, and discover their strengths.

We also participate in the following projects and activities:

• participants in “Promoting the Social Inclusion of Children and Youth with Special Needs in the Local Environment” (2018-2022),
• partners at “Strengthening competencies, entrepreneurship and the ability to move between education and the environment in the primary school” (2017-2022)
• participants in the international school food project “Šolska Shema EU”,
• promotion of health for students and employees,
• Young Athletes,
• MATP (Motor Activities Training Program),
• Formative Assessment,
• Ecogarden (“Ekovrt”),
• Part of the Slovenian network of Healthy schools,
• Participants at “Slovenian Lifelong Learning Week” (LLW),
• Participants at the international festival “Play with me”,
• School theatre,

Center Gustava Šiliha Maribor

Majcigerjeva ulica 31, 2000 Maribor

☎️((02) 429 25 21

📧 osgusi@guest.arnes.si

VAT number: 24210978

IBAN: 01270 – 6030690156

REGISTER NUMBER: 5085411000