The Transnational Partner Meeting of the Inclusive Paths Project took place on February 3rd and 4th. Momentum Educate and Innovate were delighted to welcome project partners from Hudiksvalls kommun, COOSS Marche Onlus S.c.p.a, InterMediaKT, and the Social Innovation LAISVĖ Cluster (SIC CLM) to Leitrim.
We are collaborating on an innovative European project that uses animalassisted services to support vulnerable adolescents. Aimed at early school leavers, Inclusive Paths works on strengthening wellbeing, building connection, and helping young people reengage with learning and everyday life. The Irish meeting offered the perfect setting to experience this mission in action.
We met our project partners in Carrick on Shannon on Tuesday, 3rd February, and took them to visit the beautiful Knockvicar Alpacas in County Roscommon, where we met Andrew, Angela, and Malachy – the team behind Knockvicar Alpacas.
Andrew and Angela are familiar with the Inclusive Paths project, as they travelled to Ancona last year for the Learning, Teaching, Training Activity. You can read more about that here: https://educateinnovate.ie/the-inclusive-paths-project-learning-teaching-and-training-activity-in-acona-italy/
The visit began with an upclose introduction to the alpacas, including the special treat of helping with their breakfast. It was a wonderful opportunity for the team to get to bond with the animals.
Andrew shared insights into the remarkable intuition of these gentle animals, and how they can instinctively sense which visitor might need extra comfort and support. This natural connection is at the heart of the Inclusive Paths approach.
We teamed up as pairs and enjoyed a wonderful walk with the alpacas to the nearby Knockvicar bog, surrounded by nature and the calm, grounding presence of the herd. Andrew told us more about the bogland and pointed out interesting flora and fauna.
We’d like to say a special thanks to Andrew, Angela, and Malachy for their warm hospitality and for creating such a meaningful experience for the partners, and our guests.
Kelly from Quarryfield Farm in Sligo, and Emer from Shore Farm Pony Therapy in Mayo, joined us for the morning. They have been so supportive of the project, and we have interviewed them about their therapeutic animalassisted work. They are both members of Social Farming Ireland, with Emer also specialising in equine therapy.
After bidding farewell to our alpaca friends, the partners travelled to the Momentum Office for lunch and a focused project work session. The time together allowed us to share progress, discuss upcoming deliverables, and plan how best to strengthen the impact of Inclusive Paths across Europe.
Day two – February 4th was spent in the office. The team each gave a presentation about their work on the project, and plans for made for the upcoming pilot testing of the resources. We also spoke about the Digital Resource Platform.
We were sorry to say farewell to our project partners, Inclusive Paths is such a special project, and we are working with some incredible people. Collaborating in person energised the team and reaffirmed our collective dedication to a project that truly makes a difference in the lives of young people.
You can find out more about Inclusive Paths on the website: https://inclusivepaths.eu/
Momentum Educate and Innovate would like to extend heartfelt thanks to all our partners for their engagement, enthusiasm, and expertise. It is a pleasure to work on such a meaningful project.
We look forward to the next steps of the journey and to continuing to build inclusive, supportive pathways together. We invite you to visit the Inclusive Paths website to find out more about this very special project: https://inclusivepaths.eu/
