S.T.E.P. wins the European Innovative Teaching Award 2026

We are proud to announce that S.T.E.P. – Single-parent Training and Empowerment Program has received the European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA) 2026, in the Adult Education category.

The project was coordinated by Asociația Sprijin pentru Mame (Romania) in partnership with Cultiv – Associação de Ideias para a Cultura e Cidadania (Portugal) and was implemented within the Erasmus+ programme between December 2023 and June 2025.

In 2026, only four projects from Romania received the European Innovative Teaching Award, with S.T.E.P. being selected in the Adult Education category. Across Europe, 112 Erasmus+ projects from 27 countries were recognised as EITA 2026 winners.

👉 Discover S.T.E.P. on the official European Innovative Teaching Award platform:
https://innovative-teaching-award.ec.europa.eu/projects/step-single-parent-training-and-empowerment-program_en

A European recognition for education that makes a difference

The European Innovative Teaching Award is an initiative of the European Commission that celebrates outstanding teaching and learning practices developed through Erasmus+ projects and highlights the contribution of educators and organisations to innovative, inclusive and high-quality education.

The 2026 edition focuses on “Skills for Life”, recognising projects that contribute to developing essential competences and help people participate actively and autonomously in society.

More about the European Innovative Teaching Award:
https://innovative-teaching-award.ec.europa.eu/index_en

Why S.T.E.P.?

S.T.E.P. started from a need we encounter constantly in our communities: single parents need not only support, but also opportunities to learn, strengthen their personal resources and develop greater confidence in their own abilities.

Together, the Romanian and Portuguese teams created an adult education programme combining psychology, psychodrama, creative and expressive methods, mindfulness and non-formal education.

The project brought together single parents from Romania and Portugal in a blended learning experience that included an online course and practical group workshops focused on emotional and relational competences, self-awareness, resilience, communication, stress management and dealing with difficult life situations.

As part of S.T.E.P., we developed:

• a free online learning course available in Romanian, English and Portuguese;
• practical workshop programmes for single parents in Romania and Portugal;
• a collection of activities and resources for professionals working with parents;
• opportunities for trainers from both countries to exchange methods and good practices;
• resources that remain freely available after the end of the Erasmus+ funding period.

All S.T.E.P. resources can be explored here:
https://step-plus.com/

Beyond numbers: people

The project reached more participants than initially planned and the evaluation showed positive changes in the emotional and relational competences developed throughout the programme.

But beyond results and numbers, the most important achievement of S.T.E.P. remains what happened within the groups of parents who took part in the project: people felt heard, understood and supported and left the programme with greater confidence and more resources to move forward.

Receiving the European Innovative Teaching Award 2026 is an important European recognition of an idea we have believed in since the beginning: adult education can also mean emotional, relational and social development, and access to these learning opportunities should also be available to people experiencing vulnerable life situations.

This award belongs to everyone who made S.T.E.P. possible

We would like to thank all the parents who trusted us and participated in the programme, the project teams in Romania and Portugal, our partner organisations and everyone who contributed to the development and implementation of S.T.E.P.

This award is also yours.

Today, S.T.E.P. is part of a European community of Erasmus+ projects recognised for innovative approaches to education and for creating meaningful learning opportunities for people and communities. 🇪🇺🏆