INEPS

**What is INEPS ?**

INEPS is an international association of 64 members (projects and personal memberships) in 19 countries (January 2007). INEPS´ members are exchanging their current programmes, methods and perspectives.

Despite the diversity of their linguistic and cultural backgrounds they decided to develop common concepts of Productive Learning, in order to promote the idea of learning through activity and experience without suppressing cultural and regional originality. Thus Productive Learning projects and schools have started their contribution to overcome European frontiers.

What are the origins?

Following a visit in 1983 to New York City and the alternative high school City-As-School, the Berliner educators Ingrid Böhm and Jens Schneider created Die-Stadt-als-Schule in Berlin. They initiated the International Network of Productive Learning Projects and Schools (INEPS) as well as the Institute for Productive Learning in Europe (IPLE) to gather together likeminded reform educators.

During the international conference "Learning through Productive Action" in June 1990 in Berlin, representatives of European schools and educational projects decided to start cooperating, making exchanges and sharing their experiences. They agreed to emphasize concepts using learners´ experience in being productive to generate educational processes.

However, within the traditional educational establishment such approaches are rare and resistance is strong in many countries. Thus INEPS was founded to promote and encourage educational reform. This network continues to grow and flourish throughout Europe and the United States of America.

**What is Productive Learning?**

Productive Learning is an educational process leading to the development of a person’s role in the community as well as bringing about change within the community itself. The process is realized by an itinerary of product oriented activities in real life situations and by educational experience within a group that is facilitated by educators”.

2nd Congress of INEPS in 1992 in Peniche/Portugal. 17th Congress of INEPS in 2005 in Moscow/Russia (Renewal of term)

**What is INEPS programme ?**

— Annual Congresses
— Youth Congresses
— Counseling and training of educators
— Developing common modules and methods
— Exchange programmes of educators and students
— Research projects
— New projects of Productive Learning

**What has INEPS achieved?**

Each year INEPS sponsors one Congress for educators and almost every two years a Youth Congress for students.

IPLE conducts workshops and seminars for training educators in Productive Learning methodology. In addition regional organizations have received various grants from the European Union and others for student exchanges among INEPS members throughout Europe and the USA. Members of INEPS have published books, manuals and brochures on the development and establishment of Productive Learning.

NEWSLETTERS

2009: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December

2010: January -

INEPS President Angela Passa (Greece) 2004 -2009

21th INEPS Congress. Helsinki 2009

20th IPLE Seminar. Vilafranca 2008

18th INEPS Congres. Wernigerode 2006

8th INEPS Youth Congres. Patras 2004

16th INEPS Congres. Vilafranca 2004