We’ve been waiting for it for so long, but now the time has finally come! Thanks to the rapid rollout of COVID vaccines, there is hope for a sunny summer full of social activities. High temperatures, more social contact and the prospect of bigger events give everyone a much-needed mental boost. Our MobileSchool.org team is also enjoying that boost and is carefully coming together again after months of working from home. The perfect moment for us as a team to set new goals and to look forward to the coming months.

It's that time again! 1 September, the official start of the new school year. For many students in our country and far beyond, perhaps the most exciting day of the year. Especially after an eventful year like the past one, when the corona pandemic came to disrupt the normal way of working more than once. But unfortunately, the impact of the pandemic continues to this day to have a gigantic impact on education systems worldwide.

1,5 miljard kinderen konden door de COVID-19 lockdowns niet naar school. 9,7 miljoen van deze kinderen zal waarschijnlijk ook nooit meer terugkeren naar school. Velen van hen zijn de straatkinderen waar onze Mobile School-partners dagelijks mee aan de slag gaan.

The global focus on purpose and performance is growing. Consumers and stakeholders expect companies to not only focus on profit, but also create value for society and the environment. McKinsey & Company research shows that 72% of employees consider their company's purpose more important than financial profit.

In the ‘Project in the Spotlight’ article series, we take the time to highlight the work of our partner organisations, since they are the local experts taking the mobile school to the streets. This time, we’re heading to Manila, capital city of the Philippines. There, our local partner Virlanie Foundation is conducting sessions with the oldest mobile school on the Asian continent. Below, you can find 6 things you have always wanted to know about our long-term Filipino street work partner.

In the ‘Project in the Spotlight’ article series, we take the time to highlight the work of one of our incredible partner organisations, since they are the local experts taking the mobile school to the streets. In this article, we present our oldest European Mobile School partner: Salvati Copiii Iasi. Below, you can find 7 things you have always wanted to know about our Romanian partner.

If you would’ve asked me what I know about Leuven three months ago, as a proud inhabitant of the Kempen, I would’ve answered: the university, the beautiful centre and, of course, Louis Tobback, whose appearance and political style always make me think of a Danish dog. StreetwiZe • Mobile School? Wait… Streetwhat?

Children’s rights are under pressure. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the intensifying effects of climate change and the disastrous consequences of conflicts have caused a decline in respect for children’s rights in the last decade. To break the downward spiral, MobileSchool.org is taking action. On April 12, International Day for Street Children, the organisation launches the interactive toolkit All Children, All Right(s) and a new social media campaign to present itself as a change agent in the children’s rights debate.

On 17 December 2022, Mobile School will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Everyone is welcome to the #DUWMEE, a warm winter stroll full of animation with a party on the playground of the VTI in Leuven as a brilliant finale.

Every year we place four to five new mobile schools with local partners. Those mobile schools are produced by teachers and students of the Provincial Secondary School in Bilzen (PSSB). Sustainable materials are used to ensure the longest possible life and to survive the challenging situations on the street. Limeparts - Drooghmans has been sponsoring Mobile School for several years now by supplying the aluminum that is used to build the mobile schools. They also handle the processing of certain parts such as the chalk boards.

In March, the gates of schools worldwide closed. 1.5 billion young people stayed at home to stop the spread of Covid-19. In recent weeks however, teachers and management have been working very hard and have made every effort to reopen the schools in a safe way on September 1st. Finally, children and young people in Belgium can go back to school full-time, to learn and be together with friends.