The HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers final event in Slovenia took place on 15th of February 2024 with a focus on the insights and experiences from the HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers in Slovenia and on national exploitation of the findings.

As a start dr. Lisa E. Kim, a senior lecturer in psychology in education in the Department of education at the University of York, United Kingdom gave a lecture entitled: Social and emotional characteristics of effective teachers: What are they and why are they important?

The lecture was followed by the overview of the HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers project and its findings presented by dr. Ana Kozina, project leader and a head of Evaluation Studies Centre at the Educational Research Institute. Dr. Urška Štremfel from the Educational Research Institute continued with the presentation of HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers Guidelines for Policy.

The policy perspective was further emphasized by Aleš Ojsteršek, a head of the Education Development Sector at the Slovenian Ministry of Education. In addition the participants were given a chance to experience HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers programme led by Dr. Klaudija Šterman Ivančič and mag. Ana Mlekuž from Educational Research Institute.

Teachers, researchers, policy makers as well as other relevant stakeholders that gather at the event agreed on the importance of exploring social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness of teachers, the positive contribution of the HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers project and the need to further exploitation of its outcomes.