2023/24
A ZERO PROJECT AWARD WINNER 2024: In February 2024, School Centre Ungargasse received a Zero Project Award for its inclusive education. The Zero Project is committed to supporting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), by researching, identifying, communicating, and supporting innovative solutions globally and across all sectors of society.
Following the worldwide call for nominations and extensive selection process starting in June 2023, SZU Ungargasse was chosen as one of 77 exemplary solutions, from the over 500 submissions, to receive a Zero Project Award for its innovativeness, scalability, and impact. This year’s awards were dedicated to the theme of Inclusive Education, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
ICT has become a very important issue for persons with disabilities. The Zero Project therefore addresses it in each of its annual research cycles, where it identifies a wide spectrum of innovative solutions in this area, such as orientation systems to help people navigate different environments, artificial intelligence, and computer steering technologies for vehicles.
A delegation of students and staff from SZU Ungargasse, led by Head Teacher Martina Mikovits, attended the four-day Zero Project Conference held at the Austrian Parliament and the United Nations in Vienna, where it picked up the award.
SZU was also selected as one of the five projects showcased at the kick-off event in the Plenary Chamber of the Austrian Parliament. The projects were chosen by the five main Austrian parties, with each party selecting a project which it was convinced had high potential for replication around the world. Martina Mikovits talked to the audience of politicians and representatives of institutions, organisations and companies with an interest in disability topics about the details of the school’s reverse integration model.
The four other projects aimed at improving inclusive education were from all over the world. They included the choir White Hands Chorus from Japan, which consists of abled-bodied and disabled children and adults, who sang and signed songs such as Vienna, You City of My Dreams and the Zero Project Anthem. (to the video)
The Zero Project is an initiative of the Essl Foundation, which is an Austrian Foundation, established in 2007 by Martin and Gerda Essl and their children, with social and scientific aims. It supports social innovation, social entrepreneurship, and persons with disabilities.
During the Austria Forum, which rounded off the Zero Project Conference at the UN, Martina Mikovits said: “Inclusion is actually not complicated, what we need for it to succeed is the right attitude. An attitude that believes in the potential of every single child.” Receiving the award makes SZU a proud member of the Zero Project Family and the school looks forward to continuing its involvement in this inspiring initiative. (by SCPA)
