Non-formal educational practices as a tool for achieving social inclusion

This article considers non-formal education as a tool for the social inclusion of young people from vulnerable groups. Theoretical-conceptual analysis and empirical research are based on the experience of social innovation in Bulgaria, such as youth centers. The choice of topic is based on the tendency to seek mechanisms to achieve effective social inclusion of vulnerable groups. The purpose of this article is to analyze and explore the impact of non-formal educational practices as a tool to achieve the social inclusion of young people at risk of poverty and social exclusion. An empirical study was conducted on a contingent of the International Youth Center in Stara Zagora, and the study covers a three-year period from 2014 to 2017. The basis of the analysis is a survey of the Social Inclusion Index, which is viewed as a set of activities based on the implementation of inclusive practices, the introduction of inclusive policies and the formation of inclusive values. The subject of analysis in this article is covering non-formal educational practices. The study shows that they are a prerequisite for achieving the social inclusion of vulnerable groups of young people.