Since January 2017, the Foundation for 21st Century Pedagogy has been operating a mentoring program under the name E-tanoda for disadvantaged students on the periphery of the formal education system. High-performing high school students, mainly from prestigious high schools in Budapest, mentor their disadvantaged peers, primarily from the Ormánság region, using digital educational materials online. This builds bridges between different life situations and communities. The goal of E-tanoda is not only to improve academic performance but also to foster valuable human relationships. Our vision is to establish an online mentoring network that effectively supports students using the tools and methods of 21st-century pedagogy.

We believe that the internet can bridge physical and intellectual distances, offering opportunities for community building, friendships, and compensating for disadvantages. Through our program, participants not only gain knowledge and skills but also learn to cooperate, support each other, and think collectively.

Our mentors are supported by university students and adult volunteers who contribute their experience and knowledge to the success of the mentoring process. We ensure continuous development and community experience for all participants through regular online and in-person meetings. We believe that together we can build a better and more just future.

Starting up the Program and Partner Organizations

The program's pilot started in January 2017 with 14 student groups and 140 held classes. By October 2018, it had expanded to 37 student groups involving 82 participants (44 mentors and 38 mentees). The program has continued to grow over the years, incorporating more locations. Since the first semester of the 2021/2022 school year, we have been working with the following locations: three sites in Ormánság (Gilvánfa, Alsószentmárton, Nagyharsány), Pest County (Csörög), Budapest (Burratino School, Zirzen Janka Children's Home), and the Kecskemét region (Fülöpjakab, Tatárszentgyörgy). In the summer of 2022, the refugee shelter in Fonyód, maintained by FROKK, joined the program, followed by the Family Transition Home in Kastélyosdombó in the spring of 2024. After that, we further expanded with several Presence Points (Jelenléti Pont) from Somogy and Zala counties, and later the Józsefváros Transitional Home for Families and a school in Szolnok also joined us.

Program Framework

The work of high school students in the Program can be accounted for as part of the School Community Service (IKSZ). Mentors undergo training and monthly supervision, where they learn to develop educational materials and prepare for online tutoring (familiarity with tools, pedagogical knowledge, competency thinking, etc.). The Foundation involves the mentor students, and the mentees are involved by the study halls, schools, and cooperating organizations of the municipalities. The Program is managed and operated by the program coordinator.

We use the Microsoft Teams learning management platform for learning sessions, which includes built-in Skype, chat, and file-sharing functions. Learning materials are created using the #school/motimore content development program, where digital task sets are prepared for each topic in a playful manner using Tibor Prievara's gamification method.

We consider the Program a "close mentoring" program, where the most important elements are peer assistance and compensating for disadvantages in the online space.

In other words, the Program turns the unknown into knowledge through learning and the online space; it brings closer peer groups who influence each other and would not otherwise meet. We believe that encounters between rural and urban areas, as well as social classes, at such an age are particularly important for the development of both groups' future vision and values and are a unique opportunity to strengthen social responsibility and solidarity.

Our Results

Our results show that through the program, mentored students achieve better grades, become more motivated to learn, and develop digital competencies, growing into more confident and motivated individuals. They also gain a peer community that reinforces the positive effects of secondary socialization in their lives. Additionally, mentors gain personal experience with socially sensitive issues, supported by a well-developed methodology and an easily exportable and developable program structure. University volunteers provide continuous support for peer assistance. Mentors also participate in training and supervision, which are also monitored.

About us

Foundation for 21st Century Pedagogy/E-tanoda (E-mentoring) Program

Address: Hungary, 1022, Budapest, Bogár street 29/B. 1. a.
Tax number: 18849068-1-41
Email: 21pedagogia@gmail.com
Bank account number: HU29117050082108374900000000

Board of Trustees

President: Tibor Prievara
Members: Gergő Nádori
E-tanoda Program Coordinator: Lilla Lukács