European Commission webinar series on collaborative approaches in special education needs (SEN)

Marie De Muijlder was born in Brussels, Belgium, to a French-speaking mother and a bilingual father. Her education began in a Freinet primary school, later moving to a traditional school in Brabant Wallon. Alongside academics, Marie studied performing arts, music, and participated in youth activities. Initially pursuing physics, she shifted to Information and Communication studies at ULB, completing her bachelor’s in musicology while tutoring to fund her studies. Marie went on to teach music at Hamaide School and at Ados Pilifs, a school for autistic teens, before training in Freinet pedagogy and dropout prevention.

In 2022, Marie launched the Lycée Voyageur, a mobile school for neuro-atypical students, with support from Éduquer Demain. This unique project offered students aged 15+ a personalized learning experience in a converted bus, emphasizing self-awareness, autonomy, and cross-disciplinary skills, including local and European travel. Now, Marie is entering the evaluation phase of the Lycée Voyageur, documenting this innovative model to share with educators interested in renewing the education system. 

Esther HERRERO BENITO works in the Ponce de León Educational Centre, in Madrid, she is a teacher involved in the bilingual project, Spanish oral language, Spanish sign language, for more than 20 years, in the beginning coordinating the implementation of the project, in the infant stage, later with the primary stage, and currently as director of special education and teacher of a special education classroom, providing support in different classrooms. She is also the Erasmus Coordinator of the Educational Centre, which has the Erasmus accreditation for school education.