Educational strategies for social inclusion are based on particular definitions that do not always take account of the complexities of exclusion and inclusion. By attempting to "normalize" the unemployed and disaffected, social inclusion efforts often legitimate the status quo of systems that might otherwise be regarded as contributing to social exclusion. Among the issues that are often ignored in attempts to address social exclusion through education and training are structural unemployment, age, social values, institutional provision, and the notion of what counts as worthwhile learning. These issues were addressed successfully in an action research project in the north of England. The project, which was a partnership between a university and local community organizations, catered to various adults, including men in prison, young mothers, disaffected youth, unwaged people with disabilities, and young Pakistani Muslim women. The courses were validated through the university via an accredited skills framework. According to the information gathered during 50 interviews and 12 focus groups conducted throughout the project, the project's success in helping participants achieve social inclusion can be attributed to the positive student-teacher and student-student relationships cultivated through an educational strategy based on the principle of teaching engaged pedagogy. (Contains 49 references.) (MN)