“Flying with the wings of Mythology through time and space” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“Flying with the wings of Mythology through time and space”

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Integration of refugees; Inclusion – equity; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

Our strategic partnership aimed at the cooperation for the exchange and development of good practices.

The main objective was to make school more attractive for students and schooling more effective by making everyone feel important, successful and respected despite any cultural, physical, economic or other disadvantage they may face (inclusive education). In such a positive climate class participation would increase, learning would become a satisfactory experience and students would have the opportunity to further develop necessary-for-life skills.

The theme of mythology was selected as the canvas upon which we built lessons and communicated knowledge. Mythology is both fantasy and reason and thus pleasant and didactic. It is culture-specific and multicultural at the same time and as such illustrates the National and European identity of people. Therefore, it can exceed the school yard, reach out to the community and make citizens realise that all peoples share notions and fears.

Mythology proved to be the ideal theme for our partnership comprising seven schools from seven geographically and culturally diverse regions with rich mythology(Greece, Iceland, Italy, Finland, Spain, Latvia and Poland) and both levels of education (primary and secondary). All schools had experience in projects, students who needed support and opportunities in life, teachers with expertise in different fields of education, but, above all, people who were eager to cooperate, share knowledge and develop.

Activities touched on many school subjects and covered a range of skills.They served differentiated instruction by catering for all students’ needs, wants, talents and age. They were characterised by student-centeredness – placing great emphasis on group-work, creativity, action, cross-curricular tasks and CLIL. And they were not just lessons.They ranged from creating simple artifacts and playing games to developing arguments on the relevance of mythology in the 21st century and from workshops at school to open-to-public events in local venues and guided mythological tours; not to mention, of course, the face-to-face meetings with partners, important for the efficient running of the project.

Various dissemination channels were used so that the valuable project results would be shared and inspire beyond the partnership’s borders: events, workshops, signs, websites, social media, mass media and many more.

As a result, the project activities reached diverse audiences and engaged participants, starting from school students, teachers and parents to the wider community on a local, national and international level, whose number is hard to define.

The results are tangible and intangible but, more importantly, they are sustainable thanks to our website and Twinspace. We created and shared innovative lesson plans and guided mythological tours (virtual and actual), a compilation of expressions related to mythology and an e-book with myths related to inclusion, ancient, medicine and geophysical phenomena, a mobile application and works of art. We organised events to share our knowledge in schools and out of them. Climate in school has improved, teaching practices have become more effective, equal opportunities have increased for everyone, students’ self-esteem is higher and bullying is lower. Many students are happier and more eager to learn. The link between learning at school and life requirements has been made clearer. Students have become more interested in mythology, have seen the implications of it in their culture and become more tolerant towards diversity, which is a prerequisite for inclusion both at school and in society.

The school has enhanced its European profile by becoming an active member of an international education community; a community that shares ideas and good practices, organizes cooperations and always improves in order to meet the constantly changing life requirements.

Apart from that, the school’s role in the local community has been reinforced. People have come closer to it and benefited from the knowledge that it has to communicate. A relationship of mutual understanding and support has been forged.

Concluding, our partnership has neither aspired to nor managed to bring about dramatic changes in the schooling system or in people’s mentality. However, it has provided food for thought conducive to making our schools a better place for everyone and our community less xenophobic and more tolerant towards diversity.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 160010 Eur

Project Coordinator

EPAGGELMATIKO LYKEIO AGRIAS & Country: EL

Project Partners

• Vesilahden yhtenäiskoulu
• Istituto Tecnico Commerciale Salvatore Satta di Nuoro
• Zespol Szkol Ponadgimnazjalnych
• Friendly Appeal Cesis State Grammar School
• Institut Andreu Nin
• Grunnskólinn í Breiðdalshreppi