More than the sum of its parts – Our diverse cultural heritage as building blocks for European unity Erasmus Project

Project Title

More than the sum of its parts – Our diverse cultural heritage as building blocks for European unity

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

As European educators, we feel that Europe is full of vibrant and diverse cultures. So celebrating our cultural heritage, sharing our past history, literature, music and art are very important to us.

But in recent years, with the rise of populist and isolationist movements, the perception of Europe taking our individual values and cultures away from us, has gained momentum.

Through this project we tried to counteract this development. We wanted to enable students to appreciate their own and each other’s cultural heritage. We wanted them to realize that culture is a construct which can be used and misused to influence people’s opinions and behaviour. With the help of this project we wanted them to understand that the development of culture is an ongoing process which they can actively influence.

120 students (aged 14 to 18) and about 40 teachers from six different countries and schools (comprehensive schools, grammar schools and vocational schools) researched the influence of art and monuments, nature and landscape, language and migration, traditions and folklore on the historical development of their own culture.

At four international meetings they compared their findings and through different learning activities like workshops, seminars and visits to museums and other educational institutions and places, they completed their knowledge on these topics. At the end of each meeting they created their own product relating to the respective topic that commemorates and celebrates our shared European culture.

We introduced a collaborative website where students and staff entered upon a dialogue, presented work on their cultural heritage both local and European. We also developed materials within curriculum lessons, displayed work and disseminated the project in our local communities.

Project Website

http://erasmusplus2018.webnode.hr/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 142120,17 Eur

Project Coordinator

Cato Bontjes van Beek Gymnasium Achim & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Tampereen lyseon lukio
• Tehnicka skola Nikole Tesle
• INSTITUTO DE ENSEÑANZA SECUNDARIA HUELIN
• Liceo Classico Vittorio Emanuele II
• Penair School