Teaching Migrant Students Erasmus Project

Project Title

Teaching Migrant Students

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: Inclusion – equity; Migrants’ issues; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

Through the years, millions of migrants have made European society more ethnically and culturally mixed than in the past. An easy access of immigrants and their children to education and training systems is a powerful instrument to prevent conflicts between people with different nationality, religion and background. Introduction programmes for newly arrived immigrants, language training for immigrants and their participation in civic, cultural and political life, have been identified as priority areas to prevent dropping out and social marginalization. Thus, considering the increasing number of immigrant children aged under 15, schools need to rethink classroom strategies in order to improve integration and cope with stereotypes.
The TeaMS (Teaching Migrant Students) project proposal has arisen from the increasing demand inside schools for extra methods, skills and strategies to use in multicultural classes, in order to foster integration of pupils with a migrant background, improve the quality of their education and seed acceptance of diversity. Multicultural diversity represented the flag of the project, under which the planned activities were carried out to make schools more inclusive, creative and open-minded.
The project’s objectives were achieved through the following activities:
• teachers’ training in joint sessions on methodological tools for effective support of middle-school children from culturally different or disadvantaged environments;
• exchange of good practices supporting pupils’ education and motivation to study in intercultural classrooms;
• students’ exchanges, addressed especially to students with a disadvantage or migrant background;
• non-formal and informal learning activities for students carried out in each participating organization on the social, ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity.
Each partner organization involved in the project the entire school: staff, pupils of 12-13 years old and families. The total number of people taking part in the physical mobilities was: 12 teachers for the training and 80 students with 39 accompanying teachers; the total number of people taking part in the virtual mobility and exchange of good practices was respectively: 242 pupils and 25 accompanying teachers, 36 teachers. The short term exchange enabled students, especially newly arrived migrants, to redefine their own boundaries as UE citizens. Students were fully engaged in the project through preparatory activities on the geographical, cultural and educational aspects of the partner countries, also involving their parents. The teachers for the training were chosen on the basis of their knowledge of English language and of their relational skills, as well as the personal motivation to the project objectives.
The activities for the students fulfilled the following aims:
• developing values of respect and tolerance among pupils, as well as a sense of European identity,
• a deeper understanding of contemporary cultural diversity in its historical and social context,
• improving foreign language and digital competences,
• increasing self-esteem and motivation to learn particularly for migrant pupils.
The training activities and exchange of experiences provided teachers with better methods for daily practice in favour of migrant students, increased foreign language competences and broaden understanding of best intercultural education practices.
Tasks and responsibilities were distributed equally among partners, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the project, the best organization and timing of activities. All partners produced learning activities and proper outcomes for students on agreed topics.
The dissemination activities in charge of each partner school were planned considering the major impact on students, staff and families and also on other local schools, local public authorities and associations dealing with integration of migrants.
The project website ensures that the results of the project extend beyond its lifetime and remain accessible and available for long-term use. The expected long-term outputs of the activities are: a hosting protocol, teaching materials to meet the migrant students’ needs.

Project Website

https://sites.google.com/view/erasmusplusteams/home/about-us

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 146714,34 Eur

Project Coordinator

Scuola Secondaria di primo grado “Casavola-D’Assisi” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Perafita
• Suupanniityn koulu
• INSTITUTO DE EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA “ÁGORA”
• 3o GYMNASIO YMITTOU