Implementation of international offices in schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Implementation of international offices in schools

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

IINTOS main focus was to integrate global education objectives in teachers’ and pupils’ activities in schools, particularly in an international perspective. Thus, the developed project Intellectual Output 1 “framework for exchange”, brought a methodology to integrate these global objectives in the teacher activities. This implies a paradigm change in what refers to teachers’ and pupils’ education approach, namely bringing internationalization to the centre of schools policy, making them and their communities more international. Having internationalization in their policy and strategy, schools will inevitably multiply their international exchange, being it of teachers, pupils or both. Within this context, the implementation of International Offices in Schools (IOS) emerge as a way to organize Schools’ international activities, as well as to effectively manage resources (human, physical or financial). In this scope, the main objective of the project was to promote and supply these IOS with a framework for their implementation, development and management, namely providing a dedicated online platform (https://iintos.netlify.app), where the materials and resources developed during the project are stored and can be easily accessed.

IINTOS objectives were to:
– Exchange practices related to the internationalization of schools, as well as to learn with the partners of the involved countries;
– Implement global education objectives in schools;
– Develop a practical and innovative framework for teachers and pupils to teach/learn within an international approach;
– Implement a web-based platform based on a precise curricula analysis;
– Improve pupils’ STEM competencies;
– Develop IOS to achieve these objectives;
– Give teachers and pupils the opportunity to be more creative and innovative;
– Increase schools’ international exchanges;
– Improve teachers’ and pupils’ ICT and languages skills.

The project had three types of activities, with different participants:
– 2 online multiplier events, involving a total of 145 participants from outside the partnership (107 teachers and headmasters, 8 researchers and 6 school stakeholders);
– An online short-term joint staff training event, with a total of 23 participants (2 researchers from IPS, 2 researchers from UPOL, 3 teachers from ISS Vallauri, 13 teachers from
AEJS, one teacher from a school outside the partnership, and 2 technicians from a municipality);
– 2 short-term exchanges of groups of pupils, one in Italy and another in Portugal, with a total of 17 Portuguese and 23 Italian pupils, and 4 Portuguese and 3 Italian teachers.
DRAFT Report Form
Among IINTOS main results we can underline:
– A framework for curricula analysis;
– A framework to build IOS, namely providing users manuals and tutorials;
– A web-based platform, where methodologies, resources, materials or tutorials to manage and organize this kind of offices were stored, and can be accessed by interested schools;
– A methodology to help international office coordinators to manage their activity, in cooperation with schools stakeholders;
– A project e-book, describing the way to implement an IOS, and sharing the experiences of teachers and pupils of the two pilot schools involved.

In what refers to the project Impact on participants, we can highlight:
-Teachers have acquired a better understanding of the relevance of IOS, of European citizenship, as well as a deeper understanding of EU policies and opportunities in what refers to internationalization. They have also deeply developed their online team work ability and, in terms of language skills, there was not only an improvement of skills, but also an awareness of their capacity. Teachers that participated in the IINTOS training also had increased opportunities for professional development.
– Pupils in the pilot exchanges have definitely benefited of the European approach that this project has. They have learnt that the world is quite wide, and that people’s needs and beliefs may dramatically diverge. The impact on AEJS pupils selected for the exchange must be underlined. Being from a context that provides few opportunities, the participation in this project was for them a unique experience, acknowledging also for the first time their European Citizenship.

Particularly in what refers to the impact on the partners, we can underline:
– Schools were able to understand the general and local context of implementation of International Offices issues, and execute curricula analysis with the IINTOS framework. Also, awareness on the resources available to STEM education was improved;
– Schools have officially started IOS;
– ISS Vallauri has adjusted its programmes towards promoting Active Citizenship, keeping an eye on European Citizenship;
-The participation in the project created a more dynamic, cooperative environment between the schools;
– All partners gained a deeper understanding of EU policies, opportunities and funding mechanisms for Internationalization.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 154572,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE SETUBAL & Country: PT

Project Partners

• IIS VALLAURI
• Agrupamento de Escolas José Saramago, Palmela
• UNIVERZITA PALACKEHO V OLOMOUCI
• Istituto Comprensivo Statale E.Verjus Oleggio (Novara)