We Always Erasmus Project

Project Title

We Always

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: Creativity and culture; Inclusion – equity; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

“W-always” has been a two-year project developed by IES Azorín (Petrer-Spain), Collège Lycée Marseilleveyre (Marseille-France), Egri Pásztorvölgyi Általános Iskola és Gimnázium (Eger-Hungary) and Thomas-Mann-Gymnasium (Berlin-Germany) and their staff and students.
The project arose from the observation of a need for a deeper self-understanding of our present reality through the values and the legacy of our past, and in the hope of tackling biases towards future global positions. Hence, the schools aimed to address EU-wide issues related to our heritage and the youth engagement in these matters.
The main objectives of the project have been to reinforce the students competences by means of a multidisciplinary approach based on tasks and projects and to foster the knowledge and preservation of our heritage by developing expert ICT and promoting the synergy with other institutions.
“W-always” contains in itself the essence of our goal. On the one hand, the expression “we always” summarizes the priority of our project: our heritage (what we were, what we are and what we will be). On the other hand, “W-always” encompasses the expression “WE ALL” as well as the elements “WALLS + WAYS”, two basic notions that served as the scaffolding of the project.
The activities of the first year revolved around our “WALLS”, understood as our identity. We approached both our tangible heritage (remains of buildings, walls, archaeological sites…) and our intangible heritage (music, dances, cuisine, festivals etc.). The walls, which separate us in many senses, but which ultimately define who and how we are. The activities of second year were devoted to the “WAYS”, those that lead us to find about the others and to talk, share and agree on how to keep our heritage for future generations.
We departed from a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that provided our students with ITC knowledge and research tools. We researched and implemented the Design Thinking methodology, which served as a springboard to build a much more challenging working relationship among students and with local institutions. Besides, we applied the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which helped us to create more inclusive and sustainable resources and to raise awareness about the importance of intercultural understanding. All this work has ended up in written and audiovisual tasks, oral presentations, exhibitions, games, numerous relevant authentic materials and useful educational tools. In this sense, the learning site and preservation proposal of a piece of the Berlin Wall found next to the Thomas Mann Gymnasium and praised by the Chancellor Angela Merkel is a powerful example of the objectives achieved by W-always.
“W-always” will never end up on the scrap heap of history. On the contrary, most of its results are available for learners, their communities and anyone who may want to use them. Besides, teachers from all the schools have benefited from the training and methodological innovations and will continue to use this knowledge in class. “W-always” sustainability lies yet beyond these benefits since we are positive that this project has helped our students to become critical thinkers, committed youngsters and confident life-long learners. It has enabled them to develop transferable high- quality skills and has certainly helped them to become better EU citizens.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 103423 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES Azorín & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Lycée Marseilleveyre
• Thomas-Mann-Gymnasium
• Egri Pásztorvölgyi Általános Iskola és Gimnázium