Explore the World – Inspire Yourself Erasmus Project

Project Title

Explore the World – Inspire Yourself

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: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The project “Explore the World – Inspire Yourself” was participated by four partner schools from Poland, Norway, Greece and Italy. The main objectives of the projects were: prevention of early school leaving and playing truancy, improvement of key competences (communication in mother and foreign languages, civic competences and entrepreneurship, ICT skills) and facing underachievement in science, Maths and English. The target group of the project included students aged 11-16 who had a high rate of absences at school, problems with science, maths and whose key competences require improvement. About 3000 people were involved (directly and indirectly) and thanks to the dissemination of the results and activities even more people benefited from the project.
Partner schools held extra classes and activities in home countries working on chosen topics and developed students’ skills. We had planned four transnational meetings for students and 2 workshops for teachers concerning the innovative methods of teaching. However, due to the force majeure we were able to organized 3 students’ exchanges and 1 teachers’ meeting at the very beginning of the project. The communication language at every stage of the project was English.
During the mobilities students were staying at host families where they challenged and improved the skills and knowledge acquired at extra classes. Project activities were conducted with innovative and activating methods like Oxford Debate and Questing and based on workshops, group work, individual work, discussions, learning by doing, experiments, laboratory and outdoor classes and lectures. The project combined secondary education with higher levels and encouraged students to continue their education. School from Poland was supported by Jagiellonian University and students took part in lecture and workshops conducted by its staff. During transnational meeting students met European employers and interviewed them. Transnational meetings challenged students’ knowledge and skills and made them more motivated to work since those type of activities appeals to them and make them feel responsible for the given tasks. Within 2 years we focused on following topics with international student`s exchanges:
1. Human rights-exploring the world with questing method, Italy – the activities like the international debate about Human Rights raised students’ awareness change students’ attitude towards the education. They started to perceive it as their chance – not as their duty. Thus, they became more motivated to study.
2. Science around us, Poland – during the exchange the participant visited the Jagiellonian University where they took part in the lecture concerning nanotechnology and lab classes where they did some experiments. Their visit in the Science Garden in Krakow allowed the notice the physical laws that are present in every day life. Additionally, they explored the nearest town – Tarnów with the Quest: The Postcard form Tarnów. The fact that they searched for information in interesting for them way made this activity as a one of most interesting during the exchange. The meeting was finished with the Kahoot quiz that developed their ICT skills.
3. ICT skills as key competences in my future career, Norway – The organized workshops developed students’ ICT skills and increased students’ awareness concerning their future job career. On the basis of inventors` biographies the students noticed the great impact of their competences and skills on their future.
There were multiple results and products. The most important ones were:
– Multimedia presentations about famous inventors and discoverers, partner countries, their region and schools
– international Oxford style debates and international questing
– Project’s website with all results
– the ability to use the ICT tools
– the improvement of school results in maths, science and English and of reading comprehension, writing, logical thinking, creativity, ability to use given data/information
– prevention of school leaving and playing truancy
– the understanding of the importance of continuation of education, self-development and trainings
– the enhancement of tolerance and awareness of diversity among people.
The project participants acquired the unique experience in cross-cultural relations. They eradicated their prejudices and stereotyped ways of thinking and learned about the geographical features of some European countries. The cooperation in our project arouse our students‘ sense of European citizenship and it made them understand and notice the necessity of sharing the knowledge and experience to increase their awareness about other European countries.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 102528,67 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zespol Szkol w Lubczy & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Kristianslyst skole
• 11o GYMNASIO IRAKLIOU
• I.C. Luigi Settembrini