Refugees – start till endstop Erasmus Project

Project Title

Refugees – start till endstop

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Integration of refugees; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

We, two middle/high schools in Amsterdam in Athens, look forward to arrange the project about the actual topics of “immigration” and “refugees”. Our students will formulate a research questions and focus on field research in Greece or The Netherlands, they become acquainted with new cultures and ideas and they think about the future and look where they are play an active role in society. We will work with 2 groups of students from both countries with 15 students aged from 15 to 18 years old. The both schools will arrange activities prior the exchange so students are prepared for the exchange. The dimensions and the importance of democracy, equality, human rights, universal values, freedom of speech and leadership will be topics that we will talk about and make our students aware of. Later, during the exchange they will discuss these topics with the Greek/Dutch students.

The issues of immigration and refugees are different but they are also interconnected and interdependent. At a time when anti-immigrant sentiment, racism, and nationalism are on the rise all over the world, we intend to employ a critical perspective in order to understand the lives of both refugees and immigrants. Some of the key issues to be addressed are the following; what caused them to abandon their homes, what is the impact immigration has on their mental and physical well-being and how their problems can be overcome. First, it is our students who will be made aware, through research. We seek to develop our students’ sense of responsibility and encourage them into active citizenship. We expect they will become open-minded and motivated enough to spread awareness to the rest of the world and make a contribution to eliminating prejudice. This will teach them how their own individual actions can make a change in the world.

The theoretical and field research will be carried out in the Netherlands and Greece both of which are host countries for refugees and immigrants. Both Greece and the Netherlands are the optimum places for this particular research to be carried out. As far as today’s refugee crisis is concerned, Greece is the place where it all begins, as 80 percent of refugees enter Europe by sea most of which land in Greece. The Netherlands has also received a large number of asylum seekers who had first been through Greece or Italy. In 2019 only, approximately 16 thousand people came to the Netherlands, representing six percent of all immigrants.
The main objective is to sensitise the students to the issue of refugee and immigrant rights and have them observe whether they are protected. They can investigate the situation of these people, come into contact with their physical and emotional difficulties and will be encouraged to take action into enhancing their situation as well as eliminating prejudice.
On a theoretical level, students will carry out descriptive, quantitative research through online surveying. This will enable them to extract information that is to a great extent statistically robust and conclusive as to what is actually happening. This will also enable them to formulate more specific research questions. On a practical level questionnaires, private talks, interviews and other research tools will be utilised.

Besides the learning outcomes, the students will be in dialogue with eachother, will inspire and learn from eachother. They will get to know about the different cultures and values. They will be matched to a student from the other country, to build friendships and help eachother with practical things (for the research). We will visit cultural attractions in Greece and The Netherlands and we will do field trips that are relevant for this project, like to asylum seeking centers in Athens in Amsterdam and visit NGO’s and local goverments to talk about refugees. There will be guest lecturers and home visits to succesful ex-refugees.

Our students will make others aware of this issues and will actively look how they can play a role for a win-winsituation for the refugees and the future of both countries. They will do this by setting up personal goals, involving their environment and by presentating their research project.

The three dimensions of UNESCO’s global education theory will have a huge role in this project. The students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the topics immigration and refugees (e.g. Greek and Dutch social and political perpectives). And the interconnectedness and interdependency of the issue of immigration and refugees.
Students will experience a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities based on human rights. Students develop attitudes of empathy, solidarity and respect for differences and diversity in approaches.
Students will act effectively and responsibly at local, national and global (Greek and Dutch) levels for a more peaceful and sustainable world. Students will develop motivation and willingness to take necessary actions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 63440 Eur

Project Coordinator

Metis Montessori Lyceum & Country: NL

Project Partners

• 1st General Lyceum of Hellinikon