Now I know how! – innovative blended learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Now I know how! – innovative blended learning

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 : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Creativity and culture; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

Europe needs to stimulate creativity and entrepreneurial mindset in young people in order to be able to respond to current societal needs. It wishes to encourage innovative business start-ups and foster a culture that is friendlier to entrepreneurship as well as to the growth of small and medium-sized business. A perceived lack of capabilities remains one of the most frequently cited barriers for people to start a business: this is a particular challenge for young people entering the job market, who have to rely more on education to gain relevant knowledge and skills. According to the latest statistics (OECD 2018 report) more than half of the young people aged 18-30 years reported a lack of entrepreneurship knowledge and skills while mentioning as well the insufficient opportunities to learn these. Reinforcing entrepreneurial education in schools, vocational education institutions and universities has a positive impact on the entrepreneurial dynamism of the EU economy. The statistics confirm that students participating in any form of entrepreneurship education are three to six times more likely to start a business at some point later in life than those who did not receive such education. The European Commission has therefore recently emphasised the need to embed entrepreneurial learning in all sectors of education including non-formal learning. The project ” Now, I know how ” comes with a proposal to react to the above mentioned educational, economic and societal needs, setting as its aim to develop, describe, test, evaluate and disseminate an innovative training approach with a view of fostering entrepreneurial mindset and creativity as well as enhancing competitiveness and employability of youth. The approach is innovative in several aspects concerning the training method as well as the curricula: ultimately, it enhances effectiveness and leads to learning outcomes which make young people significantly more competitive, employable, able to solve the societal needs and ready to make full use of the advantages of the EU single market.

The first project activity consists in carrying-out a training “Now, I know how!”, for 29 students from three different countries and their accompanying teachers, structured in 2 experiential learning modules of 5 days each and an online learning part divided in group classes and individual career guidance and follow-up. Experiential modules will take place in Italy: the “Made in Italy” brand, reflecting a long history and tradition of highly skilled work, top level craftsmanship and entrepreneurial projects of different sizes, will be used as a case study and paradigm which will allow to retrieve a know-how that can subsequently be transposed and developed in different cultures, fields of professional activity, based on the student’s individual aspirations and potential. Contrary to the traditional teaching approaches for young people which tend to prefer homogeneous groups of students, for “Now I know how” diversity will be a goal – diversity, be it in terms of educational background of the students, culture and nationality, their life experience or age, will systematically be exploited in order to enhance mutual enrichment and team dynamics. In this carefully prepared context, students will have the opportunity to experience how lifestyle, creative mind-set and responsible personal development precede and determine any successful innovation, business project, professional choice, deep knowledge or ability to provide key solutions to issues in the society where they live and operate.

In the framework of the second project activity, a structured on-line forum discussion will be taking place, allowing students and trainers to follow learning progress, identify specific training needs, points and themes to put more or less stress on, thus making the training approach truly tailor-made and individualized. Participating organizations themselves will share their know-how and will identify best practices leading to success in training young people.

A handbook and video material, as a third project activity, will be prepared, describing the pedagogical approach applied, explaining its making and showing its value through concrete outcomes achieved. It will bring a sort of full story report of the “Now, I know how!” experience: from different angles, the pedagogical approach will be exemplified in its innovative dimension. The material will be disseminated in the educational sphere as well as to stakeholders and wider public, through different available channels. In order to pursue discussions further, present the project results, intensify its impact and open the way to potential new cooperations, two dissemination events are foreseen, a conference in Prague (Czech Republic) and workshops in Dobrich (Bulgaria), reuniting experts, stakeholders, policy makers, students, teachers, entrepreneurs and professionals.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 145608 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnázium, Praha 8, Ústavni 400 & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Black Sea Center of Excellence
• Foilservice srl