Opportunities beyond the classroom Erasmus Project

Project Title

Opportunities beyond the classroom

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: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Through designing the project, we`d like to support students in acquiring basic, transversal skills and key competences, to force their social inclusion and active participation in democratic life. We`d also like to create strong links between formal and non-formal education by implementing innovative methodologies in teaching and learning outside the classroom. The envisaged improvement of knowledge, skills and competences will benefit both students and staff, participating schools, local communities and society. We plan to promote cross-curricular and transnational collaboration.
The partners from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain have a shared interest and the partnership covers a wide European area, providing the project with an European added value.
Approximately 60 school staff members and about 300 students 14 -18 years old will be involved in the project activities.
Within the project, we aim to:
– Raise learners` achievements by supporting students in acquiring knowledge and improving their level of key competences, basic and transversal skills through real-life and practical activities carried out outside the classroom, throughout the life-cycle of the project (Oct 2020 – Sep 2022);
– Inspire and support teachers to recognise the value and importance of education outside the classroom;
– Foster quality improvements and modernisation of the schools through developing, testing, adapting and applying innovative practices, especially those delivering key competences and basic skills, and focusing on the use of ICT;
– Internationalization of schools through carrying out transnational mobilities, sharing innovative practices at an international level, developing future ideas and possible synergies for European projects;
– Enable participants to work together in multinational and multidisciplinary groups and benefit from learning and teaching conditions not available in a single institution, and to gain new perspectives, personal and social development;
– Build-up school and local communities and team spirit, develop interest in the local area and strengthen the links with stakeholders.
The expected project results are: improved education provision; new networks and collaborations; satisfying schools` needs in regard to the project themes; international teaching and learning; integration of new practice; improved levels of skills and competences, increased motivation and satisfaction (teachers and learners); active participation in society; improved provision and assessment of basic and transversal skills (social, civic, intercultural, language competences, critical thinking, digital skills).
We will apply the methodology described below:
1) Local activities, preparation;
2) Virtual mobility;
3) Physical mobility – carrying out activities; producing results; monitoring;
4) Quality check, evaluation and lessons learned;
5) Dissemination of information and results;
6) Use of results.
We plan to organise 6 learning, teaching and training activities (LTTAs) – short-term exchange of groups of pupils. This will aim at bringing together pupils from the partner schools to experience mobility and learning abroad. It will develop students` knowledge and skills, so that they become key ambassadors back in their schools and share experiences with other pupils. The themes of the LTTAs are:
– Museums, galleries and libraries as educational environment;
– Community knowledge and engagement;
– Citizenship education out of school;
– Outdoor expeditions;
– Local historical trails;
– Language learning outside the classroom.
All project products will be freely available to download from the project website so that the wider community can use and benefit from them. To maximise visibility of the results, the partners will upload all them to the Erasmus+ Project Results platform and eTwinning so everyone interested can use them.
Envisaged long-term positive effect on the schools: providing learners and staff with skills and competencies for active European citizenship; fostering closer European links; modernisation of curricula and giving it an international focus; willingness to open up to and appreciate new ideas coming from abroad; quality of education offered; school image improvement; staff` equipment with materials and methodology needed for future exploitation of project`s outcomes; new approaches for management of specific issues.
In order to make the project sustainable, the partners plan to perform follow-up activities, as if to: use project results to address other curricular areas/levels; provide other teachers with instructional units/resources/strategies; use the results to update the school strategy; carry out transnational collaboration/virtual contacts after project completion; keep the project visible as much/long as possible; develop a bank of materials to be re-used and expanded in the future; continue organizing and carrying out some of the project events and activities.

Project Website

http://opportunitiesbeyondtheclassroom.blogspot.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 155830 Eur

Project Coordinator

SU “Sveti Sedmochislenitsi” & Country: BG

Project Partners

• Colegio Internacional SEK-Alboran
• Gimnazija Josipa Slavenskog Cakovec
• Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “P. Carcano”
• Liceul Tehnologic Costesti
• Trito Gymnasio Chanion (3rd Junior High School of Chania)