Rooted, branched, connected – The tree EUROPE carries many leaves Erasmus Project

Project Title

Rooted, branched, connected – The tree EUROPE carries many leaves

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

Project Summary

We have chosen the tree as the symbol for our common European project, because it embodies diversity and cohesion. From the roots to the fruits we will draw the bow from the beginnings of the history of Europe to the future (see schematic representation in the annexes). We will formulate detailed topics to all areas and learn from and with each other about these topics. The symbol of the tree runs through the work of the whole project and also reflects the participants. The schools from Ilmenau (Germany), Amiens (France), Györ (Hungary), Sveio (Norway) and Salo (Italy) are varied in their school structure, are scattered in all directions of Europe, speak different languages and differ from each other in many regional particularities. They are connected by a common aim which is found in each school profile. We want to use the learning venue Europe and the cooperation between the countries as a chance for the development of our students and educate them to active and critical citizens. Considering all of the EU defined key competences, we especially focus on the foreign language and the intercultural competences in our collaboration.
The Europe and international classes of all the participating schools will be involved in the project. The main target group are the students from ages 14 to 17. Altogether 120 girls and boys will participate actively in the project. Additionally, at each school there is an Erasmus teachers’ team that leads the project and will take part in the mobility meetings. 28 educators are involved. The project will be made public for the school communities in different ways and the participation of more teachers and students will be made possible. Furthermore, parents and partners outside the schools will be integrated.
In each country we want to plant a tree which is typical for the place and we will dig in a time capsule under its roots. This action will be the highlight of each of our mobility meetings. It will finish a project section and the tree will be a permanent witness of our intercultural collaboration and a symbol for the consolidation of our partnerships as well. The preparation and follow up processing will take place in the periods between the mobility meetings. The participants are in constant contact about the working results. The content of the time capsule will be worked out together by the students during the mobility meetings (leaves). The central questions is here what following generations should learn about them. They will record their dreams and aims in life (fruits).
The school partners are found in Western, Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe and in the middle. This is an exciting constellation. It is not only about the recognition and respect of the differences (branches), but also about their protection and maintenance. The students will create a common logo which will show the topic of diversity in this project and they will introduce their regions on the project homepage and during their visits.
They will present their native countries with pride and they will show things that are worth seeing, exciting and typical from their life and themselves (personal profiles). Additionally, a learning diary will accompany them!
The tree trunk connects the roots with the treetop. It is the stable framework and makes the strength and the solidarity of the tree Europe possible. What connects us? What do we have in common? What makes us strong? The students will deal with the basic values of the EU (peace, human rights, democracy, principle of the rule of law, solidarity, equal rights, freedom, tolerance) as common pillars and their implementation in different fields (traveling and tourism, communication and language, consumption and trade, rights and freedoms, sports and culture, personalities and job perspectives). They will take a critical look at current developments and will discuss the basics, possibilities and problems of the cohesion of the European peoples from their perspectives as students. Doing this they will integrate the partners of politics, economy and culture. Furthermore, the students will deal with the history of origin and important breaks in Europe (roots). They will work with evidence and witnesses of the past. The saga of Europe, belief and knowledge, epochal years, the culture of remembrance and the 12 stars are important contents here.
All results will be displayed by them in the book “The Tree Europe”.
During the teachers’ training and the mobility meetings method workshops for the teachers will take place. The project methods will be worked out and new methods will be developed. They will be tested and evaluated in lessons and during the project. The methods will be collected in method case (folder) and made available for the teachers of the own as well as interested colleagues from other schools.
Because of the Corona crisis and its possible effects, we reserve the right to expand and update the topics. The basic idea remains untouched.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 164160 Eur

Project Coordinator

Staatliches Gymnasium “Am Lindenberg”, Ilmenau & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Audi Hungaria Altalanos Muvelodesi Kozpont
• Liceo scientifico E. Fermi
• Lycée Louis Thuillier
• Sveio skule