Let There Be Light Erasmus Project

Project Title

Let There Be Light

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Energy and resources

Project Summary

The title ‘Let There Be Light’ expresses the wish of the five participating schools figuratively. Yes, we actually used the topic of light, its many aspects and effects on the environment that students explored and learned about, but light was only the tool to achieve higher goals. The focus of the partnership was on protection of the environment by our students and the whole schools, students` families, local communities. By cooperation with higher educational institutions we directly and/or indirectly influenced our students’ early school-leaving. We encouraged them to continue their studies at universities, namely our project showed them two possible majors – engineering and environmental studies, the latter being a relatively new field in higher education. By cooperating with 3 different levels of education – from elementary schools to universities – we made efforts to motivate students to have goals in education, work for their goals and thus lower the number of students who leave formal education too early. Although coming from two spheres of high school education (general and vocational) we all had one thing in common – the wish for our students to continue their education onto academic level.
The participants included five secondary schools (grammar, vocational) and local communities, private and public sector connected with governing of environment – national and nature parks and “green” companies. We addressed local institutions of higher education and local elementary schools, too.
With this project we aimed to get our pupils interested in environmental studies. Our priorities were to lower the number of students who leave schools too early. Every school included students with fewer opportunities, we supported them and tried to enhance their interest for further education at universities offering environmental studies in prospective regions. Through project work they experienced the advantages of non-formal education thus received high quality learning opportunities. We also advocated active participation of our students in decision-making in the European dimension and youth empowerment.
Our project “Let There Be Light”had 4 phases:
1. “Meeting Point: The Light”: there were presentations of partners, definition of activities and ideas (Hungary)
2. “Lux Under Investigation”: through research, case studies, experiments, surveys on solar energy, reducing pollution and the influence of light (Croatia, Italy)
3. “New Sparkle Ignited”: active citizenship and entrepreneurial initiatives through organizing events (Germany)
4. “Let the Light Lead the Way”: finalization of the project, conclusions (Turkey)
We have different activities planned and distributed during the course of two years. In the first year we collected and investigated data and concepts, identified environmental problems and the influence light has on the environment in each country. This was preparation followed by more involving activities. In the second year the emphasis was on active involvement of all participants and inclusion of communities in different stages of the project. The first phase focused on observing and developing project ideas. The next two phases focused on identification, analysis, research and practical work while the last phase oriented towards evaluation of results and products.
Students had weekly meetings and worked on the themes at each institution, then they exchanged information through various on-line tools with their foreign partners. The actual exchanges were essential in the multilingual communication of the partners, the mutual understanding of students from different nations. The whole project gave excellent examples for the interdisciplinary, i.e. the fact that the different subjects are not independent. We could enrich our schools’ curricula in subjects like English, History, Geography, Art, IT, Biology and Physics. During the two years they had the opportunity to improve their communication, social, IT competencies. Teachers had the chance to cooperate with foreign colleagues, exchange new practices and learn new methods. By participating in the project students and teachers alike found possibilities to be more active citizens. They found common values to appreciate European democracy.
With the participation in this project, the five institutions benefited a lot as our students got a new perspective in modern education with the help of informal and non-formal learning methods. Students and teachers alike experienced being active citizens in the European dimension.
Making a distinction between the short and long-term effects of a project is not easy as the boundaries can be blurred. The reviving enthusiasm of students and teachers has brought immediate results which will probably last for long. They will be active citizens and more involved in the social context.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 106155 Eur

Project Coordinator

Jurisich Miklós Gimnázium és Kollégium & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Marie Curie Schule KGS Ronnenberg
• Mustafa Saffet Anatolian High School
• Istituto Istruzione Superiore “A. Zoli”
• Ekonomska skola Sibenik