COOLT – Methodology and Practices for Peace Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

COOLT – Methodology and Practices for Peace Education

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

COOLT is a methodology, educational course of five modules and educational materials which can be used for workshops and training course. COOLT is unique as provides both a detailed description and an innovative method for peace education, educational for cultural understanding and active citizenship and educational material which are ready-to-go and can be used in various structures with students and young people aged 14-21. The project has aimed to decrease violence and social exclusion in regions where these are present and where tension based on cultural differences is also an issue. The partnership believed high quality education in a strategic, systematic and sustainable manner is the best prevention of conflict, violence and social exclusion. As the partners understood the complexity of the matter they have conducted an extensive research prior to the creation of the methodology and have used curriculum design techniques and methods that provided over 90% success rates for all matters. The partners have taken an innovative approach including target audience young people in the creation of the educational material to make sure these are relevant and at the right complexity levels for each age group. The educational method was based on proven teaching and coaching practices and is appealing – it is gamified and creates a culture people would love to be part of. The educational materials and methodology supports young people living in environment of social tension and intercultural conflict in five main ways:
– understanding on a deeper level personal values prospects in the lifelong perspective
– developing cultural awareness and tolerance
– developing an in depth understanding of cultural differences
– Developing and fostering peace mindset and skillset through deep experiential learning and techniques which use the subconscious reserve of the brain
– developing skills such as proactiveness and social responsibility and active citizenship

We have achieved measurable results in the following areas:
– Reducing violence and conflict in areas of cultural and ethnic differences
– Increasing civil activity and active citizenship in target audience young people
– Engaging the larger community in dialogue about peace education and conflict prevention
– Influencing educational policy making in the area of peace and cultural understanding
During the project cycle, a total of 95 staff and students from the partner institutions participated in the transnational activities of the project. These staff participants were selected according to the extent that they were involved in addressing the needs of the target groups in their institutions and the student participants were mainly selected among the ones that belong to disadvantaged groups and who were facing the conflicts and exclusion problems due to different cultural values.
The project was a CROSS-SECTORAL project that focused on school education. Knowing that schools are the first places where the problems of the students who are facing conflicts should be solved to ensure their inclusion in the society and integration to their surroundings, the project and its results were mainly beneficial in the field of school education. However all the information and outputs gathered and prepared during the project cycle are transferrable to youth training and all the other educational fields to ensure lifelong learning.
The most important output of the project is the Intellectual Output which is a full training course including educational materials, web platform, books and training courses. The Intellectual Output is very flexible to be used as a full course in workshops by guidance counselors of the schools or as separate modules to be integrated in the lesson plans of different subjects as extracurricular activities.
Thinking that peace is one of the most important and urgent problems of the EU and the globalized world, the project aims to facilitate the education of peace and ideals such as tolerance, acceptance in younger groups for the purpose of creating a better future for the younger generations.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 172714 Eur

Project Coordinator

Hasan Fatma Onal Anadolu Lisesi & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Edu Compass Foundation
• Ludwigsgymnasium Straubing
• ISTITUTO D’ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE “R. PIRIA”
• Letra Hispánica SURL
• aydin kulturel gelisim dernegi