Children overcome Borders Erasmus Project

Project Title

Children overcome Borders

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The project „Kinder überwinden Grenzen“ had been initiated in connection with the town partnership between Zwönitz (Germany) and Magyarpolány (Hungary), that has been established approximately 25 years ago. One objective of the cooperation of the primary schools of these two towns is to fill this partnership with life for coming generations. Also, with hindsight on the generally growing xenophibic tendencies in central Europe, both schools meant to provide their pupils with a chance to meet a foreign culture and help them develop social and intercultural competencies.

In the course of the cooperation of students of both schools all involved realized, how working together helped overcome boundaries, and how real friendships developed. Using open tasks and an inclusive approach, all pupils were integrated according to their abilities.

The project had three focal points.

In the form of a digital diary, the fourth graders reported monthly about events at their schools and in their hometowns. This diary was made accessible for all students and teachers via ETwinning, which resulted in the partnership becoming a regular topic of conversations in both schools.

A second focus was to try out different artistic techniques and an exhibition at the end of the project week to present the results. This task was realized mainly during a visit at the Hungarian partner school. Later, the exhibition had been presented in the German school and publicly in a showroom of the Zwönitz city offices, too.

Lastly, as part of visiting the German partner school, children from Hungary and Germany worked together on the performance of the multi-lingual theatre play “The Apple-conspiracy”. In preparation, children at both schools started learning text and songs long before the visits. During both visits, everybody worked on combining the results of this preparation to one joint stage play, which was finally performed together as part of the Spring Festivity at the German school in front of several hundred guests. The stage play had been filmed, and hence, could be presented at the Hungarian school later, too. Copies were handed out to all involved.

Conclusively, all originally specified objectives were achieved. During an evaluation meeting in Magyarpolány all teachers, who had worked on the project, compiled a final report and also already discussed possibilities to continue the cooperation, which had been so beneficial for both sides.
By including various faculties and publicly presenting the digital diary, many teachers and students of the participating schools were included in the project, and their personal interest in in intercultural work could be triggered or strengthened. Additionally, we noticed a great willingness of all guest families to stay in contact with their guest children.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 33739 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grundschule “Samuel von Pufendorf” Zwönitz & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Magyarpolányi Kerek Nap Német Nemzetiségi Általános Iskola AMI