Young Entrepreneurs Shine Erasmus Project

Project Title

Young Entrepreneurs Shine

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Pedagogy and didactics; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Our project aimed to:

1. Develop, test, review, embed & disseminate new approaches to teaching & learning in Entrepreneurism Education
2. Upskill our staff in how best to deliver experiential learning through Entrepreneurism Education
3. Ensure our pupils develop key entrepreneurial skills, knowledge & attitudes to enable them to act as entrepreneurs
4. Provide opportunities for our pupils to act as entrepreneurs both locally & in a European context.
5. Achieve high levels of inclusion & respect across social, ethnic, religious & economic groupings, as ‘Rights Respecting Schools’

Our project was deemed essential from three perspectives:

1. ECONOMIC

(1) The economic difficulties experienced in our regions.
(2) High levels of unemployment, particularly among young people.
(3) Over-dependence on tourism, agriculture & public services.
(4) A need to inspire young entrepreneurs today, who will create jobs & wealth tomorrow.

2. EDUCATIONAL

(1) EU policy is to expand Entrepreneurism Education in schools. However, the Eurydice Report 2015, suggested there was much work to do, if we are to develop “Europe’s Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow”.
(2) Our Education Authorities provide guidance in respect of developing Entrepreneurism Education; however, this is underdeveloped in our national curricula.
(3) To succeed in the labour market pupils need to develop their thinking skills and personal capabilities; to be flexible in their approach to problem-solving, creative, resilient, innovative, determined, risk-takers, team players, good communicators, financially aware, computer literate etc. These transversal skills are nurtured in a cross curricular approach to Entrepreneurship Education.
(4) Our staff need to develop a new skill set to provide opportunities, whereby our children can develop these entrepreneurial skills, attitudes & knowledge.

3. SOCIAL

(1) Our countries, have witnessed extraordinary levels of inward migration in recent years.
(2) The migrant/refugee crisis has brought many challenges to our schools and communities.
(3) We want to create schools and communities which welcome newcomers, celebrate difference, breathe tolerance and respect, and include everyone; implementing the ‘UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ and achieving a ‘Rights Respecting School’ award.
(4) All pupils, regardless of ethnic, religious or socio-economic background, will access the project and develop their own particular skills and talents.
(5) We want our pupils to appreciate similarities & differences between cultures & to understand how diversity is our strength.

Our project has identified and addressed common problems we share across our schools and in our regions, in the areas of; the economy, employment, education and society.
We have collaborated internationally to find shared solutions to our common problems.
Through face-to-face and remote collaboration we have succeeded in addressing all of our project aims

We have:
-provided opportunity for our pupils to develop traversal skills in real situations
-embedded Entrepreneurship Education into our school curricula
-facilitated staff professional development in EE and Social Inclusion
-engaged with the local civil and business community and strengthened our social network
-encouraged social inclusion and our pupils have greater awareness of the issues affecting migrant families
-continued to address the scourge of xenophobia
-strengthened our European ties and nurtured a more international outlook for our school communities

The INTERNATIONAL dimension added significant value to our project:
The importance of international collaboration cannot be overstated particularly at a time when EU/UK relationships were under pressure due to Brexit.

Face-to-face collaboration between visiting & host pupils during pupil mobilities provided our pupils with unique opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial (transversal) skills in unfamiliar, challenging environments. They have gained first-hand, early experience of the global/international nature of the marketplace & modern workplace.

Our Erasmus+ coordinators had opportunity to meet face-to-face to facilitate effective planning, coordination & evaluation.

The transnational dimension provided a motivational & reinvigorating experience for our staff as they gained first-hand experience of different working practices, cultures and school systems.
Staff horizons have broadened as they reflected together and pooled their expertise to establish a Europe-wide learning community and catalyst for change within our schools and communities.

Staff had opportunity to disseminate & observe good practice, to teach & discuss pedagogical issues around Entrepreneurism Education and Social Inclusion and to develop as professionals, leading to innovative practice and improved outcomes for pupils.

Through travel & face-to-face interaction our pupils and staff encountered Europe’s diverse cultures and languages. As they collaborated at school and abroad, they have understood more about their similarities and differences. Our project has crossed real and imagined borders; has helped remove barriers of misunderstanding & prejudice and built new bridges of friendship, learning and social cohesion.
Our partnership fed directly into our Rights Respecting School agenda.

The transnational aspect opened up the world to our pupils, who generally travel less than their counterparts on mainland Europe.

Transnational travel enabled and encouraged our children and staff to practise their language and communication skills in real contexts.

The transnational aspect has raised our school profile in our regions and has enabled us to apply for International accreditation.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 155390 Eur

Project Coordinator

Moneyrea Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Publiczna Szkola Podstawowa im. Boleslawa Chrobrego w Kolczewie
• I.C. FRANCESCO PETRARCA
• DIMOTIKO SCHOLEIO VLACHATON
• Centro de Educación Infantil y Primaria Anselmo Pérez de Brito