Protecting democratic values Erasmus Project

Project Title

Protecting democratic values

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: Creativity and culture; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

This is a project between two high-schools Luspengymnasiet in Storuman, Sweden and ZSME Zywiec in Poland. It is a two-year-project about democracy, migration, culture and what is needed to be able to be an active member in society. It also addresses the challenges which teachers face with diversified groups of learners. We believe that the possibilitity to experience and learn more about other cultures than your own is of vital importance to combat ignorance and prejudice and create a good foundation for the values of democracy. There are forces in Europe that are threatening democracy so emphasizing the value of a multi-cultural society is of big importance. Zywiec has relatively few immigrants, but Storuman has in the last years had a significant increase of young immigrants in school and we noticed that there was a suspicion and fear of the unknown.

The ZSME Żywiec is one of the oldest and the biggest technical high schools in the region. The ZSME achieved a high score in Educational Added Value. It is considered a great indicator of school effectiveness. ZSME has tried a working system of teaching students with low or average school results. The school plays an important role in the local society. The education in the field of foreign language and culture education is is very important.
Luspengymnasiet, founded in 1994, is a small upper secondary school with approximately 150 students. It is situated in Storuman, a sparsley populated municipality in Southern Lapland, about 800 kilometers from Stockholm. Luspengymnasiet hosts two national sport sections, an alpine (Tärnaby Alpina) situated in Tärnaby and armwrestling here in Storuman. Luspengymnasiet has been the driving force in some and participated in several successful international projects aimed to promote our students opportunities and ability to meet and interact with other cultures than their own. Luspengymnasiet is very experienced in the area of informal learning.

The main objectives aimed at the students were to:
-highlight the importance of democracy and what is needed to maintain a democratic society
-realize the value of a multi-cultural society
-increase the students’ knowledge of migration today and in the past.
-improve their skills in reading and writing
-improve their skills in critical thinking

We reached all of the above objectives by:
-intercurricular work on topics connected to the project. ie about democracy and human rights in social sience classses, workshops with both Polish and Swedish students together and by lectures held by representatives from “EU Direkt”.
-discussions, workshops and different kinds of presentations
-student exchanges, where they stayed in eachother’s families
-exhibitions during and after the exchanges
-outdoor activities connected to the project during the exchanges
-excursions (museums, cultural sites in Poland and Sweden) Auschwitz/Birkenau/Sami Camps for example
Critical thinking and reading and writing were highlighted in all the work issued at the schools not only in assignments connected to the project.

The objectives for the teachers were:
-to learn from the experiences of teachers involved in integration and language learning
-to exchange usful methods and tools for a diversified classroom
-to exchange teaching methods addressing underachievement in basic skills math, science and literacy

The objectives were reached by having Swedish teachers show how Luspengymnasiet has organised the teaching in classes with students with very different backgrounds and schooling and where most students are refugees. The Polish teachers visted lessons in progress and afterwards teachers from both countries discussed the methodology of teaching in a diversified classroom. During those discussions other objectives were also adressed, for example basic skills and literacy.

The participants became more aware of their role in society and gave our students tools for a better ability to read and write and improved their capacity for critical thinking and given them a better attitude to learning. They became more open and more curious about exploring other cultures. This goes also for their families and friends. Younger pupils/students have been positively influenced by hearing about the project and participating in some activities. Teachers got to exchange experiences and methods which broadened competences and gave new perspectives on daily work.

The long-term benefits from the interdisciplinary and collaborative approach will promote cooperation between students and between teachers of different subjects. In addition, the project has definitely managed to maintain the interest for further cooperation between our two towns and schools, inspire others to organise exchanges of this kind and promote EU-projects.The digital and other ICT-knowledge gained by all participants will serve them in their future. The involved teachers will usetheir newfound experiences on new students.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 98773 Eur

Project Coordinator

Luspengymnasiet & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol Mechaniczno-Elektrycznych w Zywcu