Proud to be me! Proud to know you! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Proud to be me! Proud to know you!

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: Creativity and culture; Inclusion – equity; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

Proud to be me! Proud to know You!

Our project focuses on the issues facing young people in our schools and communities who feel they do not belong, for a variety of reasons, in our European society. This can result in bullying, a feeling of isolation, segregation, discrimination, a lowering of self esteem, negative attitudes to learning, low attainment in education and a lack of motivation, to name but a few. Belonging in society through increased understanding would avoid prejudices, fear and stereotypes and would lead to greater tolerance and respect towards our selected focus groups: victims of bullying, families from different cultural and religious backgrounds, refugees, those with physical and mental disabilities and children from disadvantaged families. We believe that early intervention in education can positively affect the lives of children in later life so they can become responsible adults and active, valued members of a global society. This is becoming more and more important in a changing Europe and in a changing world with its religious and territorial conflicts.

Over the last few years teachers from our schools have noticed an increase in the challenges resulting from social exclusion and have linked it to low educational attainment. By using the creative arts, our schools will show participants and stakeholders that young people from different personal, cultural, religious and national backgrounds can live, work and study together in a positive way and can thus overcome all types of prejudices.

Our project gives practical and creative opportunities to promote a better understanding and respect for those with different abilities. At the end of the project, the students will present what they have experienced and learned to parents and the community. By working together in workshops, young people in our target groups will improve their self esteem, feel valued members of our communities and will see improvements in their educational attainment. This will have long term benefits for the rest of their lives and they will become ambassadors for living an open, free and democratic life. Being part of a multicultural and inclusive society, will show our students the importance of engaging every single person in the project when it comes to acceptance, tolerance and respect.

We aim to promote a change in attitudes within our schools and communities so that people see the ‘person’ and consider the ‘differences’ as positives. We believe that early intervention is vital for long term positive outcomes. Through better understanding of the causes of social exclusion, we hope to dispel some of the fears sometimes portrayed by the media in the UK and throughout Europe.

The project will also show the benefits of working in partnerships at a European level. It is particularly important for our young people to know that even after Britain has left the EU, strong and positive partnerships with European countries can be successful and that there is so much we can learn from each other.

By the end of our project, and beyond, we want to see how a feeling of ‘belonging’ in a community along with achievement in education can lead to a greater feeling of well-being, happiness and pride.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 17970 Eur

Project Coordinator

Cheswardine Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Spitalhof-Gemeinschaftsschule