Enhancing European Cooperation on the basis of the Olympic Idea Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhancing European Cooperation on the basis of the Olympic Idea

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Inclusion – equity; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

ENHANCING EUROPEAN COOPERATION ON THE BASIS OF THE OLYMPIC IDEA

Context/background: The Olympic idea helps to motivate young Europeans to be open-minded in every respect. There has been a focus on sport and health especially in Scotland as a result of the 2012 Olympics in London followed by Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Our school in Aschaffenburg has focused on diversity, multicultural understanding and physical education. Being twin towns Aschaffenburg and Perth have successfully broadened their cooperation in education and in the context of school in order to get young Europeans and disabled children involved.

All objectives could be achieved:
1.) To raise interests for foreign countries in general: by the travel activities and the group work about the Olympic Games
2.) An increased understanding and respect for other cultures by means of experiencing togetherness in sports activities: a wide range of sportive activities have been made. like horse riding, paragliding, Mini-Olympics, basketball, football, rugby lessons
3.) To achieve a lifelong commitment to sport and therefore be healthy, active and responsible European citizens; everybody took part in the sports and enjoyed it
4.) To promote open-mindedness and empathy between children from different backgrounds; by doing activties together, respect and empathy were developped
5.) Inclusion of special needs students from a local special needs school and sports club: Mini Paralympics and other sports events

Number and profile of participants:
-participants from the Friedrich-Dessauer-Gymnasium in Aschaffenburg: 15 students from different backgrounds aged 14-16 and 3
teachers
-participants from Perth Grammar in Perth: 15 students from different backgrounds aged 14-16 and 3 teachers

Description of activities:
– Mobilities: 4 short- term exchanges of groups of pupils in Scotland and Germany (C1-C4)

Activities during the exchanges:
– Participation in sportive events such as Football (Soccer), Basketball, Handball, Mountainbiking, Hockey, Climbing and watersports
– A visit of the Olympic Centre in Frankfurt
– Mini-Olympics and Mini-Paralympics in cooperation with a special needs school
– Experiencing a number of high-level coaching and training opportunities
– Participation in daily school life of the partner school
– Short-term joint staff training events during the mobilities
– Cooking and dancing lessons at each school for all participants took place

Preparation and organisation of the meetings in advance through modern media:
– time before the exchanges were used for activities at both schools that help to get to know the partner school i.e. a school video
was made and presented, students stayed in touch by means of e-mails or the e-twinning platform
– after the project meetings: results were summarized in a coloured booklet
– the whole project from beginning to end and was accompanied by reports and photos on the schools’ websites to be available for downloading

Methodology used in carrying out the project:
– Close and constant cooperation between the partners during preparation, organisation and implementation of the events by email and telephone

Results and impact:
– improved understanding of other cultures and of children from different backgrounds; open-mindedness and commitment to sport; bonding between Aschaffenburg and Perth in terms of education and school
– connecting school values to the values of the Olympic and Paralympic idea
– coloured booklet
– school exhibition of posters and photos; power point presentation of Olympic Ideals and history of Olympic Games
– special link on the schools’ homepages
– articles in the local newspaper
– visit of Aschaffenburg’s mayor to the Paralympics
– visit of Perth’s provost to Aschaffenburg

Long term benefits:
– Improved understanding of foreign cultures, sports and students with special needs
– Open-mindedness of students and their support of the European and of the Olympic /Paralympic idea
– Leading a healthier lifestyle
– Serving as a role model activity for European cooperation programmes to come

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 46800 Eur

Project Coordinator

Friedrich-Dessauer-Gymnasium & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Perth Grammar School