PLAY, BE FREE! Erasmus Project

Project Title

PLAY, BE FREE!

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The project “Play, be free!” focuses on teenagers and exploring differences and similarities of the way they live through five main topics closely related to the life of young people in the countries of European Union. The topics are Film, Music, Books, Art and Craft and Healthy lifestyle. There were five schools from the Czech Republic, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey and Poland which applied for the project, however, the Turkish school did not participate due to financial reasons. Two of the schools involved were experienced in multilateral international partnerships. Three schools had never been in a similar project before. Therefore, it was a valuable experience for all five institutions to learn from one another.
Pupils involved in the project were between 13 and 15 years of age. They had an opportunity to compare and contrast their culture and the way they spend their free time as well as the way they are educated. Various methods, strategies and activities such as video making, composing songs, recommending a book via a review served to find out more about their own country, share the ideas with their peers and get inspired by other possibilities.
Important aspects of the project were developing ICT skills and English language as means of communication. Pupils who participated in project activities developed English as a second language by working on the tasks with the peers from partner countries, hosting a pupil from partner organization and being hosted in a foreign country. They had the opportunity to experience natural situations while using English and their motivation was strengthened. Communicating in written form was carried out mostly via emails and social sites. ICT skills were practiced while creating the outcomes, working on the tasks and in communication with pupils from project schools during the time between the meetings.
The main result of the project is a video documenting life of teenagers in partner countries, process of the project, working on the results, project meetings and progress pupils made. Other results include composing a song, writing a review or writing a story.
The project was also beneficial for the teachers and pedagogical staffs of the institutions. They had the opportunity to learn about different educational systems, meet various educational approaches, discuss methods with colleagues from other European countries and share knowledge about pedagogy in general.
Impact of the project was mainly on the project participants, both pupils and teachers. However, all project results are available on web sites of the project for the communities or interested people to follow. Moreover, the communities of participating cities and towns were informed in local newspapers.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 65200 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zakladni skola, Praha 2, Londynska 34 & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• SOU “Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii”
• Cengiz Topel Ortaokulu
• Scuola secondaria di 1° grado Padre Pio Altamura
• Zespol Szkol przy ul. Grunwaldzkiej 9