United In Diversity Erasmus Project

Project Title

United In Diversity

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Access for disadvantaged; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

United in diversity, (U.in D.).
It was a Project that was last 2 and a half years and involved schools from Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Poland. Around 1000 students were involved (10-14 ages). The main goal was to bring the people together, accept one another and involve all parts in actively participating by engaging them in collaborative activities. We wanted to enhance European values and European education. We wanted the school to become the field that all these different students will feel the security of being included in everyday life in all aspects. Aiming in a deeper understanding of the diversity, broadening the knowledge base, improve communication and strengthen interpersonal, intercultural, and social skills, improving tolerance, acceptance of the different, and increasing creativity and innovation, through cooperation and learning by doing.

We focused on the following objectives:
• To develop the key competencies, such as ICT skills competencies focused on children.
• To improve linguistic and social competencies.
• To implement the European dimension among all participants, encourage in them internationalization and be open-minded, which is so important to be integrated into a common Europe to prevent our communities’ members of social exclusion in the future.
• To improve students’ and teachers’ communication, working group skills.

The methodology was differentiated teaching, and Interdisciplinary. Children and teachers worked on activities that targeting intercultural awareness, tolerance to diversity broke down the prejudices. Students became more European citizens and able to interact, feeling more familiar at their schools with the difference. All people involved in the project got an open mind about the globalized world.

We have created cross-curricular activities that help students experience school success on an equal footing, regardless of school performance. We wanted students to enjoy diversity, to realize its positives, and to love school. We utilized interdisciplinary teachers with activities in language, mathematics, music, arts, and focusing on non-formal education activities. So, in that way, it helps schools handling disadvantaged students, quality childhood activities, and social inclusion.

The intellectually and culturally diverse groups of students built mutual relationships, overcame language barriers and prejudices which allowed them to experience success at school on an equal footing with no importance on their status in the peer group, at school, and regardless of academic performance. They also developed a positive attitude towards other people and learned how to work out compromises.
We wanted students to enjoy diversity, to be aware of its positives and to love school, and above all, not to give up learning when faced with obstacles. The ICT and computer skills of the project participants were of key importance in achieving the project’s objectives. They strengthened and made the educational process more attractive and allowed for effective online work during a pandemic.
The teachers involved in the project also formed interdisciplinary groups and international groups (teachers of the mother tongue and English, mathematics, ICT, music, and art, as well as history and subjects in the field of learning in society), which allowed them to develop personal, linguistic and pedagogical competences as well as on informal learning activities that encouraged students to work harder and learn. The value of willingness to learn and self-development was emphasized. In this way, it helped schools to cope with disadvantaged students, quality childhood activities, and social inclusion. A strong partnership has been established between teachers, students, and schools which will be continued in future projects.

Project Website

http://www.unitedindiversity.gr/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 69103,64 Eur

Project Coordinator

3o 12/Thesio Dimotiko Sxoleio Amaliadas & Country: EL

Project Partners

• cumhuriyet ortaokulu
• Szkola Podstawowa im. Prymasa Tysiaclecia Stefana Kardynala Wyszynskiego w Fanianowie
• Istituto Comprensivo Statale Adelaide Ristori