The European Flow – Cities at Rivers Erasmus Project

Project Title

The European Flow – Cities at Rivers

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Creativity and culture; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

A river is a binding element with its flow. The European Flow is a school project among five European cities built on rivers (the Loire, the Rhine, the Oder, the Morava and the Danube) which connect us as well as distinguish us form each other standing for our national identities. The project arose from the high awareness of the European cultural heritage connected to rivers and the necessity of their environmental protection to preserve cultural and biological diversity. This secondary school project was an interdisciplinary project in which significant aspects of our rivers were examined by students (aged between 15 and 18): to learn about European heritage, folklore, literary tradition, music and fine arts inspired by the motif of rivers, to understand the important role of rivers in the development of their cities geographically, historically and economically and to raise awareness of the ecological changes of rivers due to human activities and climate change, to promote sustainability and to develop a responsible and conscious European citizenship within students. A musical performance of a transnational choir (The Flow Concert) as well as exhibitions of students’ results from research and creative activities (films, photography, paintings, poetry) were disseminated to students, teachers and to the public. Besides the project’s target group of students in the upper grades (10-12) , who worked peer to peer, in groups at the home schools as well as internationally, further pupils of the regional middle and elementary schools and children at kindergarten drew benefits from the project by its peer learning methodology. For the participating teachers workshops and training in active learning methods were offered and an international cooperation in team teaching took place at partner meetings, too. Each of the participating schools contributed to the project differently: Bischöfliches Willigis Gymnasium from Mainz, Germany took over the responsibility of coordination of the project and offered expertise of applied peer learning and teaching methods. By the organization of a transnational meeting on literature and taking the participants on hiking and ship tours it contributed to the spread of regional legends, poetry and music. It promoted the awareness of European languages as well as creativity in writing European poetry. Zespol Szkol Salezjańskich from Wroclaw, Poland contributed to the ecological profile of the project by organizing field excursion to learn about biodiversity and water quality of rivers. Saint-Martin du Val d’Erdre from France supported the project within the field of economy by showing trade and harbour in Nantes and with a visit a local ship building company. It added to the profile of the project with a creative phase of project logo design and competition promoting artistic works. Gymnazium Jana Opletala from Litovel, Czech Republic promoted creativity by a public competition and exhibition in photography. too. By its expertise in music a transnational vocal performance of the project participants could be realized and showed within a Erasmus concert. Finally, the Cisztercita Nagy Lajos Gimnázium from Pécs, Hungary set up and took care of the project website (www.european -flow.eu) and mobilized the sensitivity for sustainability within the last digital phase of the project by doing research and consideration of traditional methods that can be revived to ensure biodiversity or sustainability in connections with water and our rivers. The results and method practice gained from this project affected staff and students of the participating schools and are accessible to the community and general public on the project and school websites in the long run. Lesson plans and peer learning interactive methods used and carried out within the project time are shared on the result platform of the Erasmus + projects as a toolkit for other teachers or educators. Further student language exchange programs between participating schools arose from this project between the French and German schools in the long term and a new Erasmus project followed for the future cooperation among the participating schools. Last but not least, all participating students of this project have been suited with experience of communication, presentation, social and language skills for their future international work career and to participate and identify themselves as citizens of Europe with a new awareness and responsibility felt for the European heritage and environment.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 127642 Eur

Project Coordinator

Bischöfliches Willigis-Gymnasium & Country: DE

Project Partners

• OGEC Familial du val d’Erdre
• Gymnazium Jana Opletala, Litovel, Opletalova 189
• Zespol Szkol Salezjanskich DON BOSCO we Wroclawiu
• Ciszterci Rend Nagy Lajos Gimnáziuma és Kollégiuma