Wer sind wir? Chi siamo? Diversity sind nicht die anderen- das sind wir. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Wer sind wir? Chi siamo? Diversity sind nicht die anderen- das sind wir.

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

Due to their particular sociocultural background and the emphasis on languages, the KKSt and the Liceo LdV felt the need to carry out a project on the issue of migration. This issue connects both schools in a special way. For decades Apulia has played a key role in the welcoming of immigrants coming from countries from the African Continent. Since September 2015, Germany has welcomed thousands of refugees coming mainly from Syria. These aspects lead to an open debate between the KKSt and the Liceo LdV. In addition to theses facts, Stuttgart has been a classical destination primarily for Italian immigrants since the recruiting agreement of 1955. A whole lot of the 2nd and 3rd generation of these Italian immigrants are students of the KKSt. In this unifying context, main points of the project have been the issue of migration, exodus, asylum together with associated issues such as integration, inclusion, (anti-)discrimination and (anti-)racism.The current refugee crisis places the European values humanity, acceptance, integration and inclusion at the centre of attention. The teachers involved of both schools have exchanged views and experiences concerning the possibilities and ways of integration and inclusion, based on the fact that for decades there are no more special needs schools in Italy and students with handicap attend normal schools.A further unifying element of both schools has been the embodiment of culture in the social curricula of the KKSt and the Liceo LdV.Literature and films dealing with these issues always played a key role in the transmission of values such as tolerance, openness towards others and respect for human rights. These media display different realities of life and help us to achieve changes in perspective. Therefore literature and film are the framework for the treatment of the already mentioned topics.The project implementation was planned as follows: in a first step, the project participants have analyzed the concrete situation in their particular school environment. This has raised awareness for issues like respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. In a second step, the project participants have developed a thematic vocabulary by using modern media in binational teams. In a third step, they have dealt with the issues on a literary level. All participants have read German as well as Italian children’s books treating the issues of migration / integration etc. and have treated them with innovative methods of literature teaching. While doing so, they have taken a closer look on their own viewpoints and attitudes as well as on those of the partners.In a further step, the students have applied the knowledge coming from their own lives. During the respective visits, they have met immigrants to know their stories. They have made a research on their own migration history, interviewing parents, friends and relatives. They have met with operators from local institutions that daily deal with immigration. Local citizens have helped set the foundations for the understanding of the problem and the ways to effectively deal with it.Students have met the immigrants to listen to their stories and collect their experiences in a bilingual book as well as they have participated to meetings with Italian and international writers who have often approached the theme of immigration. In the second academic year, the students have repeated the experience with other associations and new immigrants arrived at the immigration centre in Bisceglie. This time they have learned how to write a screen play about the immigrants’ stories and create a documentary; they have also had the opportunity to meet Italian and international film directors who have talked about immigration in their movies. This shows that literature and film are a sort of beginning and final point of the project. Didactic material has been created in both languages, so that it can be used by other schools.In an intercultural workshop, the experiences made during the project have finally beeb implemented in practice: the participants have been trained to be intercultural student coaches, which the entire school community will benefit from.The project is embodied in the curriculum of the senior forms of both partner schools and has interdisciplinary character and it also contribute considerately to improve foreign language knowledge. 92 participants have directly been involved in the project, but the impact on the school community, the school environment as well as on the immigrants and operators from local institutions has been perceptible.We expect that educational objectives aimed by this project have contributed to spread a welcoming culture among the participating students, institutions, schools and towns, a welcoming culture which is characterized by values such as tolerance and acceptance.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 43200 Eur

Project Coordinator

Königin-Katharina-Stift & Country: DE

Project Partners

• liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci