“SMILE and PLAY” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“SMILE and PLAY”

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Transport and mobility; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The project SMile and Play was implemented successfully in an extended timeframe due to the outbreak of the Corona Virus, SARS COV2.

During the project’s implementation, the main aim was achieved – development of a new and innovative educational approach that is already available and used in formal settings in primary schools. This project used some of the resources from the initial SMILE project, implemented by ReBike in consortium with Eco Logic and Zali (plus other EU organizations) back in 2017. The resources served as a base for further development of the main product of the current SMILE AND PLAY project – the educational game, which was initially planned as a physical and podf version, but due to the shut down of educational institutions, the game was produced also as an online/digital version.

The main objectives of SMILE and PLAY project were fully delivered, as follows:
– Obj. 1: promote the topic of cycling and sustainable transport – through language based learning/teaching and adoption of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and Gamification methodologies in primary schools through an innovative teaching approach and non-formal education practices; / This objective was delivered through the actual production of the intellectual output – educational board game, as well as through its development process, where teachers and pupils from 5 elementary schools from 3 countries were actively involved.
– Obj. 2: provide learning of a foreign language regarding the theme of sustainable development or particularly in sustainable transport and mobility; / This objective was delivered through the integration of cycling-related terms, situations and definitions in the content of the game itself. The game itself is designed around the topic of cycling, seen from a sport, healthy habits, family time and sustainable transport point of view.
– Obj. 3: raise awareness on sustainability issues and sustainable mobility; / This objective was delivered through intensive dissemination and promotion activities on social media, email data bases of the project consortium, as well as through their networks, such as Eco Logic’s network in Macedonia – “Velo Schools”, consisting of 147 schools (30.11.2020) who were involved in raising awareness activities.
– Obj. 4: introduce non-formal education approach in primary schools in order to create a positive learning environment and foster creativity and teamwork among pupils. / This objective was delivered through the development and integration of the educational game, and through the delivery of series of workshops with the teachers and pupils from the 4 participating schools within the project. During these workshops the teachers had the chance to be trained and informed on how to use non formal approaches in their daily work.

The target groups of the project were primarily primary school pupils but also teachers from the partner countries (3 from Macedonia, 1 from Italy, 1 from Lithuania) for which the partner organizations had already established connections. The participating schools have been involved in the development of the intellectual output – educational game starting from the planning phase, going through the development, and continuing to the test phase and final integration of the game in their classrooms.

Project Website

https://www.facebook.com/SMILEKA2/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 59762 Eur

Project Coordinator

Eco Logic & Country: MK

Project Partners

• Susivienijimas Zali.LT
• ReBike ALTERmobility
• OOU “Johan Hajnrih Pestaloci” – Skopje