Healthy minds means prosperous society Erasmus Project

Project Title

Healthy minds means prosperous society

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: Creativity and culture; Inclusion – equity; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

This project have been implemented between two schools: Luspengymnasiet in Storuman, Sweden and ZSME in Zywiec, Poland. It was to be a two-year-project concerning psychological dysfunction and disorders among secondary school students but due to the Covid -19 pandemic it was extended with one year.
We belived that involving students in artistic activities and with other cultures would help them learn how to develop soft skills, build their self-esteem, and function better in modern society.The experiences gained throughout the project has made some students think carefully about who they are, what their place is in society and in the world. We found that due to the collaborative and authentic nature of this project, students have become more motivated learners. The exchange of ideas, cultural impressions and musical tradition was vibrant and intense. Young people can find it difficult ”letting go, but we saw how the interaction, colaborative artwork, rehearsals and musica created a comfortable and safe environment which encouraged them to relax and to get to know each other.. Many took great strides socially and the group created a close-knit unit in a very short time.

Our project’s objectives was centered around the development of soft skills. Examples of soft skills include: level of self confidence, self awareness, critical thinking, sociability, and ability to deal with difficult situations. Additionally, we aimed to enhance our students’ linguistic abilities; reading skills, writing skills, and articulateness, wich are all keys to unlocking the modern world of employment. The students developed a more global awareness. Many societies have a multi-ethnic, pluri-linguistic, and multidimensional value that simply cannot be gleaned unless one immerses his/herself in society. That is why travel is so important to youth development, it opens people up to new experiences and increases their curiosity.

Moreover, in addition to student development, we also aimed for teachers to learn something from this project. Operating in a cross cultural environment presents teachers with a great way to learn by exchanging their experiences with each other. First hand knowledge can often be more valuable than knowledge from a textbook, including first hand knowledge about how to better help students with learning difficulties and and mental issues. Along with a refined capacity to teach challenging students, the teachers involved shared general knowledge concerning classroom diversification and the means by which this can be achieved with eachother.

The methods by which both teachers and students realised their development were numerous. Multiple excursions to cultural sites and museums allowed for participants to glean new information. More unconventional was the workshops, outdoor activities, and different presentations given to the participants. Through this genre of activities, participants were enabled to discuss and question, causing their learning to be more personalised and memorable. There were also exciting performances and concerts given by students in both Poland and Sweden. All students lived with host familys – one of the best methods by which to learn about yourself and others – one reason that living abroad was a leading part of our program. There were exhibitions during and after the exchange, which unveiled to the public what this project was all about.

We have found that the special partnership formed between ZSME and Luspengymnasiet have augmented both schools’ ability to address problems relating to the psychological needs of their students. Our aim was for the teachers participating to be more prepared to help students who need extra support, and for the students participating to be better equipped to handle their social, school and civic lives. Through our project, we gained for both ZSME and Luspengymnasiet improved student behavior, learning outcomes and school performance. We did this by ameliorating the self awareness, sociability and critical thinking of students, while enhancing the inclusion of dysfunctional students through better practices.

With sustainablility in mind we came up with the idea of a mural in the central part of the city of Zywiec. Seen by hundreds of citizens every day reminds them about the problem of depression among young people and that passions such as music or art can play an important role in the fight against it. The long-term benefits of our project’s interdisciplinary and collaborative approach is to inspire others to do similar exchanges and projects. Whether these people be students or staff, people living in a different city, or even the next generation, we want to inspire them to continue creating these kinds of projects. The type of projects where teachers and students can better themselves, and as a result, the whole educational system can become better equipped to deal with problems that would be too difficult to solve otherwise.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 81796 Eur

Project Coordinator

Luspengymnasiet & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol Mechaniczno-Elektrycznych w Zywcu