Common Future in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Common Future in Europe

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: Integration of refugees; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

For two years now the WI’MO has been offering a course for asylum seekers with the aim to help them participate in the Austrian educational system. A major motivation for this project was our daily experience with the refugees. As migration is also a current topic in Slovenia we quickly found a partner. The high school “Slovenske Konjice” with 15 students (fifth and sixth grade with lessons in German) and two teachers, as well as the WI’MO with 14 students of the “Culture and Media Lab Studies” of the third year and 10 students of the course for asylum seekers (aged 15 to 20) as well as 6 teachers take part in the project. The project will last for 24 months.
We expect to develop more respect for each other through the intensive discussion of the topic of migration in Europe, but also through the direct contact with the refugees. We will work with creative means to diminish fear of contact and to strengthen the European idea with the adolescents. In addition, it is our aim to create a deeper understanding of cultural and national differences as well as to develop openness and tolerance. Another aim is to strengthen foreign language skills. The working languages during the project will be German (important for the Slovene students and the migrants) and English. By using digital media (photo, film, webpage, Augmented Reality, InDesign, Scratch, etc.) the competences of the students will be fostered in these fields. The envisaged aims will be secured by professional quality management, for which the “Culture and Media Lab”-team (Birgit Potz, Brigitte Magnes) will be responsible as project coordinators.
Before the start of the project the students will be introduced to the topic of the project. In the following six workshop units – to be held alternately in Austria and Slovenia – material for a big exhibition at the end of the project will be developed in cooperation with artists. Life-size photographs (photoscans) of the students and the migrants dealing with the topic “to be in the skin of some other person” will be presented. The process of the project will be documented by videoclips and an accompanying photobook with selected texts from students. The exchange platform for both schools will be e-Twinning and One Drive Platform (Office 365) for the coordinators. The project will also be documented via the homepages of the schools and via Social Media.
The project offers the students:
– creative work processes with artists
– lessons on image processing, film cutting, webpage-design, games programming
– by way of contact with each other: strengthening of empathy, responsibility, team-competence, self-confidence, communication skills, empowerment
The worked-out material (film, photos, booklet for exhibition) can be used for marketing purposes (open day, parents’ evening, visits to other partner schools and cooperating partners) at each of the schools.
The cooperating partners in the city councils and county governments will be invited to support the exhibition. The schools intend to stay in contact with the organisations we cooperate with and the artists taking part in the project for follow-up projects. The intensive cooperation of all project partners is expected to improve the respective school climate as well the exchange between the students in a sustainable way.
By way of analysis of the topic of migration in Europe, but also the involvement of asylum seekers in European projects like this one we start a sustainable integration process and foster a deeper understanding of the adolescents for each other. The work on cultural and national differences and characteristics enables to develop openness and tolerance for the other. The creative means that will be used in the project will diminish fear of contact and strengthen the European idea with the adolescents.

Project Website

https://www.diewimo.at/schuljahr-2021-2022-allgemein-details/gemeinsame-zukunft-in-europa-in-der-haut-eines-anderen-stecken-ii-2.html

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 53498 Eur

Project Coordinator

WIMO & Country: AT

Project Partners

• SOLSKI CENTER SLOVENSKE KONJICE-ZRECE