Traces of Otherness: Developing European Citizenship Erasmus Project

Project Title

Traces of Otherness: Developing European Citizenship

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

With the project “Traces of Otherness – Developing European Citizenship” secondary schools from Dordrecht (NL), Rutesheim (GER), Siauliu (LTU) and Skopje (FYROM) want to react to the urgent need to strengthen the development of EU citizenship among young adults by asking for “otherness”, the unfamiliar in our lives. This is a reaction to “-exit” movements and the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe. By tracing “otherness” in our own lives, we hope that our pupils reflect together with international partners on their concept of themselves and others within Europe and come up with ideas how to develop European citizenship. All schools are dealing with the challenge of European citizenship in different ways right now – be it finding your path as a new county within the EU, dealing with other nation’s concepts of Europe because of labor market migration, educating your pupils to become responsible citizens or increasing participation on a political European level. Priorities are social and educational value of European cultural heritage, its contribution to job creation, economic growth and social cohesion as well as promoting a comprehensive approach to language learning and teaching. Pupils need to become more actively involved in civic engagement and responsible citizenship and take charge in answering questions which Europe deals with. Erasmus+ topics in this project are civic engagement and responsible citizenship, EU citizenship, awareness, democracy and teaching and learning of foreign languages.
Four physical exchanges of pupils are included in this project. Prior to an exchange, the schools will form a permanent EU club whose participants will use eTwinning to meet in transnational teams, gather information and prepare the main question of the conference. During the four exchanges, which will be named International European Youth Conferences, the schools organize a week with topics such as prejudices or migration within Europe. The topics of the conference are chosen according to the nation’s urgent questions with respect to Europe. In each country, regional, economic and political representatives will be involved to give participants a new impulse on how they handle “Traces of Otherness” in their communities or companies. After these interviews, the pupils will develop peer teaching concepts for classes in the hosting school. The conference will end with the International Dinner where the pupils make a proposition to the headmaster and the representatives they met during the week.Through the combination of local representatives, international teams, classroom discussions as well as teachers’ and school management’s best practice talk, the parties will rise above themselves. Additionally, they do an online English test to determine their level of English before and after the exchange. During the exchange, English as well as social and cultural skills will be practiced in an authentic learning environment. The transnational teams will teach and discuss their results with classes of the hosting school. They will hand out a proposition on how to answer the main question of the conference and how to go on in the future at the International Dinner at the end of the conference.
The participating schools have not worked together beforehand but found each other during a contact seminar in Freiburg in October 2018 where they decided on a very successfully preparatory meeting in January 2019 to work on their ideas (see annex). They decided on the following: Communication between the school partners takes place before, during and after exchanges in regular intervals via eTwinning, mail, video conference and whatsapp. During the project there will be results on different levels. We expect tangible results including free online teaching and learning material, propositions to answer urgent questions within Europe, such as evaluation forms, certificates, partnership contracts, promotional material, adapted school curricula and best practices. But we will also produce intellectual results such as improvement of foreign language skills, knowledge of European cultural heritage or developing EU awareness, stimulating pupils to seek jobs in a European context. Teachers improve their knowledge and experience in coaching and monitoring projects. The international coordinators manage financial administration and time management at their own schools. The field coordinators plan the conference activities. Evaluation at different levels ensures quality. Certificates will be handed out to all participants of the project. A risk management protocol helps to solve possible upcoming problems. All participants in the project are active in an ongoing dissemination process, both inside (pupils, teachers) and outside schools (e.g. website, eTwinning). The sustainability of this project will be ensured by embedding project activities in the curricula of the schools, by publishing the material on our website and on eTwinning.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 126489 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Rutesheim & Country: DE

Project Partners

• PSU YAHYA KEMAL-SKOPJE
• Insula College Locatie Halmaheiraplein
• Siauliu Simono Daukanto gimnazija