European Citizenship and sustainable development in Spain and The Netherlands Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Citizenship and sustainable development in Spain and The Netherlands

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

An exchange (intercambio) between two European schools is more than an educational program. During the ten days (five in Spain and five in Holland) the students share (in pairs, families and exchange group) every little step they take. It is special to explain in which way we see an added value, because this exchange includes more than big themes as climate change, history, social-cultural diversity, nature and economy. In this exchange students and teachers practice what they preach. It’s about European citizenship and all things that makes life worth living!
I am not a product of my circumstances, I am the product of my decisions
Stephen R. Covey
Before the Dutch and Spanish students get involved in the exchange program they need to write a letter of motivation. It is important that every individual student describes which development goals they want to have during the program. The preparation lessons are embedded in the curriculum. The lessons geography are about the geology and cultural diversity of Spain. The Spanish students read the diary of Anne Frank before they visit Holland. Every Dutch student gets a basic degree of the language Spanish. The exchange has in Spain and Holland two big subjects:

Water
The inner city of Valencia changed a lot after the flood (Rio Turia) of 1957. The politicians in Valencia decided to create an bypass for the river Turia. In a dry country (mediterrean climate) as Spain is it very important to take care of good water-management. The students visit agricultural locations (orange-, olive- and almond trees) that are really important for the regional economy of Valencia. Because of climate change (a lot of rainfall vs long dry periods) work both countries on the climate and energy transition. In Holland the exchange students debate about climate change and visit the UNESCO world heritage Woudagemaal in Lemmer. In Holland a lot of meaningful locations are linked with the water program. The students visit Giethoorn by bike (creation of the wetlands Belter Wieden), get an island feeling while they investigate the map and physical geomorphological characteristics of Urk and Amsterdam.

European Citizenship
The exchange students get in contact with each other through a speed date at the first day in Spain. They learn more about each other’s families, sports, music, language, time they take diner 😉 and religion. The teachers take time to have a dialogue about educational changes at the school or at the national level (i.e. formative and summative assessments / working in projects). In the introduction program students work together in transboundary languages as sport (beach games), music (create a small film) and art (drawings for ‘Las Fallas’). At the Spanish school (Vicente Ferrer) the students see the role of the Catholic religion in the families and service. The students visit in Meppel (CSG Dingstede) the church building and see at school what the open and liberal consequences are of open Christianity (different religions at school, different ideas about politics / issues and different ideas about the best way of living). During the program the students and teachers learn that European Citizenship is about embracing differences.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 20869,25 Eur

Project Coordinator

CSG Dingstede & Country: NL

Project Partners

• FUNDACIÓN COLEGIO IMPERIAL DE NIÑOS HUÉFANOS DE SAN VICENTE FERRER