“A long walk to freedom and dignity” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“A long walk to freedom and dignity”

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: Inclusion – equity; Migrants’ issues; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

Migration has always been part of European history and European identity. In this project we would like to make students aware of the concept of migration in modern society. We want to show how Europe, to a large extent, is a result of ongoing migration and integration processes, an old phenomenon that primarily had positive effects on the countries involved but is nowadays considered a global issue with negative side effects. To understand the present situation we must also understand the past. We need to widen our horizons and for the students and their families taking part in the project to understand the importance of migration and the positive effects it produces. Cultural exchange between countries is one of the key elements of progress, inclusion and innovation.
Our project aims at introducing more innovative approaches thus providing more attractive education and training programs both new and/or improved, in line with expectations and needs, to cater for the needs of disadvantaged groups and to deal with social, linguistic and cultural diversity. At the same time, through CLIM (Cooperative Learning in Multicultural Contexts) and other inclusion-based methodologies, it gives the opportunity to foster students and teachers’ motivation. What’s more, on a school level, it would have a great impact on strategic planning or professional development for staff in line with individual needs and organizational objectives. It would also increase management competences, internationalization strategies, reinforce cooperation with other European partners facing 21st-century challenges especially in the areas where our Institutions are located, i.e. on the Balcan Route and in Italy which is seen as a hub from where to get to other countries. Partners have been carefully chosen according to the effectiveness of the expertise and know-how they provide and to their personal experience. In most cases, their expertise is the outcome of a Comenius project or of some other Erasmus+KA1 and Erasmus+KA2 projects developed from an experience with other European countries well advanced in the topics we will work be working at. What’s more, all of the Partners have shown outstanding motivation in starting and enhancing the project from the very beginning.
It goes without saying that all of the partners have, when asked, agreed upon the common theme of migration on the eTwinning platform and they are located on what is known as the Balcan Route leading from Turkey, ever since a social and cultural bridge between Europe and the Middle East, through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia to northern European Countries and Italy.
What we seek to achieve through this project is to support improvements in pedagogical approaches and school management. We definitely want to further the international dimension in schools and welcome every opportunity to establish relations with other European establishments, wishing to develop independent and inquisitive learners who are engaged in the process of learning and who use modern technologies to broaden their horizons and to become global 21st-century citizens.
The objectives of this project are threefold:
1. creating guidelines, based on real-life experience made by students in their local learning environment, for schools concerning integration of new students / foreign students;
2. creating a didactical tool kit with classroom material on the general topic of migration in Europe. This will consist of material for lessons and projects concerning the various topics of migration such as history, present day society and literature; Students will work at a quarterly magazine in which they will publish articles, photographs, interviews, stories etc. related to migration;
3. producing a documentary film and other outputs in which to show successful stories of migration and inclusion/integration. The film will focus on some people who have migrated to our countries experiencing a positive and successful inclusion.
During the project we will use and create empirical self-made case studies
There will be professional input from experts invited to assist and lecture during the short group mobilities, there will be practical fieldwork during each short group mobility. Interviews and study visits for the documentary film and the magazine will be carried out as much as possible.
Potential long term benefits
The students and staff involved in the project will experience a change of mindset concerning the topic of migration, which hopefully will result in a better understanding of and willingness to integrate migrants in their learning and living environment and thereby in society. There will be social and linguistic benefits and both students and teachers taking part in this project will not only learn about migration but will also learn about cooperation over boundaries in Europe. An international project like this one is likely to create new networks in Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 127355 Eur

Project Coordinator

Convitto Nazionale “D. Cotugno” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Ekonomska in trgovska sola Brezice
• NAZILLI SOSYAL BILIMLER LISESI
• SOU Gimnazija “Goce Delcev”
• Gimnazija Svetozar Markovic