START UP! – Boost your entrepreneurial spirit early on Erasmus Project

Project Title

START UP! – Boost your entrepreneurial spirit early on

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: Open and distance learning; Creativity and culture; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The project idea was developed with the aim to bring students from different European countries together in order to learn from each other, observe one another and work together to attain a common goal. We believe that entrepreneurship, although it may sound too sophisticated for our students’ age, should be taught to them from this stage, at a basic level, so that they develop their sense of initiative and will be able to identify areas in which they might activate later on.
In these times of economic changes and uncertainty, equipping students with such skills and developing their entrepreneurial spirit will pay off in the long run, especially since almost all schools are based in low-income areas in which economic development is a dire necessity.
According to the Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is one of the eight competences described in the framework.

Objectives
1. To develop students’ sense of initiative
2. To allow the identification of opportunities on the EU stage
3. To promote the diversity of European cultures
4. To enable the collaboration of students in multicultural teams
5. To develop communication and language skills
6. To enable students to acquire basic knowledge of entrepreneurship
7. To provide students with the opportunity to practise the launching of a start-up
8. To develop creativity and critical thinking.
9. To enable the establishment of connections and partnerships with local entrepreneurs

Participants

The target group was made up of students aged 11-13 in our schools – about 200 students.
Students facing social, economic, integration challenges were fully supported to engage in the activities, so as to encourage their participation.
The actual participants were 100 students, out of whom 20 were facing various challenges (C2-C5) and 48 teachers – 16 teachers attend C1, while 32 mobilities for accompanying teachers were planned for C2-C5.

Transnational events

Turkey – C1 – Nov 2018; Start-ups. Financial and Management Basics – short term joint staff training event
Spain – C2 – April 2019; Entrepreneurial skills and competences – student exchange
Romania – C3 – Oct 2019; Start-up ideas from around Europe – student exchange –
Bulgaria – C4 – Feb 2020; Start-ups and advertising – student exchange
Italy – organises C5 – May 2020. Start-ups – Going online – Student exchange

Results

Some results we planned to produce were: workshop materials (theoretical aspects as well as worksheets, students’ collaborative products, recorded performances of students, exercises to develop creativity, negotiation, communication, planning skills), meetings with local entrepreneurs, interviews designed by students, business ideas developed at a basic level which were included in the project final brochure, and finally an EE Kit for lower-secondary students.
We also wanted to reach a set of outcomes, among which improved personal skills, improved cooperation of teachers and students at European level, more prepared and more motivated students, improved knowledge of European similarities and differences.

Impact

Students got acquainted with entrepreneurship and became more knowledgeable about what a start-up is, what resources are necessary to initiate it and how they can promote and advertise it. This improved, in the short run, their performance in other school projects.
The project improved the expertise of each school in terms of international cooperation. It enabled teachers and students in the same school to cooperate, thus improving their working relationships. Therefore, better cohesion was attained in each school. The teachers and students became better organisers, improved their planning and problem-solving skills, thus achieving long-term benefits.
The success of the project and the positive impact it had on the participants prompted the teaching staffs in schools to continue their European initiatives and apply for future Erasmus+ projects.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 92899,27 Eur

Project Coordinator

Scuola Media Statale Giuseppe Mazzini & Country: IT

Project Partners

• PRIVATE UMRANIYE UGUR SECONDARY SCHOOL
• CEIP ELIO ANTONIO DE NEBRIJA
• SU “Georgi Karavelov”
• Scoala Gimnaziala Porolissum