The Better Environment, the Higher Academic and Vital Evolution Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Better Environment, the Higher Academic and Vital Evolution

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Health and wellbeing; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

BEHAVE (“The Better Environment, the Higher Academic and Vital Education”) was a project prepared by four European institutions:Os Jabukovac in Zagreb -Croatia, Saldus Pamatskola in Saldus from Latvia, CEIP Pedro I in Barbastro -Spain and IES Martínez Vargas, also from Barbastro. The project involved primary and secondary education, paying special attention to the change from one to the other one. We started from a common concern for the inclusion of all and every student and the educational community; and also the improvement of competences and socio-emotional skills that foster positive cohabitation in the schools, all from the exchange of our practices and experiences in this regard and training joint on issues in this field.
The main objectives of our project were:
– Encouraging the development of social, civic and intercultural competence.
– Developing linguistic competence.
– Promoting critical thinking.
– Improving skills for living together in society, from training in troubleshooting.
– Fighting against discrimination, segregation, racism, sexism, bullying and violence.
– Helping in the improvement of access, participation and learning achievement for disadvantaged young people.
– Learning cooperative methodologies that are being carried out in other EU countries.
– Encouraging peer learning.
– Exchanging experiences and good practices at European level.
– Creating networks with other schools which are sustainable over time.

The common leitmotiv of the project was the inclusion in every school of a Pakistani family (The Maliks) that moved around the three European partner countries of the project looking for better socio-economic opportunities. This was the ideal setting to work at all levels of social inclusion, mutual understanding, interpersonal relationships and dialogue, and thus achieved better coexistence in the schools, while promoting teamwork and collaborative methodology.
Other methodological guidelines were:
– Active methodology focused on the students to develop their competence and socio-emotional skills.
– Based learning challenges in approach to cases and dilemmas in which students had to apply reasoning and critical thinking.
– Fundamental support with information technology and communication.
– Networking (through platforms like Skype, e-Twinning, the blog that will be created,…) among the partners.
– Families and educational community Involvement in the development and dissemination of activities.
– Dissemination of the most relevant activities which was carried out in all four partner schools and during the mobilities.
The project was aimed at a group of 550 students between 10 and 16 years old, 70 professors and 480 families.
These objectives and methodology were embodied into a set of activities that were incorporated into the Tutorial Activities in the schools, were developed by all the pupils in each school and which was displayed during the scheduled mobilities, which were four all in all: an initial one and another at the end held in Barbastro, and two other intermediate ones in Saldus and Zagreb.

Activities that stand out were: “Opening a blog “, as the diary of the project, “Logo contest” “Preparation of leaflets ” Activities of reception and welcoming like “Knowing Pakistan”, “I show you where I come from”, etc, “Computer graphs, performances and/or multimedia recordings”, both from activities that were completed in the schools and during the mobility on Inclusion and disability, mediation and social and emotional learning. “Representation, simulation of situations related to coexistence/inclusion (role-plays) “, “Artistic production workshops “, “Training of students on social skills, emotional intelligence, empathy, assertiveness, bullying and cyberbullying” .” Itinerant exhibition of the artistic and graphic material produced”.
The evaluation of the project was formative and took place at the beginning, during and at the end of it. It was done by direct observation, completion of rubrics, questionnaires and analysis reports, for which we had specified qualitative and quantitative indicators.
The project included internal and external communication channels (local, regional, national…), which included social networks, digital platforms and mass media.

The most significant impact was the improvement of the whole environment at schools, the process of conflict resolution and their reduction together with the satisfaction of students. Thus the advance in the knowledge of different cultures improved language, digital and socio-emotional competence. The tutorial action was also enriched with materials and activities.
In the long run, the project will intend the consolidation of inclusive and dynamic methodologies of a collaborative network in the four partner schools.
Besides, this impact will be sustainable thanks to the itinerant exhibit of our two final exhibitions: forty Positive Thoughts, and Bullying & Inclusion through forty photos.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 56455 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES MARTÍNEZ VARGAS & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Saldus pamatskola
• Osnovna skola Jabukovac – Zagreb
• CP PEDRO I