INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS – OUR HERITAGE AND OUR FUTURE Erasmus Project

Project Title

INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS – OUR HERITAGE AND OUR FUTURE

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Research and innovation

Project Summary

CONTEXT and OBJECTIVES:
When preparing the project, we wanted our students to learn from our national inventors and innovators and implement those ideas in their own future. The intention wasn’t to create inventors since we are not schools which educate in that field, but to teach students that it’s not impossible and give them guidelines if they do venture in this field. Also, we wanted to show students that in the digital era innovators are not necessarily people with engineering background, but people with an idea, who are also creative and brave. We wanted to motivate students to learn certain skills that would help them in their professional choices. And we believe we succeeded in this respect.
Our key OBJECTIVE was to give students insight into our history and heritage through learning about inventors and innovators in history and nowadays, and then use this newly found knowledge in creating their own idea which would be an innovation on the market and the basis of a business endeavour.
We wanted to teach our students how to recognize a possible innovation by exposing them to examples of national and European inventors and innovators, taking them to school trips where they would experience similar stories first-hand, teaching them basics of entrepreneurship and marketing, and developing their critical-thinking skills.

PARTICIPANTS:
Secondary school students and teachers from 5 EU countries (Croatia, Greece, Sweden, Poland, Germany) from different types of schools (1 experimental, 1 real schule and 3 vocational schools).
We realized more than 100 mobilities over the 2 years as planned in the application, and the number of students and teachers participating in project activities is estimated at around 400, which is more than we planned.

ACTIVITIES:
– 2 transnational meetings in Croatia and Greece, and 4 short-term exchanges of groups of pupils (Croatia, Germany , Sweden and Poland).
– 11 workshops – during mobilities and in respective schools throughout the 2 years
– Erasmus corner – an information corner in all schools with updated information
– International Inventors’ Day – on Nov 9, thematic days in schools with lectures and games
– visits to local institutions/factories and local inventors’ associations and museums during mobilities
– guest lectures by inventors and innovators and other professionals
– presentations and posters – of chosen inventors and innovators
– evaluation surveys
– “My invention” – model companies
– “the Handbook for teachers: teaching inventiveness with our inventors and innovators”
– Wikipedia articles on inventors – instead of a planned Android mobile application which proved to be very difficult to create just with students so we decided to try to realize the objectives this way

RESULTS AND IMPACT (students)
– students expanded their foreign language level and skills (English and German mostly, but they were also exposed to national languages) and also developed presentation skills in English language
– students developed new digital and entrepreneurial skills and competences
– their abilities to work in international teams increased and they managed really well
– students learned about foreign students’ culture, their own ideas and plans for the future, which also raised their awareness of their own culture and the need to combat stereotypes and xenophobia
– students improved their social skills, self-confidence and self-esteem
– we worked really hard on developing skills of critical thinking, organizing and producing something new and we got great results and feedback
– we also wanted to raise awareness in the context of vocational training and entrepreneurship and tried to make that training more popular among students
– studens had the chance to learn how to recognize an innovative idea, and work on its realization and market placement

RESULTS AND IMPACT (teachers/staff)
– enhanced the quality and European dimension of teacher training
– raised awareness of the similarities and differences between other cultures
– developed new skills and competences – both experienced and inexperienced teachers
– learned how to motivate and inspire students to be innovative and persistent and be innovative themselves – with the help of guest lecturers and foreign teachers
– created new tools and materials to work with young people
– supported the prevention of dropping out of school by young people and fighting uneployment by motivating students to try self-employment – Erasmus project has been very popular among students and we emphasised the idea and need of lifelong learning

RESULTS AND IMPACT (participating schools)
– our schools continued to work together in the 2019 Call too
– gained new insights into national and local culture, as well as examples of good managerial work and entrepreneurial spirit
– strengthened cooperation with local authorities, businesses, various institutions, schools and social organizations

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 106080 Eur

Project Coordinator

Trgovacka skola & Country: HR

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol Ponadgimnazjalnych Nr 1 im. kpt. hm. A. Romockiego “MORRO” w Barlinku
• Freie Christliche Schule Freiburg
• Bromma gymnasium
• 1o PEIRAMATIKO GEL THESSALONIKIS “MANOLIS ANDRONIKOS”