U R a part of Us – European youth creatively innovating future possibilities Erasmus Project

Project Title

U R a part of Us – European youth creatively innovating future possibilities

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: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Creativity and culture; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

U R a part of us – European Youth creatively innovating future possibilities

The project aimed for an international theatre play based on a chain story written together by all partners. Each nation wrote its own part of the story and sent it to the next country after finalising it. Content-wise the national parts reflecedt the students’ brainstorming results on the topic “U R a part of us” depicting contemporary teenage views on their regions. The overall topic allowed a wide range of national sub-topics.

This project provided a quite exceptional background: 4 of the 6 participating schools have been working together on Comenius projects since 1996. The fifth partner joined in 2001, the sixth partner is rather new (joining in in 2014) and was recommended by a neighbouring school that sadly had to leave the project due to staff shortage. The grown familiy-like relationship of the participating staff is the best-practise example of European work for the participating students.
Traditionally, the group (consisting of coordinating staff from six schools from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Poland) met in autumn for a staff meeting and organised the project work for the year. The students were in touch via email, social networks and a blog. The students’ conference (with 70-80 students) followed in March/April. It consisted of three elements: firstly, a programme introducing the region and focussing topic-related sights (museums, artists, educational institutes,…), secondly, the rehearsals and preparation of the dramatic adaption in internationally mixed groups and finally, the dramatic adaption of the chain story with festive a presentation night/day.
The project focused on acquiring the skills that enable students to become an active member of the democratic life in the EU. Most notably to mention here: foreign language skills, IT skills, social competence, cultural awareness, and learning competence. The students working on the project were in touch for one school year and beyond via etwinning. The exchange of intermediate results and the feedback on those results generated great synergies and required and encouraged the use of the above-mentioned skills . In the course of the students’ confererences creative approaches built the focus of the work in internationally mixed groups. The experience of the last project showed that creative work supports the different skills and the feeling of togetherness most. Additionally, this approach offered another result that was proudly presented at the meeting. Guests were staff, parents of the hosting school but also local authorities and representatives of the local economy.
In the course of these projects all participating students and organisations got the chance to widen their European horizon – students as well as teachers experienced an international learning atmosphere that promoted the use of foreign language skills as well as the use of all the different mother tongues, that required team work skills, that enhances problem-management skills and improves their organisational skills. Working together the students got the chance to improve their communication skills and overcome possible prejudices and therefore combat racism. Moreover, this international project gave them the opportunity to experience different cultures in a relatively short time. Each participant got the possibility to develop his or her personality and gain self-confidence. The students’ achievements were pointed out in the “Europass”. On an institutional level, the participating staff and the schools got the chance to improve their teaching methods, IT-skills, organisational skills and develop intercultural competence which helped to improve international cooperation. In international groups each teacher got the chance to learn new teaching methods by personal experiences in classroom visits, workshops and discussions. For headmasters this project provided the possiblity to get an insight into foreign school management and to discuss best-practise and cross-border examples which will then lead to general improvements. Staff can also make use of the “Europass” to attest their increase of knowledge and skills.
The long-term benefits were very difficult to be measured because they mostly are immaterial results: The long-lasting friendship of schools and staff was even more strengthened than it already was. This friendship is a role model for the students and a good-practise example of European cooperation. The enhancement of the different skills has not only promoted the personal development of the participants but also enablde them to get the best possible education. The experience from former projects showed that participants most likely spend part of their further education in different EU countries – they become active EU citizens. Additionally, the schools decided to apply for another project – first time including individual long-term student mobilities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 133555 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Ulricianum & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace Nr XIII
• Vollen skole
• Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace Nr I w Kepnie
• Liceo Calasanzio
• Gymnazium,Pribram,Legionaru 402