Entrepreneurial mindset for successful life Erasmus Project

Project Title

Entrepreneurial mindset for successful life

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: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Our project’s origin can be found in the previous collaboration of its components on the eTwinning platform. The partners worked to encourage creative thinking, the use of new technologies and learning based on problem solving among their students. This joint work was evaluated as very enriching and a first step in our international cooperation.

The specific objectives of the project include the following:
• Fostering entrepreneurship and proactive labour behaviour among young people, schools and local businesses and institutions. Fostering students to develop a practical set of skills related to the latest technologies, communication and English language and entrepreneurship in a multicultural environment and creating a broad stakeholders network.
• Promoting innovative thinking and a creative approach to solving different types of problems in life, an approach that is based on acquiring long life learning knowledge to move forward. Raising the level of our students’ competences and self-confidence.
• Improving our educational systems through the exchange of good educational practices at a European level.

The entire educational community at each school has been involved and benefits of the results of the project. We have increased the number of students taking part in the transnational learning, teaching or training activities, adding up to 75 and also the number of teachers involved in activities of our project.

The main activities that we have carried out are the following:
• Meetings with students, parents, teachers, other schools, local companies, local authorities and media to inform about the project.
• Entrepreneurship workshops held by teachers or other stakeholders of the project, such as local entrepreneurs, government agencies, NGOs, etc.
• Meetings and round-tables with local entrepreneurs.
• Conducting labour market, economic development and job opportunities research in each region.
• Visits to local companies and interviews to their managers. They were also carried out during mobilities. As a result students from the four countries learnt about how companies work in other places in Europe.
• Visits to Universities to learn about how they promote entrepreneurship in their fields. Providing career orientation on a European level among our students.
• Some of the workshops for teachers carried out during mobilities were: e-Twinning, creating educational websites using WordPress, online surveys, coaching as an educational tool, Social Media as a tool for dissemination, …
Our project has exceeded expectations, and its results are superior to those set.
• Development and publication on the website of the project of 4 training programs on entrepreneurship.
• Creation of four virtual companies: development of the business plan (presented during mobility C3), the logo and the companies’ website (presented during mobility C4). Presentation of these enterprises in every school. In some cases even development of real products.
• 6 feedback inquiries developed and completed to analyse and summarize the participants’ opinion on the activities carried out.
• Project’s website and e-Twinning space.
• Development of an online space to share all documentation about the project.
• Sharing of educational good practices.

After analysing the online surveys we can conclude that:
Teachers improved their professional skills in the following aspects: ICT, foreign language, European projects’ documentation, networking outside the school, international cooperation, innovative methodology, interdepartmental work and entrepreneurial skills. They have improved their readiness for future joined project, particularly teachers for whom this project was their first experience in European projects.
Surveys also showed an increase in the school prestige among families and students, we also observed this prestige increase at local level. Families, entrepreneurs and local authorities expressed that after the project they knew more about the work done in schools and their contribution to the education of responsible citizens.
Headteachers at the four schools agreed on the positive experience of sharing good practices on school management and the benefits for the schools, emphasizing the following aspects: teachers increased their professional skills and motivation, the schools established cooperation networks with local businesses, governmental organizations, NGOs, even with international stakeholders.
The students highlighted in their answers their learning about entrepreneurship on a European level and their development of creative thinking, as well as working in international groups increased their motivation towards ICT and English language learning. Everyone agreed that this experience had made them more tolerant of other cultures, had increased their initiative and confidence in their own capacities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 98910 Eur

Project Coordinator

I.E.S. Playamar & Country: ES

Project Partners

• LYCEE LEONARD DE VINCI
• ISTITUTO D’ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE “DELLA CORTE VANVITELLI”
• Prirodo-matematicheska gimnaziya “Akad. Boyan Petkanchin”