Acknowledge, Care, Empathize – Promoting Tolerance Erasmus Project

Project Title

Acknowledge, Care, Empathize – Promoting Tolerance

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project involves 5 schools from 5 European countries:DE, BG, PL, RO, TR. According to SWOT analyses that were run by each partner in their own schools, the partners have indentified the common needs that materialized in the writing of this partnership about tolerance. SWOT analyses results showed us that Ss deal with daily social rejections, bullying, peer pressure, diverse verbal and physical harassment and aggression.
The project objectives are:
-to boost civic competences and self-esteem of over 150 students belonging to these 5 EU countries
-to ease the understanding of the notions “tolerance” and “mutual understanding” not just on a personal level, but also European one
-to give participants efficient practical examples that will help them act as civic-minded citizens
-to boost awareness related to diversity, different cultural identities and as a result to promote social cohesion
-to nurture the feeling of being part of the same community
Students will increase their empathy level, will be more aware of all cultural diversity in Europe and its benefits. Our international cooperation will lead to broadening basic cross-cultural knowledge as well as understanding of the partners` countries, their cultures and their values, enforcing the feeling that we all belong to a common, united Europe. We will use a Five Factor Model approach to promote openness to experience, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and extraversion. This approach will be a key element of this partnership which will contribute to enlarge the civic mindedness of all our students and to prepare them for living purposefully in this multicultural society.
To reach the overall aim, which is broadening civic mindedness while emphasizing the strong importance that virtues like tolerance and common/mutual understanding might bring in daily life, we have decided to make use of an innovative approach. This approach will make use of ICT tools and the FFM (the five factor model)
Openness–we will use art as a tool to boost Ss` motivation and creativity for expressing their topic related ideas and emotions. These Ss` creativity will also be raised by using new technologies;
Conscientiousness–Ss will continuously be in open and direct contact with all the other Ss, their peers that belong to a different and varied cultural background-this will lead to increased awareness of Ss`s own self-discipline, awareness of individual learning styles and civic duties inside local communities.
Extraversion–we will trigger Ss` sociability, personality and assertiveness through different team building activities, engaging sports competitions and traditional+modern board games.
Agreeableness–Ss will get to improve their cooperation skills through working inside international teams, through creating joint products together with their peers (different flashcards that emphasize the topic of the project, topic related puzzles and handmade bookmarks).
Neuroticism–through activities like Forum theater/ theater of the oppressed Ss will learn about (un)pleasant emotions like: anxiety, anger, vulnerability, depression. Role play will make them more aware of how people perceive intolerance, they will develop feelings like empathy and will learn the importance of being an active citizen.
The use of ICT tools supported by different internal cognitive aspects will produce innovative results and lead to mastering learning abilities.
All activities will be designed to foster values like tolerance, social and civic spirit, mutual understanding and intercultural competences. Students will increase their empathy levels, being more aware of all cultural diversity in Europe and its benefits.
21/24 Ss from every partner school (aged 13-18+) will participate in exchanges. Students will be chosen prior to the mobilities, by using very transparent criteria decided upon by each project partner in school. The following will be considered: motivation, English skills, ICT skills and involvement in school activities. 10 Ts will be directly involved in exchanges. Teams for different fields will be created in schools to ensure better implementation. About 2700 Ss and 120 Ts/adults are going to be indirectly involved. Other indirect beneficiaries: administrative and staff, policy makers, students’ families, educational advisors, and representatives of local authorities.
Tangible results: audio dictionary, photography exhibition, project`s calendar, common movie, e-book, flashcards, thematic puzzles, handmade bookmarks, project webpage, logo, flyers, project DVD, brochures.
Intangible results: fostering life skills, developing key competences, broadening of cultural horizons, expanding intercultural understanding, developing team working skills, improving knowledge on project`s topic.
All outcomes will be available, posted on the project website. The dissemination plan will reach a great audience and produce an impact at local, regional, national and international level.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 140536 Eur

Project Coordinator

Eichendorff-Gymnasium Ettlingen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Profesionalna gimnaziya po turizam “D-r Vasil Beron”
• Zespol Szkol im. Orla Bialego w Korytach
• Izmir Ataturk Lisesi
• Scoala Gimnaziala Giubega