ACT in Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

ACT in Education

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 : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

ACT stands for the “doing” part as now is the time to ACT: since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the urgency for quality education in genreal and blended learning in particular while leaving no one behind has never been so high. ACT stands also for Artist Create Together in the sense that teachers and students are the architects of their own future. The project is a co-creation in three countries ; The Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia by three independent NGOs: MasterPeace Foundation (MP), MasterPeace Ro (Ro) and EDU 4 U (Edu4U). They’ve worked together before on various projects and are experienced EU-project partners. Their common mission is to mobilize talents for a sustainable future and to contribute to SDG 4, (Quality Education ) and 16 (Peace and justice/ social inclusion-( additional priority).

Target groups will be students in the age group of 15- 19 years and their teachers. Recent Covid related reports show that the stress situations of this age group – especially for students from a less privileged background dramatically increased as they lack safe spaces and bonding when they have no, less or only distant learning in lockdown times.

Context and background

All youngsters deserve quality education. Embracing digital opportunities is an opportunity to be innovative, effective and to leave no one behind. However we know by experience and are backed by reports that we face gaps in all three countries.
Digital is the future of work in all sectors, including Education. The earlier youngsters are inspired and challenged using innovative tools and become digital savvy the better. Education must be ready to coach and facilitate them in building this expertise.
All our partners state that now in Corona time their management and teachers are in a “survival mode”. They ask for our support. In Romania and Slovakia schools are in the first phase of digitization. Not in the classroom let alone the vulnerable youngsters at home. This latter issue is also relevant in The Netherlands.

Objectives

Our main objective is to boost the transformation of schools and teachers through innovative digital infrastructures and services to enable the youngsters to grow their talents and become an active citizen, so that vulnerable youngsters are not left behind (social inclusion) and enjoy quality education.

Our sub-objectives are:
1) To train teachers in their didactic and educational skills to use blended learning and sustain this as “the new normal”;
2) To inspire and challenge the students to start community projects for social inclusion using the theoretical blended learning and provide feedback as part of the learning cycle to their teachers and ICT support;
3) To improve knowledge and skills of management, staff and teachers so that they have learned to implement innovative blended curricula on citizenship, understand the needs
and opportunities, integrate this in their (ICT) strategy and management and strengthen the local and national ecosystems
4) To share lessons learned internally and externally. We focus on the teachers active in the “vertical” domain of Social Science. They will share the knowledge with all other domains so as to transform the teaching in their entire school. Externally schools and teachers will share this in their networks of schools and governments.

Methodology

This project is organized around the delivery of 5 intellectual outputs (see below), as well as delivering sound project management , organise 4 Transnational meetings and 2 LTTA trainings. We will organise 3 multiplier events for local dissemination.

Results and impact

The project foresees 5 intellectual outputs, 3 multiplier events and 4 transnational meetings. Intellectual outputs are:
• O1: Blended learning in a digital era is an innovative resource for teachers
• O2: is envisioned as an innovative and up-to-date blended learning course for teachers with the same topics as in O1 Curriculum.
• O3: training on the job “how to implement blended learing in social science and citizenships”
• O4: ACT in Education Lab as a knowledge platform fed constantly with learnings, and new methodologies developed as a result of implementing ACT in Education
• O5: ICT strategy and organisation to sustain the transformation in providing blended learning

Other results are:

– The projects will be guided by school management representatives and 9 teachers who will involve 270 students. Ca 30 % will have a minority background.
– Associated ICT companies will support, share their knowledge and create a new transnational network.
– The multiplier events invite in total 90 stakeholders
– School management have (new) insights in blended learning
– Teachers have more teaching skills and a broader offer of services relevant in a digital era
– Students are engaged and empower as they run innovative projects and are embrace the role as co creator of blended formats

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 227994 Eur

Project Coordinator

STICHTING MASTERPEACE & Country: NL

Project Partners

• EDU 4 U
• Asociatia MasterPeace Ro