AGORA Facing new challenges: Realizing and practicing democracy Erasmus Project

Project Title

AGORA Facing new challenges: Realizing and practicing democracy

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Our cooperation of four partner schools in Rome, Bucharest, Budapest and Stuttgart provided the opportunity for our students to become more aware of, teach and actively practice values that unite Europeans.

Year 1:
Contributing diverse democratic histories and cultural backgrounds one group of 15 to 20 six-form students at each partner school first defined democratic values such as freedom, active responsible participation, justice and integration. Our project logo created by Italian students won the first price in a logo competition in which the students also visualised their values. Then each national student group researched the opportunities their school offers to participate in school life and organize their own learning and exchanged their results with the partner schools.
First international student conference (LTTA – C1 Stuttgart ):
In preparation of the first one-week international student conference in Stuttgart the national student teams then strated to research on one of the partner states’ “European story” and developed a presentation. These expert talks opened the conference and stimulated discussion in international groups comparing political structures. Based on their intercultural investigation of classroom activities, teaching methods and social and political structures, peer-to-peer teaching module on European values in English were then developed in international teams. During this second part of the conference the students also taught each other and discussed and evaluated their own output.The final phase of the conference focussed on a discussion about an “ideal European” school and the evaluation of the meeting.
Conference output and impact:
The peer-to-peer teaching modules on Europe (milestone treaties; common market, decision making, values, education, union or confederacy, Europe’s answer to current challenges) were presented and amended at home and integrated into the partner schools` curricular activities.

Year 2:
While the first project year aimed at curricular innovation and a broader range of student-led learning activities, the second project year focused on “democracy in action”: decision making structures in the EU, participation opportunities within the local communities and Europe’s road ahead.
The students first developed speeches on their personal view of the role of the EU and its future.
Second international student conference (LTTA – C2 Rome):
In preparation of the second one-week student conference they then developed lessons on decision making in the European parliament and the Council of the EU. During the first part of the conference the students taught each other on how the European parliament and the Council of the EU amend and pass laws and evaluated their peer-to-peer teaching.
In the second part of the conference decision making in the European Parliament and the Council of the EU was simmulated in a role play situation reacting to a European crisis. Students had been allocated a choice of EU member states and political fractions to represent in a parliament session. They gave speeches and simmulated a debate on the issue of refugees in the Council of the EU. Finally A fictitious crisis in Turkey inititated further discussion and lobbying now in a different role as members of political fractions again allocated to the students followed by simmulated sessions of the EU parliament and resolutions.
conference output and impact:
The lessons developed for the conference were improved upon at home integrating feedback, drafting and editing lesson plans, improving methods and classroom management and teaching other classes. During the last phase of Agora the national student groups invesitgated opportunities of getting involved locally or on the European level and discussed scenarios of Europe’s road ahead.

Impact and benefits:
Turning their own ideas into action allowed students to improve their English, experience the challenges involved in project management and devolop a better understanding of divers cultural backgrounds. This promoted their ability to deal with new and unexpected output in a responsible way. They actively experienced democratic and social structures, showed initiative, developped new ideas in a responsible and creative way and acted as role models for younger students.
Evaluation revealed that the project also demanded a level of entrepreneurship in terms of managing skills and empathy that was appreciated by students and teachers.
The peer-to-peer teaching modules on active democratic participation and European values have been intergated to different degrees into the partner schools’ curricular, can be taught, further refined and adapted to different political and cultural contexts, current needs and age groups in the future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 51750 Eur

Project Coordinator

Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium Stuttgart-Sillenbuch & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Liceul tehnologic Mircea Vulcanescu
• LICEO STATALE FARNESINA
• Budapest V. kerületi Eötvös József Gimnázium