Breaking Barriers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Breaking Barriers

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The project with the title Breaking Barries is done by the five countries: Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. These countries have decided to solve one of the huge social problem – discrimination that is connected with bullying. In our opinion, the acceptance of social differences has to start at the primary and secondary school. During our two years project, we would like our pupils to introduce various types of social differences (race, sexual, gender and learning difference like dyslexia, dysgraphia) and show pupils how they can help people that are struggling with the mentioned problems. During the lasting of our project, we want pupils to be aware of various kinds of emotions. We will create activities based on which they will realize that each person is unique and s/he has got unique reactions to the same situation. We want to increase their empathy and develop their social skills and engage pupils in finding effective ways how to respect and support discriminated and bullying people and help them with social inclusion.
Aims:
1st – making pupils aware of various kinds of discrimination and bullying
2nd – discovering how they can solve discrimination and bullying problems and help those people, who have experience with it, to become socially accepted.
3rd – improving social skills and develop EQ and empathy
4th – improving the English language
5th – increasing ICT skills
The participants that will be a part of the project can be divided into the following groups: coordinators and headmasters, teachers, pupils, other school staffs and families. However, pupils will be the most important part of this project. Pupils that will be involved will be 10 – 14 years old and they will be chosen by each participating organization that is also responsible for their selection. One of our priorities is to choose pupils with fewer opportunities. Dealing with the aims of our project, we want pupils to be aware of various kinds of differences and to increase their ability to accept people as they are. Pupils with fewer opportunities (educational difficulties, social and economic obstacles) will cooperate with the other pupils. All these groups of pupils will be equal, they will have the same opportunities and develop the following competencies and skills:
1. the ability to learn
2. ICT skills
3. interpersonal, intercultural and social competencies
4. communication skills
5. foreign language skills
Based on the principles of the student-centered approach, personalized learning, cooperation and problem-solving approach, we have prepared activities for each month. Month activities will be an introduction and preparation for the personal meetings of pupils in each country. An exception is a visitation of Sweden which will be without the cooperation of pupils from Spain due to the age differences.
International cooperation will bring many advantages for pupils and teachers. Participating pupils will improve their speaking, writing, listening and reading skills in the English language due to the communication with the pupils from the other countries. Sharing the knowledge about cultural heritage, traditions and stereotypes will increase their empathy, develop social skills as tolerance, respect to the other opinions and increase a feeling that we are one community. Trying to find out a solution to various situations connected with discrimination and bullying will lead not only into the development of critical thinking but also into an ability to identify when someone is discriminated or bullied.
The participation in this project will have a positive impact not just on the pupils but will be efficient also for the teachers. The cooperating organizations will share their experiences, knowledge and teaching methods in the educational field that will inspire them for their future work. It will shift the teacher’s cooperation to the international level and increase the interests of pupils to cooperate in the next project.
The result of the project (presentations, photos, videos, test, worksheets and so on) will be presented on Twinspace and project webpage that will support the internationalization of involved schools. We realize we cannot change the whole world through one project, however, we believe that the project is an important small step to a long journey of international tolerance and respect that is build based on the principle: If you want to change the world start with yourself.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 139384 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zakladna skola, Martinska 20, Zilina 01008 & Country: SK

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas D. Afonso III Vinhais
• Escola Pinyana
• VI. osnovna skola Varazdin
• Hedda Wisingskolan