Challenging Extremism – transition Erasmus Project

Project Title

Challenging Extremism – transition

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

In 2017 the EU document ‘The European Union and the Challenge of Extremism and Populism’, raised the challenges across Europe by the spread of right-wing politics. Across Europe, elections had shown a rise of 25% of votes going to right-wing parties. The partners involved in this programme believe that these problems need to be tackled early and engaging young people in education, in discussion and critical thinking, and in a safe environment, is essential.

The focus for this project was on young people transitioning between primary and secondary age and taking into account the issues being discussed in the media, within communities and at home, impacting directly on the views and opinions of children of this age. We wanted to develop materials suitable for education on critical thinking and positive counter messages.
We recognised at the start, and continue to recognise, how sensitively the themes discussed in this project needed to be handled and so the planning for, and the on-going management of, this project was detailed throughout. We involved experts in this field and involved young people and teachers throughout taking into account their opinions and feedback, making amendments where necessary. However, equally important was the involvement of parents and members of the wider community and partners in all regions actively engaged as many stakeholders as possible.

We do not believe this project could be conducted by one country in isolation. We need a collaborative approach bringing in expertise from across Europe to inform and contribute to this complex issue.
Issues such as these, cannot be tackled in isolation. Local authorities, schools and other experts from Spain, Wales and Poland worked together throughout the programme. However, the participating education departments are members of ELAN a European Local Authority Network, and members from across Europe have benefitted from training and events relating to the outcomes of this project over the 3-year period, thus widening participation throughout.

We completed a number of planned phases in this project:
1. Effective, thorough preparation and training of teaching staff
2. Collaborative development of 6 lesson plans for delivery in all regions. These were amended to reflect local culture and sensitivities.
3. Pilot lesson plans
4. Thorough evaluation by experts
5. Modification of lesson plans, as necessary, and making of films to support in-class materials

Our aim was to meet the following Erasmus+ objectives:
– to improve the level of key competences and skills, in particular through increased opportunities for learning mobility and through strengthened cooperation between the world of education and training
– to foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalisation at the level of education and training institutions
– in particular through increased opportunities for learning mobility and through strengthened cooperation between the world of education and training
– to enhance the international dimension of education and training

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 280238 Eur

Project Coordinator

COUNTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF CARDIFF & Country: UK

Project Partners

• MIASTO STOLECZNE WARSZAWA
• Cardiff West Community High School
• Warszawskie Centrum Innowacji Edukacyjno-Spolecznych i Szkolen
• I.E.S. Terra de Trasancos.
• CONSELLERIA DE CULTURA, EDUCACION E UNIVERSIDADE (XUNTA DE GALICIA)
• Cathays High School
• Szkola Podstawowa nr 381 im. Krzysztofa Kamila Baczynskiego w Warszawie