Cre@t1ve Conflict Resolution and Peer-to-Peer School Mediation. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Cre@t1ve Conflict Resolution and Peer-to-Peer School Mediation.

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: Inclusion – equity; Social dialogue; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

“Cre@T1ve Conflict Resolution and Peer-to-Peer School Mediation” is a project which will last two years (2019-2021) and comprises schools from Greece, Poland, Italy : Crema, Italy : Bari, Malta and Portugal with students from 15 to 19 years old. The direct target group is made of 30 students and 18 teachers, but the range of the project is going to influence wider groups on local, regional, national and european levels. There are planned 4 International meetings all along the two years and 3 joint staff training events, one in the opening,one in middle period and one final.
This project seeks to address the problem of conflicts (e.g. bullying, racist attacks) that frequently occur among students in contemporary schools leading to negative/destructive results. Creative conflict resolution skills, tools and techniques such as mediation is an effective response to different kinds of conflicts and tensions at school. Additionally, conflict resolution skills are crucial for young citizens who live in an extremely complex society full of challenges and conflicts.
The overall objective of the proposed project is to contribute to the development of responsible and active citizens of tomorrow who will build a peaceful and tolerant society where all people grow and thrive. The specific objective is to enhance analytical and creative conflict resolution skills and techniques in the partner school communities and beyond to European Union school community. Particular attention will be given to mediation as a method of peaceful and creative conflict resolution.
The project results are expected to be the following:
Improved knowledge and skills of teachers to support their students in handling conflicts in a peaceful and creative way.
Improved knowledge of our students in how to use conflicts and tension as opportunities for growth and personal development.
Mediation skills in particular developed and practiced by both students and teachers.
Our schools to become communities of improved communication, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Improved understanding of diversity as a source for cooperation and not conflict.
Additionally participants in the project activities will also feel that they are part of a European community which is based on productive dialogue, rich culture, critical thinking and democratic values.
Furthermore, the project will motivate students who have no interest or show low performance at school through team work and collaborative/co-opperative learning method activities; students will enhance their skills in research and their ICT skills; English language teaching will become more appealing for the students as they will participate in creative conflict resolution workshops and chatrooms with friends from other countries, a valuable learning experience that will also teach them how to resolve interpersonal problems constructively.
The project methodology is innovative combining theory and praxis of conflict resolution, bringing closer teachers and students as members of a team who share experiences and develop key life skills for their school and their community. Additionally, during all meetings and activities interactive methodologies are applied and creativity is boosted. Not only the students who participate in the project will work and collaborate, but also the whole school communities will take part and will be involved in it – through the different activities including also the hosting families.
Teachers will collaborate, investigate innovative ways of learning and teaching in terms of creative problem solving, mediation, and crucial problems in our modern societies such as diversity, gender equality, (cyber)bullying. They will develop appropriate teaching materials, share them with their students and colleagues and spread the interactive teaching methods to other schools too.
The outputs of our project will be the following:
Mediation groups established in each partner school which will keep operating after the end of the project.
Online good practices guide with cases of successfully mediated / resolved conflicts, collected by the students with the support of their teachers.
Materials to communicate our project : website, social media, EU platforms, chatrooms, a project vlog, photos, videos, press releases, e-book case study, e-newsletter, a good practices guide, different kinds of performances (e.g. role play, dancing performance, already composed project’s song and performed, and more music), face-to-face debates among the pupils of the participating schools.
The background of this project is mainly based on sociological context which is inseparably related to school environment where many problems and conflicts appear nowadays. The mediation method seems to be the perfect response to deal with all sorts of school problems in the contemporary schools.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 188460 Eur

Project Coordinator

4th General Lykeion of Alimos – Makrygianneio & Country: EL

Project Partners

• CONVITTO NAZIONALE DOMENICO CIRILLO-SCUOLE ANNESSE
• VI Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. Krola Zygmunta Augusta w Bialymstoku
• Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. João Araújo Correia
• I.I.S. “P. SRAFFA”
• Newark School