Culture@stake: we are the ambassadors for European Heritage! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Culture@stake: we are the ambassadors for European Heritage!

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Environment and climate change; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The present project emerged from a previous eTwinning project which proved our partners were hardworking, reliable and had the necessary experience we need to present our first Erasmus+ KA229 as coordinators. It responds to the need of the internationalization of our school settled in a rural area through the cooperation with other European countries (Poland, Slovenia and Croatia) with which we share a common interest in cultural heritage.
Being aware that each country’s uniqueness is defined by its cultural heritage, that the process of passing down traditions from past generation has been disrupted, as extended families rarely live together nowadays, and realizing that students are more interested in following new global trends, we consider a fundamental need to broaden students’ and teachers’ horizons concerning this topic and make them understand that we all are responsible for preserving and transmitting it.
Furthermore, this cooperation among transnational students requires the use of English as a common language, so this project will also implement language skills through online activities and the interaction with students and families during LTT events. Moreover, it will meet teachers’ need to see different educational systems, which will fulfil our side goal to boost teachers’ pedagogical knowledge.
This 2 year project will be addressed to 14 year-old students. However, other students at school will also take part in some activities. Likewise, it will require the involvement of families (including grandparents who represent the living testimony of our traditions), other teachers of different subjects in charge of some activities with whom we will work in the seminar created to this end, staff members, school management and local experts.
Considering the school needs which gave rise to the project, we have established the following objectives: fostering the English language, implementing the topic of cultural heritage in the curriculum raising awareness about its respect and preservation and promoting active participation, inclusion and healthy habits among our students.
These objectives will be achieved with some activities that will make students gain significant knowledge on nature and culture giving them a better understanding of the environment where they live and a broad vision of the cultural European heritage: collaborative activities worked in transnational teams will involve interaction, decision making and reaching agreements, e.g. a catalogue of commitments to preserve cultural heritage. We also include 4 LTT activities, as it is essential that students live the experience of cultural exchanges. Nevertheless, the budget limits the participation to 7 students selected following the criteria of willingness accomplishing the tasks and positive attitude and 3 teachers to ensure their support and safety.
Our working plan distributing tasks will make work more efficient. The Spanish coordinator will ensure that deadlines are met and supervise the project. Each country will be in charge of uploading materials to several platforms: (Poland) Erasmus+ Project Results Platform and Facebook. (Slovenia) Twinspace and (Croatia) Twitter and Instagram. Another task accomplished by all partners will be to ensure dissemination through Erasmus corner and local, regional or national media.
To guarantee the correct progress in every aspect of our project we will use various assessment tools to be used by students, teachers and families such as, direct observation, regular partners’ online meetings, questionnaires, interviews and satisfaction surveys. Online comments and ‘likes’ will also give us an idea about the level of dissemination of our project.
We think this working and assessment plan will lead us to the achievement of fruitful tangible results such as tutorials on traditional musical instruments, dishes, popular games and folk dance, a cookery book and a Decalogue of commitments to preserve our natural and cultural heritage that will be available to other teachers as an example of good practices. Additionally, this project will provide our centre with more important and profitable intangible results. It will lead to students’ acquisition of knowledge and foreign language skills, the internationalisation of our schools, the strengthening in teaching staff relationships and the understanding of cultural European awareness promoting social and educational values of our cultural heritage.
As a final point we must say that both tangible and intangible results will never be achieved without the necessary funding. Thanks to the project budget, the group of economically underprivileged students or those facing geographical and educational difficulties will have a chance to live an experience that would be impossible in other circumstances. We believe that they will get more confidence, independence and motivation to learn and take part in further projects.

Project Website

https://ambassadorsforeuropeanheritage.blogspot.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 122431 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES ALBA PLATA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Osnovna skola Mertojak
• Osnovna sola Alojza Gradnika Dobrovo, Dobrovo
• Spoleczna Szkola Podstawowa nr 1 “Nasza Szkola” Zabrzanskiego Towarzystwa Szkolnego