Democratic European Schools for Success Erasmus Project

Project Title

Democratic European Schools for Success

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Pedagogy and didactics; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

Our partnership was born during the Contact Seminar „FLIC – From local to international cooperation“ that took place in Ericeira, Portugal from the 18th to the 21st of November 2015 where the coordinators from the partner institution met.
We established together the objectives of the project:
– Increase the degree of motivation in students;
– Implement the democratic pedagogy blended with the GRIT methodology in the partner institutions;
– Train teachers in innovative methodologies and integrating ICT in the classroom;
– Develop awareness of democratic values among students;
– Develop students’ basic skills like language skills, science skills, artistic skills and ICT skills;
– Prevent the school dropouts from the partner schools.
The partnership included 7 partner institution from 6 countries: one municipality – Almada, Portugal, and 1 school of lower secondary level in Romania, a Second chance school in Spain, a VET school in Cuba, Portugal, a language school in Bulgaria, secondary school also and two secondary schools in Germany and Iceland.
The activities of the project were grouped in 2 years – „Let’s know each other better Year“ and „The Democracy and Success Year“. In the first year the activities were dedicated to learning and finding out information about each partner, it’s culture and traditions, the common cultural and democratic European heritage. Activities such as: Bulgaria Month, Germany Month, Iceland Month, etc, The culture diversity of Europe, Discovering the European Cultural Heritage, Discovering the European Democratic Heritage, The winter holidays traditions of Europe, etc. The activities were meant to develop in students the curiosity and the interest in the partners, to become aware of the fact that even if we are different, we have a lot in common. The result of these activities was the “Travel guide through Europe”.
During the first year, two learning/training/ teaching activities for the teachers took place: “Changing practices” and “GRIT seminar for DESS teachers”, both followed by training sessions in each partner school for the teaching staff that the two new methodologies, the democratic pedagogy and the GRIT methodology blended with integrating ICT in class could be implemented.
Another activity was the “DESS School Magazine”, a magazine made by each partner team, in native language, where impressions of the participants in the project, teacher and students were published. These magazines were conceived as dissemination materials but also as a tool of evaluating the success of the project. During the whole project two numbers in each language were made for each year.
The second year of project was dedicated to the activities of democratic citizenship, to the organization of the Students’ Councils in all the partner schools, to the activities meant to develop in students the self-image and self-esteem. Activities such: debates on topics related to the democracy (freedom of speech, gender equality, Students’ Council and their role in school life, etc), the European carnival, Principals of democracy, etc took place along with workshops (artistic, literary, scientific), meetings with local authorities, successful adults, visits to local Universities or other educational institutions.
Two products were also made during this year: “The little dictionary of democratic citizenship” and “The conversational guide”.
Two learning/training/teaching activities were organized during this year “Students’ Councils in the democratic schools” and “The European Art Festival”.
Most of the research on the innovative methodologies also was done and the intellectual output was finished: “A successful approach in DESS – Methodological guide”
Six multiplier events took place at the end of the project.
Some of the results of the project, apart from those already mentioned are:
– Project website: http://www.dess-project.com;
– Project logo;
– Transnational sharing of experience and best practice;
– Project presence in the media – in each country articles in the local press were published, the project is visible on the websites of the partners.
The impact of the project:
a. On the partner institutions:
– Motivated students for a successful educational traject;
– Trained teaching staff in innovative methodologies;
– Better image of the partner institutions in the community
– Creation of stimulating, interactive and innovative learning environment;
– Students’ Councils democratically organized in each partner school.
b. On the target groups:
– Students involved in their education and in their career choice;
– Students aware of the democracy values and who are able to practice them in the school and in society;
– Teachers who changed their practice offering their students a better learning environment;
– Students and teacher more aware of the cultural and democratic heritage of Europe.
c. At partnership level:
– A better knowledge of the partner countries’ culture, people, traditions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 182651,32 Eur

Project Coordinator

Scoala Gimnaziala Mihu Dragomir & Country: RO

Project Partners

• CAMARA MUNICIPAL DE ALMADA
• CEPA San Francisco
• 18 Comprehensive school William Gladstone
• Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurlands
• Centro de Estudos e Formação Profissional Diogo Dias Melgaz, Lda
• Gymnasium Sanitz