DISCOURSE – DISCussing OUR Stance for Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

DISCOURSE – DISCussing OUR Stance for Europe

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

The project “DISCOURSE – DISCussing OUR Stance for Europe ” promoted debating, but also drew the attention of our students to present-day social issues because they are the future builders of a United Europe. Our project aimed at encouraging young people to lead a dialogue, listen to each other and be tolerant while communicating.
The key objective of the project, which united five schools from five different countries, was to help build a well-informed, capable, searching and active civil society. Project participants learned to openly express their standpoint, convincingly and sensibly defend their own position and be tolerant to those who don’t share their point of view. With the aid of practical lessons, they developed their oratory skills, critical thinking, and mastered presentation and communication skills, which in turn will help them perform better at a job interview. We brought together people with different interests, views and life experience, and we provoked them to think.
When you are put in an environment which is filled with bright young people who want to know, speak and be heard, it is something contagious. They will challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and will set you in an environment which will make you want to speak, be part of your society and change something. Debates are a really good environment for the development of personal qualities and communication skills. What is more, a competitive atmosphere inspires people to want to be better than they were the day before. At the same time it is a friendly environment, too. As a whole, it is a valuable and useful experience.
The essence of the whole project was for a person to learn how to defend his/her own thesis, commit himself/herself to other people’s theses and prove to the listeners that he/she is right.
We prepared “A Handbook How to Create a Debating Club and Debate at School”, which will help those who want to debate.
We held meetings and discussions with MEPs from partner countries and shared impressions from the work of local parliaments. This will help form a citizenship and a desire for coping with social apathy.
By implementing project activities, participants learned how to be tolerant and accept different points of view. They were acquainted with the ethics and culture of communication.
We cooperated with NGOs, local students’ parliaments, and formal and informal institutions for dissemination of project products and results.
We also held an essay competition on the topic of “I- Citizen of United Europe and a Future MEP”.The best essays were awarded and a long-term distribution ensured by publishing them in a project collection.
We included a certification program in our project to motivate students, make them more responsible citizens and help their self-confidence.
During project activities, students applied their knowledge in the sphere of ICT, English language, since this was the project’s main working language, History, Politics, Philosophy, Business Education, Geography, Ecology and Psychology. They created products which are a symbol of cross-border cooperation and intercultural exchange.
The project’s voluntary initiatives “Good Deeds of Young Debaters” supported socially disadvantaged families, organized collecting food packages and necessities which will help the work of animal shelters. Debaters also visited homes for the elderly.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 128565 Eur

Project Coordinator

Eichendorff-Gymnasium Ettlingen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• EPA Carvalhais
• Istituto Statale di Istruzione Superiore “Fermi-Mattei”
• Profesionalna gimnaziya po turizam “D-r Vasil Beron”
• Tasoluk Anadolu Lisesi