Diversity Makes Union Erasmus Project

Project Title

Diversity Makes Union

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

Our Erasmus Project “ Diversity Makes Union” is a well organized and structured project set up by 6 European partner schools: Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Italy and Estonia including one short term joint staff training event in Greece and five short term exchanges of groups of pupils in the other countries. The project is building on an eTwinning project the partner schools have been working on since October 2018 titled “ The European Cultural Heritage, the keystone of European Democracy and Values” (ID: 1777782) and acts as a forerunner to the Erasmus program as it introduces students and teachers to the topic and methodology of our project. We plan to use e Twinning for preparation, implementation and follow- up of our project, including virtual exchanges on twinspace as well.
The aim of our project is twofold: on the one hand, as far as students are concerned, we aim at promoting communication, intercultural awareness and respect of differences between cultures. Our objective is to emphasize the social and educational value of European cultural heritage and highlight its contribution to economic and social growth. Moreover, through digital and outdoor activities, group work and cooperation we expect to offer students an attractive and exciting learning environment where they feel more self confident and eager to participate and communicate, thus enhancing their foreign language skills, too. On the other hand, we aim at strengthening the profiles of the participant teachers through extensive use of ICT and innovative digital tools, as well as innovative methods and ideas through exchange of best practices. Communication, collaboration and novel learning opportunities are fundamental priorities. Furthermore, participating schools aim at working closely with partner schools, giving teachers, students, parents and the wider society the opportunity to become aware of and interact with European education and culture.
Partner schools were carefully selected using the Etwinning platform, taking into account not only their knowledge, skills and competences but their enthusiasm as well. There are partners highly experienced in European programs, such as Hungary ( project coordinator), Greece and Estonia and other with less or no experience who can rely on their partners for help and guidance; nevertheless, all of them are fully aware of their responsibilities. In addition, partners were selected to be from all parts of Europe (north, south, east, west) so as to have diverse cultural experiences in our project.
Before, during and after each LTTA meeting partners are going to work on different subtopics: Religious Ceremonies, Artefacts, Natural Environment, Intangible Heritage, Cuisine and Built Environment and all works and digital products will be uploaded on twinspace. Special attention will be given to the development of interactive digital activities and products (ebooks, ppt, webquests, digital maps and interactive digital games) We intend to use the cross curricular approach, with special focus on experiential learning, problem solving and collaboration. Activities are mainly student centered, aiming at the inclusion of all students, regardless of performance, origin, economic status, religion or physical and other disabilities. However, the students that are going to take part in the mobilities will be carefully selected according to a list of criteria agreed on by all partners.
After each LTTA assessment, evaluation and dissemination activities are going to be carried out by the coordinator of each host school, in order to correct mistakes or weaknesses and further develop successful practices. We expect all participants, both teachers and students, to enhance their communication skills, experience different cultural environments and thus promote awareness and understanding of diversity and become more tolerant of “difference”. Parents’ participation is of decisive significance, as they will act as a source of cultural information exchange through hosting students from other countries. Also, by making the results of our project known to the wider community, we expect to arouse interest in international collaboration within the participating schools, schools of the wider area, general society and local cultural associations and organizations, such as museums, libraries and other places of cultural interest in general. Last but not least, participant teachers will have the opportunity to continue communicating, working together and exchanging best practices with colleagues from the cooperating schools and even set up job shadowing activities. They will also have the opportunity to set up more Erasmus projects and, needless to say, they will be the link between other teachers of their own and neighbouring schools, as far as the implementation of new innovative methods is concerned together with the integration of cultural education and projects in the schools’ curricula.

Project Website

https://sites.google.com/view/diversity2019/home-page?authuser=0

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 134995 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szent Imre Katolikus Altalanos Iskola es Jo Pasztor Ovoda, Alapfoku Muveszeti Iskola & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Narva Soldino Gümnaasium
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO STATALE DI BELLA
• Agrupamento de Escolas João da Silva Correia
• Scoala Gimnaziala “Teodor Balan”
• 2nd Primary School of Filyro