E.C.A.S. – European Cultural Approaches at School Erasmus Project

Project Title

E.C.A.S. – European Cultural Approaches at School

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: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The project “E.C.A.S. – European Cultural Approaches at School “, aims to identify an innovative and effective teaching methodology on the theme of promoting and enhancing the tourist heritage of rural areas through international exchange activities of students. The I.I.S. “R. Lotti – Umberto I ”, together with“ Turistička iugostiteljska škola Dubrovnik ”,“ Budapest center of engineering TRAINING Jozsef Oveges Secondary and Vocational Technical School ”, Liceul Teoretic“ Tudor Arghezi ”, in order to propose a training offer that aims at faster learning methods, as well as creating relationships and collaborations with local stakeholders. The project not only aims at strengthening the knowledge related to educational programs, but also at strengthening transversal skills, foreign language skills, as well as the use of digital tools that introduce students to an increasingly digitalized and innovative labour market.

The specific project objectives are:
1) promotion of European values related to the enhancement and safeguarding of cultural heritage for the development of rural areas through international student exchange activities;
2) promotion of innovative teaching strategies, based on collaboration between educational institutions, aimed at strengthening European key competences;
3) strengthening of participants’ soft skills and knowledge of the foreign vehicle language (English) in oral and written comprehension;
4) reduction of the conditions of disadvantage among students, through the involvement of all the actors involved in the educational process of the pupils.

Partner educational institutions will involve different project target groups:
1) 96 students participating in the exchanges;
2) students of the III and IV classes of the Institute;
3) teaching and administrative staff;
5) families;
6) local companies / local organizations.

The project will last 24 months and envisages 4 cultural exchanges in Croatia, Romania, Hungary and Italy. Each one will last 6 days (4 of training activities + 2 travelling dates):

– “My land, mytreasure” – learn about the territory: presentation of the cultural and gastronomic heritage of its own territory, identifying the differences and similarities with the Countries that will take part into the mobility;
– “How WemakeIt?” – the production chain: knowledge of production methods and description, through videos and interviews with producers, of the peculiarities of the reference production sector;
– “Discovermy part of Europe” – the importance of communication: analysis of the importance of communication strategies for the promotion of tourism in the territory and to encourage the export of food and wine products abroad, through case studies on the export of brand of the food and wine sector in Europe;
– “Euroschool” – School and work: proposals to implement the educational offer of your Institute in order to create school curricula in line with the needs of the tourism and food and wine sector.

The expected impact on students belonging to the classes involved (both those who will physically take part in international exchanges and the class group that will be involved in its entirety in the activities prepared for the group) is estimated as follows:
– 30% of students will deepen their linguistic knowledge by the activation of courses aimed at achieving language certification;
– 20% will undertake internships abroad, activated either through personal contacts, created during the project, or by participating in foreign Work Related Learning proposals offered by the Institute during the year, or study and training experiences abroad for a limited period;
– 45% will undertake internships in the local area thanks to the collaborations created by the Institute at local level.
The overall expected impact on teachers is the implementation of the Erasmus + project methodologies, as well as the enhancement of linguistic knowledge: specifically, an increase in the number of applications for Erasmus + projects submitted is expected of + 50%, of which 25% on eTwinning platform and 25% presented together with project partners.
On the participating schools is expected an improvement in the proposed training offer, through activities aimed at the internationalization of curricula, strengthening relations with the territory and the creation of interdisciplinary and transversal proposals. Furthermore, “E.C.A.S.” aims to be a starting point for the creation of an international network of institutes, created for the dissemination and sharing of common European values.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 0 Eur

Project Coordinator

ISTITUTO DI ISTRUZIONE SECONDARIA SUPERIORE “RICCARDO LOTTI-UMBERTO I” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Liceul Teoretic “Tudor Arghezi”
• Budapesti Gépészeti SZC Öveges József Szakgimnáziuma és Szakközépiskolája
• Turisticka i ugostiteljska skola Dubrovnik