Encouraging Europe through culture and commerce Erasmus Project

Project Title

Encouraging Europe through culture and commerce

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

Animated by the European Heritage Year 2018, we felt motivated to bring students closer to their own and European culture.
As part of the project “Encouraging Europe through Culture and Commerce”, the students were asked to define the term “culture” for themselves and to experience culture in their personal environment. As an extension of this, the term was to be placed in a European context and the connection between culture, commerce and digitalization was to be considered.

The ultimate goal of the project was to improve the dusty image that young people may have associated with the term.
Other goals were:
– Learning about and appreciating cultural assets
– Preserving and promoting cultural values
– Recognizing the connection between culture and economy/prosperity
– Promote competencies in the areas of: intercultural understanding, digital media, reflective action
– Recognizing the “ME” as a European
– Learning to understand the culture of the home country as a part of European culture
– Commitment to culture

As a result of the project a “Cultural Guide” should be created, which should be accompanied by the projects website. (https://euthruculture.jimdofree.com/)
Unfortunately, due to the Corona Pandemic, the participants were not able to create the Cultural Guide. It should present the project results and introduce the cultural assets of the participating countries. It should be modernized with QR codes to link videos and presentations. The results so far, such as videos, presentations, etc., can be found on the homepage.

3 modules were worked on until March 15, 2020 when it had to be abruptly stopped due to the Corona pandemic.

The first module C1 “Getting to know each other” took place in Bulgaria, Pravets. Its purpose was to allow all participating country groups to get to know each other personally. For this purpose presentations about the partner countries, cities and schools were exchanged via PowerPoint. Each country created a project logo. Bulgaria won the competition.
Furthermore, there were surveys among students about the concept of culture. A workshop on the onion model and iceberg model showed that culture is not only obvious.
Activities in Pravets: visiting cultural institutions such as museums and churches, stalactite caves. National dances and songs were learned. An international evening took place.

The second module C2 “What is culture” took place in Tallinn, Estonia. Team-oriented project work motivated the participants to get involved. The students worked independently with PowerPoint, Prezi, video apps and the like. In advance, they studied the various cultural assets of their cities and created a video about them. In the subsequent workshop, the students then worked in groups on various cultural topics to identify differences and similarities.
Activities in Tallinn: Visit of the National Park Laheema and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu which was awarded for its digitalization. A team training in a Velcro herald and a farewell dinner in a replica Viking village rounded off the meeting.
The German school took two students with mild autism. Both have been able to integrate. The teacher meetings were also very positive and constructive.

Module C3 “Importance of culture for the quality of private and job life” took place in Osnabrück, Germany. The students had made surveys on the above mentioned topic in the city centers of their hometown and presented them e.g. as a video street interview. There was a “scavenger hunt” through Osnabrück to get to know the city. The highlight of the week was the implementation and analysis of a cultural activity. For this, the German students chose the company Zeitseeing, which works closely with the city of Osnabrück.
Activities in Osnabrück: a historical guided tour of the city, a visit to the theater, typical Sunday coffee, a visit to the Christmas market, a visit to the cathedral, decorating the Christmas tree and an international evening.

Modules C4 and C5 could not be held due to the Corona Pandemic. In regular online meetings, the teacher teams of the partner countries gave a lot of thought to how things could continue digitally. The different regulations of the governments, the preconditions at schools or also the private equipment with technology prevented a progress.

Despite the premature end of the project, it should be noted that the participating students have a more versatile view of the concept of culture in the long term, which was confirmed by a survey. They were able to strengthen their linguistic and media skills. Friendships have been formed. They have discovered that young people in Europe have similar interests and values.

Project Website

https://euthruculture.jimdofree.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 114865,47 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berufsbildende Schulen der Stadt Osnabrück Am Pottgraben & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Jüri Gümnaasium
• Lycée Savary de Mauléon
• X. gimnazija Ivan Supek
• GPChE /Foreign language school/ “Aleko Konstantinov”