Erasmus+ An experience with and for Refugees Erasmus Project

Project Title

Erasmus+ An experience with and for Refugees

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: Access for disadvantaged; Integration of refugees; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

From the data provided in 2017, the refugees and migrants crisis in the European Union (EU)is an unprecedented crisis since World War: more than 1.3 million people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea since early 2015.Being the most vulnerable, children were affected in a dramatic way: more than 1500 children have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea and some 10,000 unaccompanied children were missing within our borders (UNICEF-Uprooted).No matter where they are or where they come from, all children have the same rights and need our protection.
This project engaged about 9000 participants in several activities developed such as seminars, questionnaires application (twice), exhibitions,meetings and mobilities. We involved students, teachers and parents from each scool and local authorities. Methologies used were brainstorming, students assemblies and project based learning.
32 Students participated on learning/teaching activities (Portugal, Spain, Germany; Greece, Italy, Hungary),and 7 were disavantaged students (Portugal- 2; Germany-3, Spain-2).14 Teachers participated on Transnational meetings (Portugal, Spain, Germany; Greece, Italy, Hungary),in Spain and Portugal.
The potential longer term benefits are related to the introduction of new contents in geography, history and civics subjects, a better understanding,tolerance and inclusion of refugees on our daily communities activities with no fears or misunderstandings and active citizenship. In the longer term, our schools would look for pupils reaping the rewards of good school experience that become the basis of a successful life.
With this project we improved cooperation and inovation between partners,quality,knowledge,competencies and national and european recognition of the schools,promoting several objectives, that were accomplished with high quality:
-Achievement of relevant and high quality skills and competences
-To promote equality and social inclusion
-To be more aware of the international refugees crises
-To promote the Convention on the Rights of the Child
-To reduce the drop out of schools
-To promote key competences (ICT, linguistic,communication, soft skills)
-To improve English as foreign language
-To promote and develop knwoledge about this subject
-To promote volunteer competences
All the activities were developed but, due to Covid-19 pandemia,the Transnational meeting in Hungary wasn’t done not either the organization of the seminar. The presentation of the book “Erasmus+ An Experience with and for Refugees” was made using social media.Several products were done using ICT, photos,PPT presentations,videos and arts works related to:
-historic, economic, religious and geographic facts related to refugees mobility
-routes that refugees choose to move and their reasons
-personal stories from children refugees
-personal stories from professionals (policy, nurses, doctors, etc) that were on Refugees camps
-international agreements related to refugees mobility
-international politics concerning Refugees Camps or hot spots
-Theatre plays, Newsletters, EU directive
-Improve humanitarian skills:-Colect clothes, food and toys and donate it to refugees children;-Collaborate with NGO institutions that work with this issue
-Seminars and transnational meetings and teaching/Learning activities:
-Share experiences with partner countries (Germany, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Hungary and Spain) about school and community activities concerning refugees
-Apilication of a questionnaire twice,at the beginning and on the 2nd year to know about the community perceptions about refugees
To change perceptions about refugees was our main goal. Participating in activities with refugees like visiting Refugees camps, talking with them, being emphatic with them, will change hearts and will prepare students to be tolerant in the future. On this way students, teachers, staff, parents and community were exposed to different activities like seminars that changed their lives. UNICEF, International Amnesty and NGO’s’s collaborated with us spreading that refugees don’t bring diseases, terrorism or unemployment.
Pupils and teachers, within the three years came in close contact with individuals from the visiting partner schools.Pupils became more outgoing and the project broaden their horizons by giving them the opportunity to be introduced to different cultures and communities.They will also become good European citizens who are respectful to other cultures and tolerant to the differences and diversities in the Union.
The main impacts we expected of the participants are consciousness and awareness about refugees and the role of european countries and communities and how they can act to change the world.We think that the project Erasmus+ An Experience With and For Refugees was a high quality project and a good practice that acomplished all the objectives defined.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 117254 Eur

Project Coordinator

AGRUPAMENTO DE ESCOLAS DE ARRIFANA, SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA & Country: PT

Project Partners

• Szegedi SZC Móravárosi Szakképző Iskola
• Staatliche Realschule Obertraubling
• 13o Gymnasio Patras
• Colegio Montesclaros S.L.
• Circolo Didattico di Zafferana Etnea