Especial Friends For Especial Students Erasmus Project

Project Title

Especial Friends For Especial Students

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Pedagogy and didactics; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

“Especial Friends For Especial Students” is a project coordinated by Sweden in partnership with Poland, Turkey, Lithuania and Italy, on a span of 24 months.
It is an undeniable fact that alternative types of therapy are sometimes the best way to achieve improvement in the case of children facing certain problems, like in the case of children diagnosed to be in the autistic spectrum, suffering from attention deficit, behavioral issues, developmental, speech and learning impediments, but also psychiatric setbacks. One of the most widely accepted ways of dealing with these issues is finding support in animal assisted therapy.

The targeted objectives are:
To aid learning issues related to reading, speech, mathematics and social skills for the individuals in need of specific educational help (mentally, emotionally, cognitive, behaviorally and physically);
To increase the level of teachers` competences regarding the European dimension by acknowledging the importance of accepting animals into the educative aspect;
To insert animal – supported educational programs into the frame curriculum, where the taught discipline allows it;

The number of teachers taking part in learning, teaching and training activities (LTTA) will be of five from each school. Special education teachers, teachers working with students with disabilities, psychiatrists and staff applying animal assisted education in the future will be absolutely needed for the transnational meeting sessions. 80 mobilities (20 mobilities per school) will be assigned to this project for the next two years.

The targeted activities of this project are:
Partner school presentations, also their cities and countries;
Discussions and interviews with therapists and parents of students with disabilities;
Dog- assisted therapy;
Equine assisted interventions;
Dolphin assisted therapy;
Classroom educational activities integrating animal assistance
Developing teaching and learning activities using birds, rabbits and fishes;
Designing applicable and fruitful lesson plans based on animal assisted activities;
Exchanges of good practices.

The methods used for working with the partners:
Therapy programs;
Observation;
Team-work;
Sharing examples of good practice;
Teaching using innovative and modern approaches;
Interviews;
Seminars;
Surveys.

The applicable targeted outcomes are:
For the students that will come in contact with animals such as equines, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, birds and fishes:
Self-regulation of feelings and emotions, increase of the self-worth and self-esteem attitude, imply a sense of calm, comfort and safety, divert attention from stressful situations related to depression or anxiety;
Expanding the abilities to listen, understand and pay attention of students with special needs;
A better positive social attitude of the students will be easily observed
The beneficiary students will make good use of the opportunities offered by this project through enhancing their motivation, coordination, fine motor skills, social interaction and communication with peers and adults with the help of animal assisted activities;
Special needs students will benefit from cognitive, emotional, physical and social points of view from using animal assisted education;
The educators will focus on using the best ways of including the animal assisted interventions into the educational environment while carrying out different activities;
The extracurricular dimension targeted by the activities of this project take into consideration the buildup of academic, emotional development, civic engagement and equitable opportunities aspects.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 138975 Eur

Project Coordinator

Vanstaskolan & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Panevezio Saltinio progimnazija
• Mimar Sinan Ortaokulu
• Istituto Comprensivo Pasquale Mattej
• PUBLICZNA SZKOLA PODSTAWOWA Z ODDZIALEM PRZEDSZKOLNYM IM. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO W PILSZCZU STOWARZYSZENIA NA RZECZ EDUKACJI I KULTURY W PILSZCZU