Europe is culture Erasmus Project

Project Title

Europe is culture

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: Creativity and culture; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage

Project Summary

Cultural heritage represents one of the most important hallmarks of Europe, so it must be valued and protected for transmission to future generations. In this sense, a firm commitment must be made to the preservation of the historical, artistic and natural heritage from an early age. This approach was the origin of the KA229 “europ@es.cultura” project, which has been carried out jointly between CEIP Príncipe de Asturias of Almansa (Spain) and “Istituto Comprensivo IV” of Frosinone (Italy). These two educational centres stand out in a long participation in European projects and both belong to two close European countries in terms of language, history and cultural custom. The project, like many others, has been marked by the pandemic. The closure of schools affected the established plans, suspending physical mobilities and paralyzing planned activities. However, determined to go ahead with the project, the extension of its duration was requested, the activities were reorganized and virtual mobilities were carried out due to the impossibility of doing them physically.
Despite the difficulties arising from the health crisis, the objectives established in this strategic association have been satisfactorily achieved, which have led to the knowledge of the cultural and natural heritage of Europe, Spain and Italy, Almansa and Frosinone, strengthening ties of union and incorporating ICT for this task. Although all students from both educational centres have participated in one or another way, the students called “cultural ambassadors”, selected among 11-12 year old students, have had a more direct implication in the project activities, receiving a specific cultural training and intervening in virtual mobilities as representatives of their respective schools. After the reorganization of the project, the main activities have consisted in: 1) elaboration of a giant mural on the European heritage, Spain and Italy, Almansa and Frosinone; 2) exchange of knowledge and experiences through virtual mobilities; 3) cultural training of cultural ambassadors through videos, presentations and digital cultural games; and 4) transmission of the knowledge acquired by the cultural ambassadors to the rest of the students of their schools.
As a result of the project, the giant mural made in each participating schools stands out for its visual and informative display, with maps, drawings, photographs and explanatory texts of the most representative monuments and natural places of the European heritage, Spain and Italy, Almansa and Frosinone. Besides, a booklet has been designed in each participating centre with colouring pictures and brief descriptions of the historical and natural heritage of each locality, an online questionnaire has been carried out to check the European cultural knowledge in students, a video on the monuments of Europe and a game about the cultural and natural heritage of Europe, Spain and Italy. As an outstanding contribution of the project, it should be noted that all these materials prepared to work the cultural and natural heritage could be used in other educational centres. Although these results are remarkable, the most outstanding ones have been reached on an intangible level, reflected mainly in the learning acquired by the students in terms of cultural knowledge and significantly among the cultural ambassadors. In addition, the development of communicative competence in their own language and in the English foreign language has been achieved in these ambassadors; as well as the development of digital competence through the management of ICT tools. Also, the motivation, enjoyment and involvement of the students in a common project has been increased, but above all the development of positive attitudes of awareness towards the conservation of the cultural and natural heritage.
The results of the project have been disseminated among the educational community through social networks and audiovisual, written and digital communication media, as well as to other organizations and educational centres in the participating towns. Given the benefits and achievements completed, the long-term sustainability of the project is anticipated, expanding the specific cultural training to the rest of the students at the different levels of the participating schools. Thus, it is expected that after participation in the project, methodological changes will be introduced in the teaching and learning of the social sciences, taking a chance on a manipulative and digital approach, so that students can achieve a more significant learning. Last, but not least, we expect we will contribute to maintaining a necessary awareness of protection and conservation of cultural and natural heritage in students from early educational stages.

Project Website

https://www.coleprincipe.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 12078 Eur

Project Coordinator

CEIP PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS & Country: ES

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO FROSINONE IV