European Citizenship and sustainable development in Sweden and the Netherlands Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Citizenship and sustainable development in Sweden and the Netherlands

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

This exchange contributes to a lot of different things.
It is primarily set to exchange the geographical projects of both the contributing countries, but since the used language is English there will be a huge boost to the language skills of both students and teachers.

The geographical project in Sweden is the explanation and “live” experience of the program of rescuing the south coast of Skåne from erosion. There is a lighthouse literary 1 kilometer of the shore because of that. In the Netherlands the students have a excursion alongside the river Ijssel, where you can see how the Dutch control the water, with locks (sluices) and basins to contain the water in case of high tide.
Both excursions are part of the normal curriculum for the students of the country where it takes place, but it is an asset that the foreign students participate. Through their eyes the project is set in a new light.

On the field of language skills there is an important debate for the students. Both schools participate in the Model European Parliament, so the students are used to debate, but in their own country of course they debate in their native language. So this is something new for them.
In recent years we debated on topics like Pim Fortuyn and Anna Lindh, the habits of Dutch youth to throw litter in the streets in contrast to the Swedish youth who can’t even imagine that a person will do something like that. This year Climate Change and the roll model Greta Thunberg will be one of the topics, as will be the difference between emigrants and refugees.
These differences and similarities between Sweden and the Netherlands (cultural, current and more historically embedded) subjects place them in the larger context of European and Global Citizenship.

Furthermore the Swedish teachers tell the Dutch students about Swedish democracy and democratization, the Swedish alcohol and drug policy and the Swedish landscape in historical perspective.
The Dutch students experience a government provided and therefor free school lunch. They stay at the homes of their Swedish host families and learn traditions like taking off your shoes at the door, and “fika” a sort of snack between meals.
The Dutch teachers tell the Swedish students about living in a small country with a lot of inhabitants, the Dutch view on democracy, the drug and alcohol policy and so on.
The Swedish students stay at the homes of their Dutch host families and experience traveling to school for sometimes 20 kilometers, eating a lot of bread (no school lunch!).
In other words: it is a meaningful experience for all.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 7500 Eur

Project Coordinator

CSG Dingstede & Country: NL

Project Partners

• S:t Petri skola