European Values in Action – Boosting the European Community Spirit Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Values in Action – Boosting the European Community Spirit

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Social dialogue; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

A growing nationalism can be observed in many European countries. Accordingly, the understanding of democracy is put to the test and belief in the EU as an institution is increasingly at risk. In surveys in the classroom it became clear that there are many prejudices against the EU. As a result, the EU is an abstract construct for many students, resulting from ignorance. The transfer of knowledge is limited to theoretical content within the class network. Many pupils have never crossed their own national borders and therefore their perspective is nationally limited. Unknown facts stir up fears and thus often create a breeding ground for racist and extremist perspectives. We try to counter these restricted perspectives through authentic exchanges between members from different European countries – Slovakia, Italy and Romania – through action-oriented methods.
Moreover, the performing arts offers opportunities to implement these topics creatively and thus enable the students to gain new access to otherwise theoretical topics. By working together on the project topic “European Values in Action”, the students of the individual countries have the opportunity to experience the possibilities of the EU first hand. The aim of the project is to promote empathy and understanding between the members of the different European countries. The students should have the opportunity to develop a sense of belonging and to experience the European Union as a community of shared values. A cognitive goal is to better understand the knowledge of the European structures and the effects and working methods of the EU. Another goal relates more to the personal development of the participants. The project should give them a chance to develop a friendly and tolerant attitude towards other people. They should be able to feel safe in this community and learn that differences (linguistic, cultural and geographical) can also be an enrichment. This strengthens the belief in the EU as a peace-keeping institution and ensures its continued existence. 15 students from each country will participate in the project. This means that 60 students in total will take place in the mobilities.However, during each visit the whole school community will be involved because the results will be presented to all of them. For each visit 5 students per country will travel. Consequently, 15 foreign students and 15 local students will meet in each country. This group size permits effective work and an optimised realisation of the project, with the possibility to tailor the tasks/ project units to each individual pupil´s needs.
The first country – Romania – is devoted to basic knowledge about the EU as an institution by. The second country – Slovakia – deals more closely with the topic of values and identity. The school in Germany sets itself the task of illuminating migration and integration and the last country – Italy – is critically concerned with the topic of borders and expansion. At the end of each visit there will be a performance/exhibtion to present results. These are worked out on stage by the students in the form of a drama as well as short performances in other areas of creative arts such as videos and plastic arts. Therefore, the presentations will spread the students work to a wider public (the school community and the local community) who can attend the presentations. The presentations will be recorded and will be made available online. Working together among students from different countries also gives them the opportunity to get in touch with other members of the European Union and work on a topic that affects everyone equally. This is the best way to learn that all students connect more than separate. Furthermore, the English language serves as a lingua franca enabling the students to not only communicate with each other, but also to improve their English skills as such.The theater method enables the pupils to get in touch with each other in a very cooperative and creative way and already practice the project goals, the development of courtesy and tolerance.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 101292 Eur

Project Coordinator

IGS Sophie Sondhelm & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Gymnazium Ludovita Stura, 1. maja 2, Trencin
• Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 113
• Istituto Comprensivo “Melanzio-Parini”