EUthopia: Using Memories to Construct the Future of Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

EUthopia: Using Memories to Construct the Future of Europe

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Creativity and culture; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

The title of the project “EUthopia: Using Memories to Construct the Future of Europe” provides the main idea of the project – we have to learn about the past of our countries, about the time when the EU was formed to construct the future of the EU. Every generation should be aware of the ideals behind the concept of the EU to fight the upcoming populist ideas and to construct the vision of the future of the EU.
The project aims at one of the EU priorities: open education and innovative practices in a digital era, including civic engagement and responsible citizenship, creativity and culture, as well as ICT – new technologies and digital competences.
During the first year of our project partner schools will explore the history of their particular countries by interviewing elderly people about their life in the 1950s- 1970ies. The interview questions will be similar in all the countries, interviews will be videotaped and texts will be translated into English. The output will be uploaded onto the eTwinning platform and it will be presented to the local communities. Students and teachers will learn about debate skills. And one of the activities included in the project is organizing debates, as well as panel discussions and a conference. Students will develop empathy towards older generations and other cultures. In addition, they will develop communication and management skills.
During the second year the focus will be on constructing the future of Europe. Students under the guidance of teachers will work creatively to visualize the development of Europe. The tangible output of this stage will be a travelling exhibition, thus the results will be available to the local communities. Another output that will have a longer lifecycle is a virtual textbook that will compile the materials worked out by the participants.
One of the important and innovative elements of this project lies on long-term mobilities, which will take an essential role in giving EUthopia its desired European dimension by extending face-to-face collaboration throughout the funded time of the project. Our project will also benefit from the European sharing platforms like eTwinning, SEG and will provide all participants with the mobility document EuroPass.
The following objectives have been set forward:
-teachers will develop their professional skills and competences.
Teachers involved in the project will share experience in inclusive teaching and self-directed learning or independent learning. The knowledge and skills acquired will be presented to the respective school community, as well as to professional associations of teachers. Thus, the best teaching-learning practices will be shared internationally (Open education and innovative practices).
– students will improve their foreign language skills, IT skills, and communication skills through European perspective.
Students directly involved in the project activities will improve basically their English, but also Italian, Spanish, and German skills as they will have to communicate in English with all the partners via the Internet and face-to-face during international meetings. There will be some long-term exchanges and these students will improve their language skills in those particular countries. Moreover, a much bigger number of students will have a possibility of improving their foreign language skills because project activities will be integrated into school everyday routine. As for IT skills, students will present interviews, textbook, expositions in a virtual form (ICT – new technologies – digital competences).
– local communities will learn more about particular EU partner countries.
Students will tackle such issues as stereotypes, populism, gender equality, plastic pollution, closing generation gap by interviewing their grandparents; creating video interviews and expositions; learning to debate (Civic engagement / responsible citizenship)
Students will learn about culture by creating a role play on a particular topic; participating in a drama performance (Creativity and culture)
In conclusion it should be mentioned that the project will have a great impact on the local and international level. Students and teachers will have gained new knowledge and developed their skills and competences. The expected tangible results of the project: virtual textbook, video interviews, travelling exposition will ensure dissemination and sustainability of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 164854 Eur

Project Coordinator

Liepajas Valsts 1.Gimnazija & Country: LV

Project Partners

• Johann-Comenius-Schule Thesdorf
• I.I.S.S. “Alessandro Greppi”
• Hadsel videregående skole og fagskole
• IES Gabriel Alonso de Herrera