FEEL – Future Empowered European Leaders Erasmus Project

Project Title

FEEL – Future Empowered European Leaders

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: Disabilities – special needs; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

‘FEEL – Future Empowered European Leaders’ aims at developing 21st century skills in students and teachers of schools from six different countries through project-based, competence-oriented collaboration, leading to prepare students to be active, responsible European citizens. During the project, young people will reflect on the past and assess the present situation by analyzing hot issues such as the environment, climate change, food, inclusion, artificial intelligence, people and jobs. This will help them to suggest and develop future solutions that can make Europe a happier and healthier continent. It will be reinforced by exploring the situation in different countries, and use debates to discuss pros and cons of such differences. Debating is an innovative educational strategy that allows for enhanced critical thinking, public speaking and delivery of speech.

The project focuses on the development of critical thinking, digital skills, foreign language competences as well as transversal skills: communication, collaboration and creativity. Students will enhance skills needed for future education and work, a sense of intercultural awareness and the importance of values related to diversity and inclusion. These competences are the hallmarks of responsible citizenship, reinforcing opportunities to learners and teachers to become active European citizens.

The project is organised in four major stages, one stage leading to another:
1/ HERITAGE MATTERS (CONNECTING PAST TO PRESENT) dedicated to the past, with discussions based on the common heritage of partner countries. This will broaden students’ understanding of the European diversity.
2/ UNDERSTANDING PAST AND PRESENT TO WRITE FUTURE will focus on relating past to present; students will observe present times and focus on common grounds to build a united future. A portrait of a contemporary, responsible European individual will be created cooperatively.
3/ RESHAPING OUR WORLD will focus on a better future; six divisions of the project ‘FEEL European Company’ will communicate and collaborate on scenarios that will make Europe a better continent to live in.
4/ PLAYING A PART – OUR VOICE FOR EUROPE’S FUTURE will be dedicated to working on the final proposals, making contact with local MEPs and organizing a meeting in a selected EU institution in Brussels to share students’ proposals for future Europe. This will allow dissemination of the students’ ideas to higher authorities, who actually have a say in the formation of Europe.

The project is mainly open to 12 to 16-year old students. Other younger students (schools with primary classes) will be asked to work on selected project tasks. Core groups of around 30-100 students per partner school will be formed. Students of different academic abilities will be involved and encouraged to take part in project activities. About 20 students per school will have the opportunity to attend the meetings abroad. They will not be chosen on an academic basis, but rather through commitment to the project (attendance, meeting deadlines, respect etc). The activities have been planned to cater for inclusion and diversity. Pupils of all abilities and diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds will participate. Best practices in that field will be spread within the entire project group. Being able to know and experience how special needs are dealt with in partner schools, would be a great opportunity for all teachers.

In each partner school, teams of 5-10 teachers will be directly involved throughout the entire project. They will represent different subjects: languages, Philosophy, Ethics, Art, Music, Science, History and ICT. Career counsellors and librarians will join the project teams too.

By the end of this project, it is expected that students will become tolerant and responsible decision-making citizens. Through debates they will nurture rational thinking, organization of thoughts, persuasion and public speaking. New entrepreneurial skills will allow them to be innovative and persistent.

Apart from widening the horizons of participants, all schools will improve the quality of education. They will operate at a transnational level, share and confront practices. Combining physical exchanges with virtual cooperation will make the learning process more enjoyable and meaningful.

We expect a significant interdependence between personal progress of participants and long-term development of schools. Teachers will cooperate closely in order to maximize project impact on school communities. Their experience will be documented with the aim of spreading reusable educational strategies and tools to other educational units. All project materials will be published on social media and the eTwinning platform as the project will be run as an eTwinning project, too. The methodology of the project will be also presented in an eTwinning project kit to be available for any member of the eTwinning community to use or adapt.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 1250 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zespol Szkol Ogolnoksztalcacych Nr 1 im. Jana Nowaka-Jezioranskiego Spolecznego Towarzystwa Oswiatowego & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Garcia, Bragança
• St Theresa College Secondary School
• Sursik skola
• Fundación Dales la Palabra
• COLLEGE FERNIG