Finding European Identity through Education and Intercultural Dialogue between European Citizens Erasmus Project

Project Title

Finding European Identity through Education and Intercultural Dialogue between European Citizens

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The project’s idea emerged from the needs and interests of students, teachers and local communities for broadening the knowledge about Europe,emphasising cultural heritage that contributes to the feeeling of belonging to European community.The partnership aimed at facilitating cohesion in various fields starting from this knowledge to finding practical ways of improving students achievements in education and making them life long learners.Not only those with the highest results, but opening the door for less and more gifted, to migrants and native citizens, to poor and rich, to students of different interests and talents in order to communicate and collaborate.The partnership realized that building a positive relationship with pupils and giving them the chance to be creative,engaged and express views since the early ages, would prevent escapism and lack of understanding.The objectives of the project focused on rising the level of knowledge about European cultural heritage and its value due to cultural collaboration of schools and the development of social, communicative, organizational, linguistic, ICT, cultural awareness and citizenship competences among students, teachers, community, school staff.Students gained the attitudes of openness,cognitive curiosity, built motivation, developed creativity, self-esteem and engagement also on the primary level of education.The objectives comprised finding innovative ways of building bridges between European citizens and schools- culturally, socially, educationally diverse,supporting students of all backgrounds, personalities, abilities and skills in order to achieve success.We wanted to be open to social problems,acting against social isolation, in favour of social inclusion, in respect to early school leaving and disadvantage, expanding critical thinking, building self-esteem, building and maintaining motivation, finding one’s identity, establishing relationship between students, parents and local community.Teachers exchanged experience, enriched their workshops and acquired methods of incorporating cultural heritage and various approaches to this topic in regular classes. Each partner built a European potential, visible for communities. Consequently, marked the start of long – term changes in the quality of education. The activities in the form of workshops (also with the cooperation of external institutions), field trips, experts’ visits were planned, carried out by teachers of different subjects and incorporated students of various age groups and with diverse skill,also learning obstacles, different cultural and social background. This added authenticity to the worked out results such as posters, logos, presentations, albums, online puzzles, maps, quizzes and books, recordings, tutorials (all used as teaching aids), also eTwinning projects, lesson scripts, a future program of classes on European cultural heritage.Moreover, project participants organized or were involved in School Open Days, ErasmusDays, conferences,fairs, meetings and open lessons. Intangible results constitute gained knowledge on cultural heritage of Europe, experience of broadened cultural awareness by project participants, building European schools’ potential, competencies in the field of language acquisition, organization, ICT, social and civic aspects, preparation, implementation and dissemination of international projects, social and problem-solving competencies, establishing copperation with other educational institutions, cultural centres, musuems, libraries, training centres, with local governments.The school staff will use obtained knowledge of international cooperation in terms of projects and agreements, developed ICT, social and linguistic skills.Project engagement and successful students’ performance will cause the increase of awareness and support for schools among parents and community. Gained social, organizational and linguistic competences will make them more fluent in decision taking, maintaining motivation and being more communicative Developed ICT competences will give more confidence in working with modern tools and cultural awareness along with the rise of knowledge about the cultural heritage of Europe will make them aware of belonging to the European society. They will serve as educational aids for all interested groups and schools because of being licensed under Creative Commons. Teachers’ development of competences will enrich their workshop and make them respond more direct to students’ needs, ideas, problems.Teachers will include worked out results in their lessons and an innovative program on the cultural heritage of Europe for 2021/2022. Our schools’ development plans will integrate the topic of the cultural heritage of Europe and diversify the range of curriculum content. This will be the sign for other teachers and institutions to join the projects and integrate project actions into daily classes.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 149872,19 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkoła Podstawowa nr 31 im. Orła Białego & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas D. João I
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO GALILEO GALILEI
• COLEGIO PÚBLICO INFANTIL Y PRIMARIA Nº9. LAS CULTURAS.
• Kelmes rajono Kraziu Zygimanto Liauksmino gimnazija
• Scoala Gimnaziala Numarul 5