Finding your Voice 2 Erasmus Project

Project Title

Finding your Voice 2

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: Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Creativity and culture; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

Over the last few years, the Stedelijke Scholengemeenschap Nijmegen designed a project which was called ‘Finding your Voice’. We managed to set this project up with two partners.
The partnership that we selected for this project experienced parts of ‘Finding your Voice’ and proposed to work together for a sequel and addition to this partnership.

In the current project “Finding your Voice 2” a cooperation of five schools will work together to create a new and innovative teaching methodology to help participating students achieve valuable skills.
After conducting a needs analysis among students and staff we found that there were various fields where our students could need development.

1 Democracy on multiple levels and current events
2 Digital ettiquette and awareness of your digital footprint
3 Trying to teach compassion and insight into the lives of others through cultural exchange

The basis of this project lies in the physical exchange which has been organised by our school with many different partners for over 25 years. During a period of ten days, many foreign students visit our school, and follow workshops and activities in bilateral partnerships. The students get in touch before the physical exchange, and have the opportunity to become acquainted. After the physical exchange to the Netherlands, there is a period of time, after which the physical exchange to a foreign country takes place. In this period of ten days the students also engage in workshops and cultural activities.

We managed to find four partners who were willing to use the partnerships between students to have them engage in workshops and assignments before, during and after the physical exchange to address the focus areas we designated together.

Before the exchange, students will be required to complete several assignments at their own schools, which upon completion will be compared to the results of the same assignments at other schools. Main objectives of these assignments will be the categories as described above. Materials for these assignments will be provided by the coordinating school.

During the physical exchange in the Netherlands and the foreign country we will implement the program “FYV2”. This program will consist of many different workshops and topical seminars which students will attend. The new project will contain several fields that are all related to the focus points of our school and the themes described above.

The main objective is to intensively educate students in current events, have them gather information and do research. In this intensive learning process, participants get to know their partner, work together, and rely on them for input. We would like to have all participants compare their views and opinions together, while being taught about certain subjects in the process. These were presented with innovative teaching methods and audiovisual displays.

The final product in the Netherlands and abroad is a large-scale debate in which students are assigned viewpoints, which they will have to present and defend with the information they have found over the period preceding to it. As follow-up, we would like to introduce the concept of debating about current events and knowledge about democracy into our regular curriculum, creating a bigger impact.

We feel that this setting and level of immersion into the three focus areas we have chosen creates a unique opportunity for all involved students and staff to acquire knowledge and skills that will further them in their (school)careers.

In short, Finding your Voice leads to a unique, transferable methodology with a unique approach which will give an insightful and academic boost to our existing exchange program. Participating students, teachers and associated parties will get great experiences related to valuable areas of focus.

Project Website

http://www.ssgn.nl

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 135830 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stedelijke Scholengemeenschap Nijmegen & Country: NL

Project Partners

• GIMNAZIJA FRANCA MIKLOSICA LJUTOMER
• Szkola Podstawowa nr 1 im. Powstancow Slaskich w Wolowie
• Instituto de Educación Secundaria María Bellido
• Budapest IX. Kerületi Szent- Györgyi Albert Általános Iskola és Gimnázium