Friends Across the Water Erasmus Project

Project Title

Friends Across the Water

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Pedagogy and didactics; Energy and resources

Project Summary

Friends Across the Water was an innovative project that got children the chance to understand and comment on an important issue affecting Europe in our time – the migration crisis. History can see this event as a turning point for Europe and it is important for children to be aware of problems and possible consequences and to share their concerns and feelings about the crisis in Europe. Our history was a journey from conflict to the dangers of crossing the seas, cultural immersion and resettlement. It is a two-way process of visiting and receiving. Water is a friend, but it can be an enemy. When we are writing this summary, many other migrants drowned, including children. They hear this message and have to come to terms with disasters. Our project was created thanks to a group of different schools from different parts of Europe who work with children to find out what concerns them in Europe where they live. The goals concerned children, learning them and strengthening the profile of the teaching profession. We gave the children a voice on matters that concern them, in accordance with the recommendations of the UNESCO Child Rights Act. We analyzed the issue of migration by researching and strengthening public awareness of the role of migrants in our lives and economy (the results of the surveys allowed us to conduct awareness lessons, promote films showing the difficult situation of migrants, and practical actions allowed us to identify with the immigrant’s fate). We have carried out a lot of activities to raise awareness of the role and legitimacy of intelligent use of water, to develop and identify common values ​​for children, to help prepare schools and countries to deal with the reality of migration, improve teaching and learning of schools and develop aspects such as meta-cognition, information feedback and research and pedagogy associated with them to strengthen the profile of the teaching profession by exchanging, sharing and developing good practices, supporting teachers’ skills in dealing with an increasingly diverse student community, supporting staff in developing leadership skills to cope with changes in at local, national and European level to raise awareness of the impact of people on their own environment.
Participants were selected with concern due to the variety they offer in the history of the project. We start with Turkey and travelled around Europe to Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, who have problems with the migration of talents, moving to Portugal, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Greece. A truly varied mix of experiences enriched this project. Participants also have experience in international projects, giving these ambitious projects really big chances for great success.
Our activities were equally exciting, creative and innovative. Art and drama were used to study conflict and war. It is transferring to the danger of water and crossings and how to value water. The children had a unique perspective of water as a friend and enemy. Change is a key aspect. Climate change is associated with a change in supporting and managing diverse cultures, both accepting differences and celebrating culture and values. Research projects carried out by children were very powerful as a learning tool. We trained employees in leadership skills to manage the project, and to conduct meta-cognition as a tool to develop learning. The children have prepared welcome packages for newcomers in schools, which will enable them to integrate better. This will allow children to learn about their own culture and what distinguishes it. At the end, we told the story, considering peace . How is it achieved and how can it be celebrated through dramas, art and music? All this has been made available and stored on the professional website of our project, etwinning and individual websites run by individual schools, available to everyone. They contain amazing project details that can be widely disseminated as part of the project and beyond.
The impact of the project is huge. Children as scientists are innovative, developing practical metacognition is certainly far-reaching. Giving children a voice about this emotional problem was fascinating, and combining all this with UN child rights is crucial for any European work on the subject of the child and school. Long-term and short-term impact will be felt by children, their schools and teachers. We are sure that pedagogy will grow rapidly in all schools, because the subject itself has aroused great interest and caused a lot of changes in students, teachers, but also in the local community.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 116375 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkola Podstawowa im. Kornela Makuszynskiego & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Vilela
• Liceul Teoretic ELF
• Lazdiju Motiejaus Gustaicio gimnazija
• Mondial College
• FATIH IMAM HATIP ORTAOKULU
• Sredno uchilishte “Petko R. Slaveykov”
• 9dnioniasmagnhsias