From Image to Mutual Understanding Erasmus Project

Project Title

From Image to Mutual Understanding

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: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Social dialogue; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The Project „From Image to Mutual Understanding” is based on sharing knowledge and searching for values common for Polish and French students. The project continues cooperation between Gimnazjumnr 4 in Krotoszyn and College Tiraqueau in Fontenay-le-Comte which originated in 2011. Project activities have been directed to exchange experience in the field of common cultural values, neutralize stereotypes and develop abilities to create assets from the wealth of diversity for European community. The project meets the needs of the teachers and students and the main objective of it is to strengthen and sustain cooperation between our schools with emphasis of cultural education. The creation of innovative program for development of media competences, which revolves around image, would serve everyone who participates in modern communication which uses, above all else, the hegemony of visual message.
Both schools are located in the areas, which bring together families with difficult financial situation who have less chance to provide for their children’s general development. The schools understand that they have to be active in the fields beyond the scope of their fundamental assignments. The topic of the image in films and comics as the mean to explore the culture of both countries appeals to the youth.
The role of the project is to encourage students to critical thinking about the images provided by media: comics (France) and films (Poland). Each of the partners brings their vision and culture for the project to succeed. Each of the partners takes charge of the certain media image according to their knowledge.
Two short-term mobilities of four teachers and two short-term mobilities of twenty-seven from each part students were organized. The first one took place in Poland and was centered around film, and the second – comics in France, both with the main topic of neutralizing stereotypes about partners’ background. The students attended the workshops with local artists to learn about chosen forms of creativity and after that they became creators themselves. They created their original films and comics which dealt with stereotypes in perception of Polish and French people. The outcome of their work was be presented at the exhibition and film festival. Moreover there were two international project meetings planned to set the rules and evaluate the cooperation as well as to contribute to the exchange of best practices in media education.
The presentation of the results of the students work (film festival and exhibition) as well as the conference after completing the project were opportunities to exchange afterthoughts about the media and social problems in both countries. They became the chance to confront the problems for whole local community, which led to nurture international relations and European cooperation.
Multiple results of the project guaranteed effective realization of the project’s aims as well as were attractive to students. Film festival about the reflection of Polish and French nations and comics exhibition with the same topic were held. The publication about media education and other articles reporting realization of project stages respectively were shared online.
Multiple long-run effects were visible in acquiring competences to consciously understand media images and to efficiently communicate through images above differences.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 53785 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkola Podstawowa nr 8 z Oddzialami Dwujezycznymi im. Marii Sklodowskiej-Curie & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Collège André Tiraqueau