Intercultural Volunteer Teenagers’ Awareness Erasmus Project

Project Title

Intercultural Volunteer Teenagers’ Awareness

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Volunteering is a sense of purpose.Volunteering is a work of heart.Volunteering is at the very core of being a human.Volunteering shapes a person’s heart, mind, and soul. Volunteering provides entirely beneficial, life-changing experiences and memories that can be cherished forever – with our project we aim to give our students the opportunity to experience all the benefits of volunteering and the chance to make a real difference. This is a strategic partnership that focuses on increasing volunteering awareness among teenagers, on bringing awareness to international volunteering activities, by creating opportunities with social interaction and inter-cultural dialogue. We aim to do a call for action through raising awareness of volunteerism, adding an incentive to voluntary work, and creating an environment where teenagers can feel the sense of belonging.This project will strengthen the teenager’s appreciation of cultural diversity, sense of initiative and foster their understanding of equality throughout Europe. It will also foster stronger participation of young people in democratic and civic life in Europe, strengthen the European dimension in the participating schools, enhancing their capacity for cross-border cooperation.
The project addresses a target group of teenagers, who are 16-18 years, including teenagers with fewer opportunities.The project also addresses teachers in our schools, who will supervise and take active part in all project activities. We have planned 3 student exchanges and 2 Joint Staff- 60 students and 42 teachers will join the transnational activities. Getting involved in volunteering activities will boost teenagers’ confidence and self-esteem, give them chance to build new skills and to develop the ones they already have, to show initiative, to gain positive mental health/wellbeing. Doing volunteering activities in international teams during transnational meetings(in Special Education Centre, Animal Welfare Association, nursery home for old people, in the kindergarten, recycling plant, National Parks and Reserves) disseminating them, sharing our practices and impressions, being the role models for others will definitely bring awareness to international volunteering activities, will add much international value to all the participants, fostering their internationalisation. Doing environmental volunteering activities outdoors (Santana Madeira Biosfera Heritage, National Park of Cala Mondrago, Cabrera, Dragonera, Serra de Tramuntana(World Heritage Site by UNESCO) will increase participants’ environmental awareness and consciousness, their connection with nature and motivate them to act in a more environmentally-friendly way. Volunteering activities will also address to develop communication in foreign language, social/civic competences, which will help teenagers to become active European citizens, who take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community. In the form of non-formal education project volunteering activities will serve as a vehicle for solidarity, social inclusion, active citizenship and enable teenagers to acquire essential competences that will contribute to their personal and socio-educational development.With in-school activities, we will provide extracurricular learning events for the students. The students will take responsibilities and will turn their ideas into action, which will give them sense of initiative; personal expression, critical thinking. These activities involve preparing Erasmus+ corner/project corner, developing and designing posters and brochures on the topics, making a research on volunteering, preparing presentations about schools, countries, volunteering organisations, volunteering opportunities, preparing debates, developing and designing of our tangible output”Call to Action Guide”, creating of Multilingual Dictionary, Travel Manuals, Erasmus+ Magazines will be created after every LTTA, where students will share their impressions, experiences, opinions, photographs. Project activities/results and outcomes are going to be published on project website, eTwinning/TwinSpace, Erasmus+Project ResultsPlatform, Facebook page, instagram, local newspapers.
The results and impact of this project will be lifelong and will bring enrichment to all the participants, participating organisations and target groups. Volunteering and intercultural awareness will be increased and internationalisation of the participants will be fostered.Teenagers will gain understanding that volunteering provides beneficial and life-changing experiences, gives the opportunity to make a real difference, they will use their civic responsibility, they will gain feeling of being valued/a part of a team, their key competencies will be enhanced, they will build on exciting experiences, help others less fortunate and help environment, they will use their opportunity to give something back to the community – and it is both
challenging and rewarding.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 125178 Eur

Project Coordinator

Køge Business College & Country: DK

Project Partners

• Siauliu sporto gimnazija
• IES ARXIDUC LLUIS SALVADOR
• Escola Básica e Secundária Bispo D. Manuel Ferreira Cabral