International Remembrance Erasmus Project

Project Title

International Remembrance

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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

Our project aims to keep a long running international partnership going, that has benefited 100s of children across many different nations over 20 years. After such a long partnership with Germany we wanted to give the project new life, include a new international dimension with Belgium which will include new experiences but at the same time keeping the ethos the same.
The project includes two particularly poignant trips. One to Ypres including Diksmude & one to Reepham for the International Remembrance Day service. Around Ypres we all visit WW1 battlefields, museums & cemeteries. All pupils work together on the tasks. At each place we gather as an international group, read out a speech about our project aims; peace. Pupils also spend free time together on this trip at the youth Hostel playing football, ping pong & eating together. On both trips staff & pupils visit the host school, see how it & lessons work; get a feel for school life. Staff observe teaching in the classroom, on the visits & discuss different teaching techniques. All pupils prepare or are part of presentations at the school either on our chosen theme or the local area. Belgian pupils prepare extra presentations in English for us to listen to a some of the sites we visit e.g Peace tower or Trenches of Death.
This project has always been a multi dimensional project including citizenship, history, Friendship & peace. We now want to further promote a greater sense of European responsibility along with a shared sense of global citizenship, becoming more effective global citizens. The principal aim of our project is to reinforce to pupils that a study of history can help their understanding of the present. We want this project to help them gain a much fuller knowledge of the economic & political circumstances that help shape our lives in the 21stC & how the world, especially the EU is changing. Through this we want to further consolidate a professional & personal rapport between the schools so that the project can be sustained after the conclusion of the initial Erasmus+ funding. We want to see not just great working practice but also friendships being built between staff & pupils, which will be an indicator for sustainability.
For staff, this project is great professional development, as it will give staff new & different responsibility, leadership & management skills & new ways of thinking & teaching. So it will raise the standard of teaching & learning in each school. The materials exchanged will show the importance of learning from history, learn that there is no glory in war & that it is the responsibility of the future generations, as global citizens to work together for peace. Lessons & resources will especially focus on overcoming historically based prejudices; will promote tolerance & celebration of all cultures. A keen focus will be the issue of refugees, immigration (past & present) & EU politics, much of which comes with many prejudices which need to be combated early on; making our pupils & staff global ambassadors for the future of Europe. The staff involved will all be role models to this aim; enthuse & empathise with many pupils about it. With these excellent teaching resources & experiences under their belt staff will be able to further enhance the curriculum of many departments & have a wider effect on more pupils of all age groups.
This project aims to enrich pupils education & life; give them new experiences &create friendships across Europe. Both schools teach 20thC history so we will collaborate on teaching & learning strategies that engender an appreciation of this & economics & politics with a recognition that present day situations throughout the world have parallels in past occurrences. Very importantly we want pupils to be able to empathise with past events & through their work together see that without an understanding of history we are more likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. All pupils will work with the community & Veterans attempting to bridge the gap with the older generation, combating further prejudices & establishing a better sense of community.
We will focus on different pupil skills especially; Communication & collaborative working. There will be an exposure to different languages & homes as well as appreciation of cultural differences & the establishment of friendships to overcome prejudice. We want to foster qualities of leadership; give pupils opportunities to demonstrate this through the international group work.
We believe that the 21stC is still an almost blank canvas upon which our young people will write. In some small way, we have contributed over the past 20 years with similar collaborations with German & Belgian schools & so want to continue to contribute to the overall aim of young people across the world working together for a time when peace will be more important that conflict & self-interest, when young people in tomorrow’s Europe are both historically & politically more aware.

Project Website

http://twitter.com/RHSCYpres?s=09

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 8880 Eur

Project Coordinator

Synergy Multi Academy Trust T/A Reepham High School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ‘t Saam Campus Aloysius