Learning, Applying, Studying together in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Learning, Applying, Studying together in Europe

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; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

At our participating schools, the students in grades 9 and 10 are often not very motivated as they do not yet have a professional goal in mind. This lack of orientation has a negative impact on their performance at school, which in turn ultimately leads to them having a rather limited choice of possible occupations and study programs. This could also be due to the lack of implementation of vocational orientation in many school curricula in Europe. Additionally, young people are increasingly expected to be far more flexible in their choice of career and residency than generations before them as a result of globalization. In order to compete on the international job market, intercultural skills and sound foreign language skills are indispensable.
The aim of the project was that the students develop long-term career perspectives in order to sustainably prepare themselves for their professional life. They were able to recognize their professional opportunities both at home and abroad and as well able to apply to universities and jobs across Europe. Through the joint work on the project (for example, job market research), the students improve their intercultural skills and their knowledge of foreign languages.
Teachers also extended their professional horizons by exchanging information with their colleagues. One goal was to evaluate and, where it was necessary, optimize the professional orientation at the participating schools.
20 young people and at least four teachers participated in this project from each school. The students were mainly 10th graders so they can accompany the two years of the project before graduation. In order to reduce the accumulated loss of education due to the time spent abroad, and to save costs, each student participated in the respective activities in their home country and only one learning and teaching activity abroad.
The project involved schools from three different countries, which differ greatly in terms of school structure, professional orientation and student clientele, which allowed a wide range of learning. Each learning and teaching activity had a different focus.
The KGS Sittensen has an extensive professional orientation concept with a well functioning external school network. Therefore, the first learning and teaching activity was focused on the subject of professional orientation. Each country presented its own professional orientation concept and the students started with their own application portfolio. The well-developed external school network was used to enable meetings with companies, experts and training facilities in the field of logistics and commerce. The topic of the second learning and teaching activity was the significance of foreign languages in the job market and was held in France. The economy in Cherbourg is shaped by its maritime setting. Furthermore, many foreign languages are taught at this school, therefore the focus was on the significance of foreign languages in and around the harbour. During this, two educational institutions – the Lycée maritime and the Intechmer de Tourlaville – were explored along with the businesses in the harbour. During the final meeting in Elblag, Poland, the situation of young people on the job markets of the three participating countries was assessed and the application portfolios were finalised. Because Elblag features interesting career paths especially in the tourism sector, the main focus of the joint activities was on tourism.
As our methodological approach we chose the process and product orientation which were linked with each other. The students prepared various products in trinational groups during which they were also recording their work process and to reflect on it in order to train their capacities for teamwork and autonomous learning. The products that were to be prepared were an application portfolio and a movie. The movie also documented the work process. In order to prepare the products, the students worked alternately in national and trinational groups, mainly in the form of a group puzzle. This methodological approach promotes an increased interaction among the students and will also enhance their foreign language skills.
These products guarantee the sustainability of the project as the students will use both their skills and their portfolios for future applications in Europe. The movie, which is to be presented not only within the schools at various occasions but also on the respective websites of each partnering school, explains the central steps that are to be considered for international applications. Thus, other students can also be motivated to reflect on their career options at home or in other European countries without having participated in the project itself.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 40400 Eur

Project Coordinator

KGS Sittensen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Lycée Victor Grignard
• 4 Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. Komisji Edukacji Narodowej