Linking the Dots… Ltd Erasmus Project

Project Title

Linking the Dots… Ltd

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: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Creativity and culture; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Linking the dots…Ltd

The title given to the project contains its main aim. Material and immaterial European cultural heritage consists of closely linked visible, but more often invisible dots which, if analysed, lead to a shared web constituting our common roots. Students, often diverted by virtual worlds, tend to lose contact and the idea of the importance of these roots and the beauty they hide from those who do not care about them. The project’s basic goal was to make the students aware of the cultural treasures which surround them, mainly focusing on the lesser known ones. By comparing their own “cultural dots” with the partners’ heritage they discovered that one thing leads to another and that we live on the threads of a common web. The acronym ‘Ltd’ recalls economy, in fact our aim was also to make the students think about how the human capital can turn the material and immaterial cultural heritage into a sustainable and responsible economic capital/value.
The 4 schools from Hildesheim (D), Cesena (I), Benalmadena (E) and Troyes (F) directly involved about 500 students from 12-15 considering the mobilities and activities before, during and after the LTTs. They were, are and will be spreaders of their new knowledge/attitudes/ways of reasoning to all other students at the schools. Teachers, families, experts and local/national/international organizations/authorities/institutions/enterprises contributed to reach Ltd’s objectives.
Ltd was divided into 5 parts, each consisting of 3 stages. Stage 1: knowledge of the own heritage. Every partner dealt with 2 topics/places related to the own territory and researched them with the help of experts and local networks. At this stage a direct method was used, where students could learn through senses, by observing and experiencing to feel in oder to be involved and motivated. Stage 2: At LTTs, student representatives compared the studied heritage discovering common features and mutual influences, thus developing a sense of belonging and cohesion. They made presentations, had discussions, shared knowledge, focused on similarities, taok part in in-/outdoor labs and workshops, set up exhibitions/events, created and collected material for dissemination, provided ideas and suggestions for later activities. They played an active role and reasoning, fostering a critical thinking, making inferences/decisions were the basic methods enabling them to gain a feeling of curiosity and sensitivity. They also shared examples of good practice regarding how to give value to the minor sites which deserve to be better known, so cooperation and peer work were of great importance, too.
Stage 3: Partners disseminated, implemented and transfered their new experiences and knowledge in their own countries. They also considered entrepreneurial aspects and possibilities of marketing the cultural heritage in an ethically correct way. Communication and advertising were carried out through channels like flyers, brochures, posters, exhibitions, a boardgame and the use of new technologies like videos, digital presentations, website, QRcodes, an App. At this stage more practical methods were necessary to enable the students to learn by doing, especially by using ICT. The produced materials were used for dissemination, too.
There were tangible and non-tangible results:
-students broadened their knowledge of the material and immaterial heritage which surrounds them and developed the awareness that there are a lot of dots which when linked, create a sense of common identification among the European countries
-they achieved a sense of responsibility for the preservation of their cultural heritage
-critical thinking was fostered by direct experience, analysis, discussion, comparison
-they practised and improved their skills in foreign languages, creating handiwork, presenting topics/ideas and the use of ICT,
-they thought about and experienced the potential opportunities given by the material and immaterial heritage which surrounds them.
All the four countries are rich in cultural heritage, so there was an important impact on the students who often do not know it. They were surprised when discovering the potential that their territory offers and the possibilities they had to link the dots by exporting and importing the knowledge and beauty of their sites/culture/traditions/food.
All that surely turns and still will turn into long-term benefits as the new generations developed and will develop an entrepreneurial mentality. Students learnt that future possibilities can come from the re-evaluation of the past, that a new sensitivity is necessary for the preservation of our shared heritage and that they belong to a European community as they have a common background. Moreover, they found a motivation to gain knowledge, become more autonomous, better at foreign languages and using ICT.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 99663 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Marienschule Hildesheim & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Association Cours Saint-François de Sales
• Instituto de educación Secundaria ARROYO DE LA MIEL
• FURNESS ACADEMIES TRUST
• Scuola Secondaria di 1° grado “Viale della Resistenza”