Making UNESCO World Heritage Sites Appealing to the Young Erasmus Project

Project Title

Making UNESCO World Heritage Sites Appealing to the Young

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: Creativity and culture; Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The context and background of the project called ‘Making UNESCO World Heritage Sites Appealing to the Young’ reflected upon the fact that 2018 was the European Year of Cultural Heritage, involving the partnership of a Hungarian bilingual secondary school and a British Sixth Form, a UNESCO School, with an international student-teacher community.

The objectives of the project were to bring history, culture and heritage closer to students in forms of real-life, first-hand experiences. As well as practising the English language, empowering the whole community of both schools was a main priority. All the objectives were met, the students of both schools demonstrated high involvment in all the activities which was considered as the most important success of the project.

The two participating schools put great emphasis on the values of history and culture. The students involved were aged 16-18, who possessed enough knowledge and language competence to understand and creatively apply the gained new information. The project was based on an earlier UNESCO related collaboration and two job shadowing visits.

The activities took place throughout the whole year of the project and beyond. There were four one-week long learning events focusing on visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites in both countries and four online topic-based lectures related to national traditions and holidays, in between the visits. The mobilities were the most valuable benefit for the students and the meantime activities helped to deepen the relationship between the participating schools and played an important role in maintaining continuity of the activities.

The main tool for communication between the participants was creating the common website and working on its content together in forms of short films, videos, photos, quizzes, questionnaires, presentations. Both communities also used Messenger chat groups for instant communication especially during the mobilities.

There was a multitude of different kinds of methodology to be used in carrying out the project. Raising awareness of cultural heritage occured in both schools while preparing, implementing and doing the follow-up activities of the project. Motivating the young to discover and appreciate the historical values, find further connections between past and present were done through first-hand learning experiences. Participants adapted the necessary multicultural and social skills, used the English language to communicate in speaking and writing both online and face-to-face. Throughout the project IT skills development and 21st century skills were facilitated, like collaboration and teamwork, creativity and imagination, critical thinking, problem solving. By getting to know invaluable sights of cultural heritage, all participants disseminated positive image of both countries.

In terms of the achieved results of the project, both schools managed to get growing awareness and attention towards world cultural heritage. Tangible results included a common website created by the students (https://szlierasmus.wixsite.com/unesco) with cultural content and intensive language practice throughout. The inclusion of numerous students and teachers in both schools had a considerable impact on both communities and a boost in their school life. In the Hungarian school the headteacher also participated in one of the mobilities which helped to involve the whole school community even more.

As far as the longer-term benefits are concerned, all participants obtained invaluable language skills, soft skills, multicultural experiences. In relation to UNESCO sites students were greatly encouraged to investigate further World Heritage Sites within and outside their country. Both schools are eager to maintain and further develop the current relationship as well as open to start new projects in the future. The personal meeting of the two headteachers brought the two schools even closer.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 32118 Eur

Project Coordinator

Budapest II. Kerületi Szabó Lörinc Kéttannyelvü Általános Iskola és Gimnázium & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Sussex Summer Schools Ltd