Mosaic: Enhancing intercultural integration in schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Mosaic: Enhancing intercultural integration in schools

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Migrants’ issues; Research and innovation

Project Summary

The European Union and the European Commission have taken actions and addressed priorities with regards to migration, in order to help with the safety, education and integration of migrants in the new country that they moved into. “The European Union needs to increase support for cities and regions and border countries that are on the front line of managing migration”, the European Committee of the Regions said on 22 March 2018. The EU’s assembly for local and regional politicians expressed particular concern about the challenges faced by islands and coastal regions in the Mediterranean and called for greater shared European responsibility and investment.” (The EU’s Assembly of Regional and Local Representatives, March 2018). In the countries which are part of this project, migration is a very pivotal issue. The European Commission through the Policy named ‘Migration and education’ states that “Education plays a crucial role in helping migrants and refugees settle in new countries and environments.” This project aims to support and address the needs in the educational systems in Malta, Greece and Portugal to facilitate the participation and success of newly arrived migrant students in their country.

It is for this reason that this Strategic Partnership through the ‘Mosaic’. The objectives of this project are to enhance the access, participation and integration of newly arrived migrants in school education in Malta, Greece, and Portugal. This will be done in two ways:
1) strengthening the competences of teachers and school staff to promote diversity, empathy and inclusion in schools
2) through an Educational Platform, this project will support the schools with regards to facilitation integration and success of migrant students; while making the communication process between migrants, parents and school community easier and accessible. All three countries experience the same concerns and difficulties and they will address these through ‘Mosaic’.

The project envisages a Short-term joint staff training event for educators representing different schools. The Training course which will be hosted in Crete in May 2020 will be created to address the needs of the educators through a questionnaire. The methodology used is non-formal methods of education. There will be a total of 30 teachers representing 30 primary schools from Malta, Portugal and Greece. They will then implement and share their learning with the other teachers in the school they work in.

Thus, there will be three Intellectual Outputs in this project. These are:
1. Design and creation of Online Training Modules
The partners came up with a questionnaire in order to find which topics the educators would like to know more about. The four topics that were most chosen were as follows: Using Non Formal Methods of Education in Schools to enhance intercultural integration, Conflict management and conflict resolution, Dealing with students who have been through trauma and Sensitivity training for educators
2. Toolbox for educators working in an Intercultural setting and the creation
There will be 15 tools in total, 5 under each theme. The themes which were agreed upon by the partners after a needs analysis in their schools are as follows: To raise awareness about individual differences and personal identity while motivating openness towards one another. To raise awareness about cultural diversity while creating a positive atmosphere of celebration of being different. To provide opportunities for empathy and reflection while expanding the range of social abilities and open-mindedness.
3. Implementation of an Educational Platform.
This will bring easier accessibility of information and it will bring together all the school’s stakeholders. This will be translated in the top 3 languages that migrants come from in the respective countries of Malta, Greece and Portugal. This will include: It will provide a space for communication between these different stakeholders, staff from the School Management Team and community liaisons. It will offer useful information and contacts with regards to schools in Malta, Crete and Portugal. The Platform to include: 1. Toolbox with resources 2. Online modules 3. Resource box 4. Open space 5. Opportunities 6. Contacts and information 7. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

An intercultural event, led by migrant students and their parents will take place together with an official launch of the Educational Platform. This will take place at each partner country. The results will be disseminated to all schools under the remit of this project which include 3,000 educators in 250 schools in Crete, around 3,300 educators in 110 Maltese schools and 2500 educators in 120 schools in Portugal. Most importantly, the aim of this project is to make the website sustainable once the funding period is over by linking ‘Mosaic’’s platform to the website of the relevant Education Ministries.

Project Website

https://mosaicplatform.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 110278,02 Eur

Project Coordinator

MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION & Country: MT

Project Partners

• Dieythinsi Prwtovathmias Ekpaideysis Irakleiou
• PRISMS
• Geoclube – Associação Juvenil de Ciência, Natureza e Aventura