Motivated for an Engagement Erasmus Project

Project Title

Motivated for an Engagement

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Project Motivated for an Engagement is a partnership for the exchange of good practices between a Slovenian and Spanish school. During past cooperation, we have identified several common challenges: how to make sense of the knowledge youth acquire in the system, how to motivate them for permanent acquisition of knowledge and its practical application. In addition to this, how to help them stay in the educational system, prevent dropout and help them develop competences necessary for a successful labour market enrolment and life goal completion.

In terms of project vision, we wish to establish a learning environment, where students will be more actively engaged in the pedagogical process. Consequently, higher motivation and active learning styles will lead to better results and more meaningful knowledge. With this we wish to prevent early dropout and ensure more useful, sustainable knowledge, which creates a competitive position for the students entering the labour market.

Active student involvement in the pedagogical process is the main idea, which is also the focus of specific project goals. Precisely defined and easily measured goals are oriented towards involvement of critical mass of teachers as well as students who will then be able to introduce changes, improvements into the process itself. The goals also guide towards specific methodology and content preparation as well as foresee clearly defined dissemination activities. Following goal completion is closely connected to clearly defined work of coordinators, project teams, schools’ management and the Institute for research and education evaluation, which operates within related amical school.

The project is strongly included in the development strategy of both schools. For neither of the participating schools, the project is the first or the last step towards building an environment in which students can actively co-shape the learning process. We are aware of the project’s need to aim for the strongest possible effect for both organisations.

Every teacher and student participating in the project will improve their work motivation. The element of participating in the international environment will provide the additional encouragement and inspiration for innovative approaches at work and when learning. Additionally, we are convinced that the participating teachers will gain new knowledge by observing work at the partner school and, to a similar extent, by observing their own teaching. Students will gain certain skills in a foreign language communication and teamwork, as well as develop the intercultural and social competences.

We are certain that the teachers involved in the project will also successfully transfer and adjust the acquired knowledge and skills to their teaching with the help of the coordinators and project teams. With the active involvement of schools’ management, we also have to aim for the effects that have the power to transform the entire organization. Thus we can ensure the most sustainable impact and continuing upgrade of the project.

It is clear that the issue is so topical and relevant for the wider area that we have to act in a way that anticipates the possibility that some day in the future we could use the project’s outcomes in different environments and to press for positive changes in educational policy. That is why dissemination is also planned extensively.

The project includes 10 learning, teaching and training activities that will be attended by at least 20 teachers and at least 60 students from both schools. Four exchanges are designed in the form of “project weeks”, in which students experience different methodologies and specific contents prepared by the teachers. In these activities, students will be highly engaged and regularly evaluated. They will also be partly involved in the planning of the project weeks and get in touch with other constituents forming youth education.

The first project week is mostly dedicated to the analysis of the situation, the second project week checks the first innovations of the project teams, the third project week highlights the role of the students in the planning of activities, and the fourth project week focuses on issues of the labour market and the needs of local communities. The next 4 mobilities represent the simultaneous mobility of a small number of teachers who will perform critical observations with the job shadowing and work placement and also evaluate their own teaching. Two project mobilities focus mostly on planning and preparing of the materials needed for the further project work.

We are certain that certain strategies can be developed and answers to challenges that have led to this project can be found. It is beneficial that the project and its content correspond to Erasmus+ programme environment and we are certain that it will be possible to effectively disseminate and upgrade project results in such environment even after the project is finished.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 65700 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zavod sv. Franciska Saleskega & Country: SI

Project Partners

• Colegio Salesiano Santísima Trinidad