Nonviolent Communication: A New Language of Peace for Schools in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Nonviolent Communication: A New Language of Peace for Schools 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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Pedagogy and didactics; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Nonviolent Communication: A New Language of Peace for Schools in Europe is a strategic partnership between 4 schools: LIFE! school in the Netherlands, Yavuz Selim Ortaokulu in Turkey, Backa Friskola in Sweden and Scoala Babel in Romania. The main goals of the project is for students and teachers to develop key-competences during the project which will serve them for the rest of their lives. One of the main objectives of the project is for teachers to improve their pedagogical communication competences in order to create safer and more inspiring school environments. The project involves students between the ages of 8 and 18.

All participating schools currently use the method of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to create safety, trust and collaboration and wish to further integrate this communication method into their schools. The method of NVC fosters cooperation, participation and inclusion as well as compassionate understanding for individuals of all ages. NVC supports us to become aware of judgmental thoughts and prejudices; listen to ourselves and others empathically; express ourselves clearly and honestly; and resolve conflicts peacefully. By joining forces with other teachers and students in schools across Europe and in Turkey, we will be able to share best practices, exchange knowledge and skills, develop exciting new structures for teaching and learning NVC and develop a system to measure results; as well as disseminate newly gained knowledge and skills among our school communities back home.

Currently the school systems in all participating countries are faced with a variety of challenges including: lack of student motivation, (to the point of early school leaving); bullying and cyber-bullying; burnout, depression and suicide amongst students; burnout amongst teachers; violence in and out of schools; sexual, racial and religious discrimination; indifference in students and teachers due to disempowerment; and low self-esteem due to labeling such as dyslexia, adhd and autism. The project is motivated by an awareness that teaching Nonviolent Communication (NVC) skills in classrooms, school communities and across cultures can greatly support a positive solution to these challenges.

Our goal is to bring about positive social change, from a culture of top-down authority and competition to an equal and inclusive one; where all individuals will be accepted as they are, and valued for the talents that they bring. Those directly or indirectly participating in the project will learn skills that will support them to go out into the world as active citizens in their local schools, communities and (future) workplaces, spreading the values of non-judgmentalism and inclusion of all voices, while having the skills to express themselves clearly and honestly, listen to others empathically and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Objectives of the project include:
• Contributing to the development of teachers’ and students’ social-emotional competences using the tools of Creative Drama, storytelling, sociocracy and NVC.
• Integrating new policies around emotional and physical safety into schools
• Contributing to safe and inspiring school environments, and therefore encouraging student participation and preventing or reducing early school leaving, bullying and discrimination
• Improving digital and English language competences
• Improving intercultural competences and international project collaboration skills

The focus of activities planned is for participating teachers and students to acquire key-competences and knowledge and to share these within their local school communities. The project includes two LTTs for teachers and three LTTs for students, hosted in different countries.Teachers will follow workshops with certified trainers, practice skills and exchange best practices. By developing measuring tools to determine students’ and teachers’ progress in learning Nonviolent Communication principles and key differentiations, teachers, students and school administrators will gain valuable information on the effectivity of didactic and pedagogical methods.

By meeting students from other cultures, visiting and participating in other school communities and by visiting museums or other cultural sites , students will gain knowledge and understanding of other cultures. Using the etwinning platform both during LTTS and for communication and planning between will increase IT and language skills. Deepening NVC skills will aid students to better understand cultural differences and to combat bullying and discrimination in their local schools. Students and teachers will share experiences and learning within their home school and local community, spreading the benefits of the project beyond those directly involved in mobilities. Thus, the project will have both short and long term impact on these schools and beyond.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 128962 Eur

Project Coordinator

Learning in A Free Environment & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Backa Friskola
• Yavuz Selim Ortaokulu
• Scoala Gimnazial Babel