OPEN MINDED GENERATION Erasmus Project

Project Title

OPEN MINDED GENERATION

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: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Inclusion – equity; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

It is undeniable that people are different and unique. Thus, it is essential to identify these differences and try to understand each other, at all levels, as individuals, locally, nationally, internationally. It is through understanding that we are going to prevent unacceptable racist behavior and bullying. We must learn to overcome stereotype models. We must learn that being different should not arise conflict or hatred. Unfortunately, recent events in Europe prove that we victimize people. We judge people according to colour, religion, wealth, factors which are far from what we should do. Being unique and different makes the world colourful. So let’s celebrate rather than fight. Let’s respect love and support each other so as to live in a world of peace and harmony.
The topic is relevant in today’s international context. Rather it is crucial since we have the big rush of immigrants. Turkey, Romania, Greece, Portugal and Bulgaria are countries which try to cope with and find solutions to the arising problems due to immigration. All five partners’ countries struggling to find a way out of the problems apply for various programmes.
As previously mentioned we strongly believe that the problems of discrimination and stereotyping must be solved the sooner the better. We can see no other way of tackling the problem but teaching the younger generation that being different is natural. They must be aware of the dangers of discriminating people because of colour, religion, preferences or sex. The sooner the students are aware of that the more chances we have to change the world and build a world void of conflicts, wars, hatred.
Objectives
We managed:
-to teach students how to respect others and avoid language or behavior which arise hatred
-to raise awareness at a social level and increase tolerance for the immigrants and refugees
-to combat stereotypes
-to expand our knowledge on the know-how in relation to dealing with the issues of stereotyping and discrimination inside schools
-to encourage students to become active members of a society where stereotypes, discrimination, and bullying do not exist
-to make the relationship between schools and local NGOs who deal with the same issues stronger
Participants:
We involved as many students as possible, aged 15-18, since teenage years are critical in developing lifelong negative feelings towards other people based on stereotypical thinking and discrimination.
We also involved teachers in our schools and other school staff and psychologists who helped us use and apply the results locally, and make them long lasting.
LTTs activities:
We had groups of at least 2 teachers and 6 students:
C1-Our primary aim was to widen the project and plan how to act
C2-Stereotypes and discrimination: stereotypes based on nationalities, various forms of discrimination, the effects of discrimination such as xenophobia and homophobia
C3-Equality based on gender and race: study the effects of common gender and racial stereotypes and try to find ways to combat them
C4-Religious equality: identify common stereotypes which relate to religious beliefs
C5-Stereotypes and discrimination in the school community: how we deal with and find solutions
Methodology:
The main areas covered in the project were:
Management of the project:
-Plan and implement methodologies-choice of participants, communication, reporting
-Financial management
-Tracking and evaluation of activities and results
-Organisation and attendance of the mobilities
Selection and preparation of participants:
-Organise participation in exchanges
-Elaborate explanation of clear and definite results
Dissemination:
-Creation of website, e-twinning, Facebook, blog
-Design of brochures, flyers, posters, banners, articles
-Dissemination meetings
-Elaboration of sustainability plan, evaluation plan and risk management plan
Results and impact:
The benefits students obtained were:
Awareness of the democratic values of the EU, they boosted their willingness to be more active participants in local campaigns against discrimination, got to know more about other cultures, raised social awareness, tolerance, empathy for the immigrants and refugees, enhanced knowledge of the concepts of stereotypes and discrimination along with the underlying risks they cause, enriched language and ICT skills, improved skills in terms of editing data, improved critical thinking and team work abilities developed in local activities and LTTs and even more during the virtual meeting in Greece.
Clear and definite results:
Materials developed for exchanges, inventive poems and prose by students on the topic of European diversity, tape and video recorded role plays, posters on the topic of “NO HATE in schools”, “United as One under the European Sky”, photos of students about cultural differences “Don’t ever judge someone before you get to know them. You don’t know their life story until they tell it to you” (Sarah Moores), games and activities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 138169,96 Eur

Project Coordinator

1st Epaggelmatiko Lykeio Dramas & Country: EL

Project Partners

• Specialized Secondary school of Natural Sciences and Maths ” Acad. Prof. Dr.Asen Zlatarov”
• EPRALIMA – ESCOLA PROFISSIONAL DOALTO LIMA – COOPERATIVA DE INTERESSE PUBLICO E RESPONSABILIDADE LIMITADA
• Colegiul National de Informatica Matei Basarab
• CAHIT ZARIFOGLU ANADOLU IMAM HATIP LISESI