Overcoming borders with the help of ICT Erasmus Project

Project Title

Overcoming borders with the help of ICT

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: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

The Secondary College for Occupations in the Service Industries Management (HLW) in Wolfsberg and the Istituto Statale di Istruzione Superiore “Bonaldo Stringher” Udine (Friaul-Julisch Venetien), two vocational colleges focusing on economics and tourism, were working on a project entitled “Overcoming borders with the help of ICT” between 2018 and 2020. About 45 Italian and Austrian students aged between 15 and 18, as well as 10 teachers took an active part in the project.
The project focused on five points – first of all, improving foreign language skills, second, exploring the two regions involved (Carinthia and Friaul), third, making effective use of digital technology, fourth, gaining insight in the respective world of work by visiting special companies and, finally, collecting new ideas for educational purposes with regard to the new media. All the activities carried out made sure that those aims were reached.
The most important activities carried out in the first year were two three-day student mobilities to the respective neighbouring country (C2 and C3). The aims for about 55 participants were to get to know each other, the host families, the host towns, baking and cooking regional specialties together. Furthermore, several project logos were created, out of which one finally got chosen to accompany the project. While preparing for all those activities, a variety of digital tools were used, eg. photos taken and films made which were edited afterwards. That way high-quality short films representing the project’s goals came into existence.
In the second year, student mobilities were extended to 5 days. This time the focus was on “borders” and getting to know the world of work in the respective countries. In November 2019, Austrian students visited their partners a second time. Visits to numerous companies offered them a better insight into the Italian economy and gave them new ideas with regard to spending placements abroad. In addition to that, the former border between Austria and Italy in Pontebba/Pontafel was focused on during that week. Students were working together on the history, culture and traditions of the border regions; the results were then presented in Pontebba.
Unfortunately, the final student exchange in Wolfsberg, which was supposed to mark the end of the project as well, could not be carried out because of COVID 19. Due to the latter, only one out of the two planned job-shadowing activities could be carried out as well. During the first one, two Italian teachers had the chance to exchange experiences with their Austrian colleagues and Austrian students had the chance to talk to native speakers when they participated in Italian classes.
At around Christmas 2019, all the participants, teachers and students, met online to exchange information about traditions and to offer greetings. In the course of the second year, the Austrian students created a project pullover, which was supposed to be handed over during the final meeting; instead, they had to be sent to the partner school by mail.
The results of the cooperation are mostly to be found in the description of the activities. To sum it up, in the course of the project – padlet pages, project folders, an interactive city guide, an e-twinning page, some short films, power-point presentations and project pullovers came into existence.
All those results will contribute to the long-term effects of the project. The materials generated can be used during school events, parents` nights, Erasmus Days etc. On the one hand, they are supposed to add to the attractiveness of our school and on the other hand, they are supposed to encourage others to start Erasmus projects as well.

Project Website

http://live.etwinning.net/projects/project/182899

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 39046,22 Eur

Project Coordinator

HLW Wolfsberg & Country: AT

Project Partners

• Istituto Statale d’Istruzione Superiore “Bonaldo Stringher”