Refugees Matter: from Challenges to Opportunities Erasmus Project

General information for the Refugees Matter: from Challenges to Opportunities Erasmus Project

Refugees Matter: from Challenges to Opportunities Erasmus Project
July 7, 2020 12:00 am
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Project Title

Refugees Matter: from Challenges to Opportunities

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

The constant influx of refugees caused dramatic and fundamental changes in socio cultural, political, economic as well as educational landscape of the European Union. Therefore, European values such as tolerance and solidarity were put under stress as racial and xenophobic attitudes towards refugees among Europeans seem to prevail. Being aware of the complexity of the problem, we had formed a team for Erasmus + Project, under the title “Refugees Matter: from Challenges to Opportunities”, consisting of 7 European countries, such as Lithuania, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and two schools from Turkey. At the initial stage of the project Greece refused to further participate in it, so ,consequently, 6 teams from five countries addressed the following objectives of the project:
• form an open and balanced perception of refugees and their cultures through research, analysis, counter narratives, intellectual dialogue, and direct encounters;
• transfer, share and gain good experiences as well as useful and manageable practices regarding social inclusion of refugees and the way host countries accept and treat them;
• focus on such competencies as social and civic responsibilities, a sense of initiative and leadership, cultural awareness and creativity, digital competence, and English language skills.

The project, included 140 core participants (50 teachers, school staff and 90 students, aged 16-19, directly participating in transnational meetings and students learning/teaching/training activities) and more than 400 participants (family members, local authorities, refugees, politicians, etc.) involved into the process of the Project implementation.
The project took the holistic approach that encouraged students to form balanced views on refugee crisis. All the activities of the project were interrelated since they aimed to analyze the project problem of refugee treatment from different angles, starting with the insight into national history related to migration, then focusing on analysis of the current situation of the issues related to refugees and reasons of migration.
The activities carried out consisted of:
creating project team and tools; online logo, poster, motto competition; Interpretive reading, the aim was to integrate the English language skills and knowledge of national history; short documentary film competition to understand refugee experience, the difficulties they were facing in a foreign environment; Movie night followed by a discussion with a person(s) directly related with the Project topic; Volunteering – students gained practical experience when working with refugees; Photography exhibition increased awareness about the project of all interested parties; Preparing final works – E-book was created at the end of the project and it includes photos, activity descriptions and reports and other significant project information; Dissemination activities with the aim to highlight the potential value of the project as well as help spread the information to other interested parties . Three students learning/teaching/training sessions were carried out. They comprised the following: conference on “Refugee issues in Europe”; workshop on debates under the motion: “The EU is losing at its attempts to integrate refugees” together with European Parliament Simulation to discuss refugee integration mechanisms; Cultural week focusing on cultural aspects of refugees through folklore, handicrafts, food and customs.

Project activity management methodology was developed to ensure that the project is disciplined, well managed and the quality of the results secured. The methods to be applied during the project were: survey, observation, checklist, reflection, and interview.

Participation in the project activities promoted critical thinking, initiative, and leadership as well as strengthened English language skills. The project result was a change in the refugee perception, from prevailing xenophobic and stereotypical attitudes to more tolerant and emphatic. All the activities motivated students and prepared them for further actions in their communities concerning elimination of racial attitudes. European dimension regarding the main European values such as solidarity and respect to diversity and multiculturalism were strengthened. The whole desired impact of the project covered all the levels of scope starting from local to international, that was, to reach positive changes towards treatment of refugees and migrants as much as possible. The acquired knowledge and experience encouraged the participants to become active problem solvers instead of passive situation observers in all possible levels. Being greatly significant, sustainable activities will futher be organized in the form of inter local school projects, conferences, continuous volunteering, good practice incorporation into the curricula.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 121115 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kauno jezuitu gimnazija & Country: LT

Project Partners

  • Istituto Istruzione Secondaria Superiore E. Fermi
  • IES Politécnico Jesús Marín
  • Korfez Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi
  • Ayvaz Burckan Cok Programli Anadolu Lisesi
  • 4th General Lyceum of Chania
  • Stichting Sint Augustinus Havo Notre Dame des Anges