ROJENÍ – SWARMING Erasmus Project

Project Title

ROJENÍ – SWARMING

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

ROJENÍ – SWARMING
The whole world, the European Union as well as the Czech Republic deals with the loss of irreplaceable plant pollinators – bees. This global problem could be solved only by increasing number of beekeepers. But there is a catch in it. Today´s young people are not attracted enough to beekeeping so it is very difficult to get them to do this activity. For this reason, the group of young beekeepers from the Czech non-profit association VČELÍ STRÁŽ created the project called ROJENÍ – SWARMING in which they try to solve this problem.
The Czech Republic, the European Union, and the whole world lacked relevant materials, structures, and activities that would help to get and educate young beekeepers. And this was the project’s aim.
The project implementers focused their attention on education and international exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of beekeeping. A group of ten young people from eight countries (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Wales, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, and the Netherlands) was actively involved in the project. These participating countries were chosen because of their unique and for other countries valuable experience, procedures of work with young beekeepers, as well as methods and forms of their education.
Within the bounds of the project, there was created a comprehensive set of Essential Outcomes. On the one hand the Outcomes deal with innovative approaches to non-formal education of young people in beekeeping (e.g. e-learning course YOUNG BEEKEEPER) and on the other hand with long-term and permanently sustainable methods and ways of international cooperation of young people—young beekeepers (e.g. Methodical Instructions of Work with Young Beekeepers or Manual of International Cooperation). To create these documents and to achieve goals of this project there was held an international educational seminar in Prague as well as project meetings of the managers of beekeeping organizations that took place in Germany and the Czech Republic, activities focused on checking up on created materials within groups of young beekeepers, and other accompanying events. The project participated in several activities that were not supported financially by the EU but served to achieve its mission or check up on the project’s Essential Outcomes. These were, for example, two national meetings of the beekeeper youth clubs in the Czech Republic and three national seminars of the Czech beekeeping youth leaders, and two years of national beekeeping knowledge competition GOLDEN BEE.
The simultaneous goal of the project was to strengthen individual knowledge, skills, and attitudes in beekeeping of all active participants of the project ROJENÍ – SWARMING. They improved their language skills (by regular communication in English with foreign partners), increased their labor market chances (practising business opportunities in beekeeping, acquiring habits for teamwork, gaining internationally applicable professional skills). It was also important to gain experience in solving tasks, problems, and organizing events in an international context.
For sustainability of the outcomes and fulfilment of the project’s mission, the INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF YOUNG BEEKEEPERS (ICYB) was established. It was set up by Czech and foreign project implementers with the aim of creating an international community of organizations (and individuals) involved in the association of beekeeping youth, its education and international cooperation in this field.
The project increased the interest of young people in beekeeping in each partner country. At the same time, it created a base for international cooperation in these countries as well as activities focused on obtaining, organizing, and educating young beekeepers. Ultimately, the project also has a tremendous economic benefit because every new young beekeeper takes care of new bee colonies—and each new colony brings a particular ecological and economic benefit. The project’s importance was confirmed by the patronage of The Minister of Education of the Czech Republic PhDr. Marcel Chládek and Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic Ing. Marian Jurečka.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 193616 Eur

Project Coordinator

VCELI STRAZ pri CSV o. s. & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• REGIONALNA ZLOZKA SLOVENSKY ZVAZ VCELAROV BANSKA BYSTRICA
• Bal-Ara
• Lithuanian Beekeeping organisation
• South Clwyd Beekeepers Association
• Staatliche Realschule Nürnberg II
• IMYB-Nederland
• Zespol Szkol Rolniczych Centrum Ksztalcenia Praktycznego w Pszczelej Woli