Sea and Music in Intercultural Lifelong Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Sea and Music in Intercultural Lifelong Education

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

SMILE project is a partnership among 5 European countries.In a world experiencing rapid change,where cultural,political,economic and social upheaval challenges traditional ways of life,education has a major role to play in promoting social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.Through programmes that encourage dialogue between students of different cultures,beliefs and religions,education can make an important and meaningful contribution to sustainable and tolerant societies.This understanding led to the creation of our project.This is the Europe we need in order to exist and coexist.
Our project has a host of gains and goals to be met:
-Increase self-esteem of students
-Increase diversified student exposure and integrate pupils to intercultural education
-Foster children’s autonomy and motivate them
-Promote social justice and equity and strengthen the sense of belonging to a common Europe
-Enable students to succeed in an integrated, multicultural world
-promote respect of other languages,cultures,nationalities
-increase motivation for foreign language learning and use of ICT
-introduce music and sea to intercultural classroom and show how they can promote mutual respect, understanding and unity.
-promote a European dimension in the educational system and practice
-encourage the exchange of good practices in the didactical field
-combat the phenomenon of early school leaving and support children from social groups at risk
Our project was based on two important elements that will help us achieve these goals:sea(as in water paths that unite nations)and music(a universal value that promotes unity and understanding).Each country has its own examples of myths,history,explorers,migrants and immigrants, music.Joint activities to be carried out start with the following objectives:to know and share cultural values,to show how the sea paths contributed to the evolution of our civilization,how music plays an important role in bridging the gap between nations.In order to realise this we intend to study historical past events that influenced the present of European countries,explore our partners’ cultures,find similarities,turn differences into creative integration through music,analyse myths and stories that brought older generations together.
To achieve the above goals,we will use informal and non-formal educational methods.These methods promote competences as innovation,use of all the senses,imagination,cooperation,self-esteem and respect and enable students to be active members of the educational procedure:they can participate as they learn and not accept passively the provided knowledge,they can criticize and interact with their schoolmates and their teachers.These methods are based on Integrated Learning,a combination of the content and motivation for learning.The content gathers knowledge,attitudes and competences,whereas motivation for learning is made of the students’ internal motivations towards learning,the relations among teachers and students and the positive emotional atmosphere inside the working teams.
Every participating organisation will create a team of five students and two teachers who will take part in each LTT.However, the whole school community will be welcome to work on the project,so dissemination and diffusion will be evident.Emphasis will be given to students with financial difficulties and social challenges.Of course,each school will set some distinct criteria for selecting the participants.
The longer term benefits of the project will be evident as:music will contribute to positive identity creation by promoting awareness of one’s cultural heritage,and with tolerance and respect for other cultures,sea will be viewed as a multidisciplinary subject,opportunities and a more positive attitude towards the European projects and values will be promoted,students and teachers will work on an international,multicultural, artistic,tolerant and creative environment,teachers will work in multicultural groups enhancing understanding of practices,policies and education systems,students will be engaged in the learning process and they will take initiative,all participants will improve their foreign language and ICT skills,they will learn to share ideas and cooperate and they will integrate practices and innovative systems into the teaching and learning process.
Throughout the project there will be constant evaluation and assessment of the objectives as well as dissemination and sustainability.We will write articles in our school website and local press to promote the importance of such a project and to encourage other schools to get involved in such activities based on European Cooperation and promote communication among people,nations and cultures.
We hope that SMILE will offer a better quality education for our students,enabling the development of social relationships and interactions.Respect and understanding grow when students of diverse abilities and backgrounds socialize and learn together.

Project Website

https://erasmussmile.blogspot.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 112085 Eur

Project Coordinator

MUSIC SCHOOL OF VARTHOLOMIO & Country: EL

Project Partners

• IES BEZMILIANA
• ZENDENSINO – Cooperativa de Ensino IPRL
• Lykeio A Ethnarchi Makariou III Pafou
• Istituto Magistrale Statale “Regina Margherita”