SmartUp Europe for an Optimistic Future Erasmus Project

Project Title

SmartUp Europe for an Optimistic Future

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: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Integration of refugees

Project Summary

Context of the project
We selected our partners on a solid basis. The Italian and German schools have worked together on multiple projects. Part of those project was the first coordinator of the Cypriot school. The Portuguese and Spanish partners worked with the Italian and German school before but were new to this constellation. The newcomer to Erasmus+ itself was the Finish partner school that got into contact with the German coordinator via a contact seminar. At the point of the application the German Erasmus team was led by an experienced coordinator and thus provided knowledge and structure. The background of each school is similar: rural areas, students are not that exposed to the world outside their area and in some parts never “experienced” the advantages of the European Union themselves.
With this project we wanted our students to deal with European topics that have an impact on their lives (volunteering, building resilience, climate change and digitisation).
Because of the growing numbers of refugees that sought asylum in the European Union since the middle of the 2010s the need to take care for fellow humans was lifted to another level. With this project we wanted to raise the awareness and show our students ways to get involved in helping others in need by volunteering. The worked with people having special needs, disruptive students and old people living in nursing homes.
To build up their resilience and mental health we introduced our participants to applied neuro-science (Hiperion-Project) and various sports (Well-Being-Day).
The climate change was made subject of our discussion by working on school gardens, alternative ways of power production and the use of algae in the present and the future.
Throughout the project we were working on digitising our schools and outputs with the help of our Italian partner.

Objectives of the project
We wanted to foster EU ideals and inspire a positive attitude of students towards Europe and the European Union. At the point of application Euro skepticism, nationalism and hostile attitudes towards the EU and towards refugees were rising. During our project the Brexit was finalised and another problem (CoVid-19) emerged. We wanted our students to experience the EU and its member countries from inside and by dealing with problems we are facing everyday. We wanted to sensitise those problems and showing small steps to tackle them. By working on this project we hoped to support the skill development, social inclusion, critical thinking, youth engagement, language skills and social skills of our students by adding more possibilities for personal growth. Some of them never had to use English outside the classroom and had never seen an airport or even other countries before.
Our goals were:
1.) Students deal and work on various topics associated with the future of the European Union.
2.) Developing manageable and adaptable tutorials for schools on these topics and make them available for everyone.
3.) Students and teachers cooperate with partner schools on different parts of Europe to develop transnational understanding by experiencing working and living in another country for a small amount of time.

Description of activities
The project and its activities were subdivided into three parts:
1.) Work on one (or more) problems at your own school and create a tutorial.
2.) Have a look at the progress and results during the LTTAs and PMs. Exchange ideas and experience.
3.) Testing the partners’ tutorials at your own school and create your own version of the tutorial.
The LTTAs, PMs and other project events are described in chapters 7 and 8.
The third phase of out project got struck by the pandemic outbreak and had to be adapted. The schools concentrated on guaranteeing and providing online or hybrid lessons.We gave priority to online classes, security measures, and the emotional situation of our students. The seriousness of the situation made the project take a back seat.

Project’s results
We created eight tutorials on six topics (well-being, volunteering, school gardens & the use of seaweeds, IT skills and neuro-science) presenting them in a well-structured and adaptable way. The tutorials show in a systematic way how to implement the topics in schools and what to consider beforehand. Concerning our students the social and language skills were enhanced and they reported to have a feeling of personal growth that is backed by their peers, parents and teachers.

Expected long-term benefits
“SmartUp Europe for an Optimistic Future” made Europe and the European Union come alive. The six schools and their students worked together, thus got a glimpse of life outside their region and experienced a feeling of belonging together. The tutorials are implemented into the schools’ curricula and will have an impact in the years to come. The partnerships between the schools will be continued in new projects and the ties between the students are still active today.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 153641 Eur

Project Coordinator

Johann Comenius Schule Emmerthal & Country: DE

Project Partners

• istituto d’istruzione superiore
• INSTITUTO DE ENSEÑANZA SECUNDARIA SANTO DOMINGO
• Paralimni Lyceum
• Kangasniemen lukio
• Agrupamento de escolas de murça