Social inclusion – Courage to Care Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social inclusion – Courage to Care

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: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Migrants’ issues; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Migration puts the European communities on trial. The large number of refugees and asylum seekers who arrived in 2015 gives rise to challenges that must be solved. At the same time, there is considerable migration internally within the EU, especially from the new member states of eastern Europe. Getting migrants and refugees socially integrated into society is crucial. Social inclusion and integration is a two-way process. The goal is that the participants in the project will be influenced to be more open and inclusive in their perception of society.

We have chosen to name our project “Social Inclusion – Courage to Care” because the objective of the project is to help create a European identity and multiculturalism where there is room for refugees and migrants. How can we develop a European set of values – based on human rights, equality and cross-cultural tolerance. The aim is to develop teaching plans that can be used over the lifetime of the project. We also hope that the participants in the project will be influenced to be more open and inclusive in their perception of society. If we succeed in making the participating youths become solution-oriented, we will have created learning for life and lifelong learning.

We recognise a rise in political and social changes in Europe which has opened opportunities for extremist views and brings a threat to our common European values especially that of building healthy democracies. Threats including the rise of the far right, radicalism, racism, exclusion, and religious intolerance offer challenges to young people in Europe which this project aims to tackle.

Localised in 6 different geographical and cultural contexts, the 6 schools have realised over the last years the fundamental benefit of European cooperation of the students, teachers and the schools themselves. The experience of working together on a specific project not only in virtual space but also meeting each other and to be in different environments and cultures in Europe has proven an essential step in creating European awareness and fostering a sense of European identity and citizenship amongst students and teachers which could not have been achieved otherwise.

The topics have been chosen as they are linked to the EU commission’s priorities and issues facing inhabitants today, they allow a multi-disciplinary approach and are linked to the school’s curriculum. Each topic is strongly connected with one of the of the participating schools, its surroundings and its environment. The student visits in each country, will be concentrated around these:
1. ”Free Speech and Media Wisdom.” (Netherlands)
2. “Migration and the increasing of populisme in todays Italy.” (Italy)
3. “Refugees in Europe.” (Spain)
4. “Social Inclusion.” (Latvia)
5. “Courage to face one’s fears and aspirations.” (Finland)
6. “Political extremism, radicalism and exclusion.” (Norway)

To learn and research in an innovative way, mostly outside the classroom and on locations that are relevant for the different topics during the Student Meetings. These locations are typical and relevant for the place/country each participating school is located.

We will produce a website and a YouTube channel to disseminate our work and findings which highlights the strengths of being part of a united European Union. This will be enhanced by videos made by participants during transnational meetings. This will hopefully encourage an open minded approach to globalization, cultural identity and combating extremism.

The participating teachers will gain experience through collaborating and exchanging experience with other teachers. They will be inspired to develop their own teaching practices. We will actively work to spread this to all the high schools in our county. Erasmus+ cooperation will provide new approaches, which in turn will give the participating teachers a greater understanding of professional knowledge and education. Students will improve their international cooperation skills and give them greater understanding of language and culture. All the objectives of the Project are closely linked to all the priorities we have selected. We will develop an online survey for all participants. The survey will measure participants’ perception of democracy, human rights, social inclusion, racism and religious intolerance. This survey will be repeated at the end to see what impact the project has had.

Over two years over 300 students and their teachers from different countries will be actively involved in the project, and cooperate with their partners, virtually and during student visits, conducting comparative research and practice related to 6 topics. Many students inside and outside the schools will be part of the project and benefit from its results. Directly the project will include 285 mobilities, indirectly we expect to involve over 2000 individuals in our school communities and wider communities including online communities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 184677 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kirkeparken videregående skole & Country: NO

Project Partners

• Agenskalna Valsts gimnazija
• Tampereen lyseon lukio
• ISTITUTO TECNICO PER IL TURISMO MARCO POLO
• IES LA MERCED
• Stichting Confessioneel Onderwijs Leiden