“Solidarity and volunteering: new learning in the classroom” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“Solidarity and volunteering: new learning in the classroom”

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

The schools Collège Bebel(Guadeloupe),INS Josep Lladonosa(Spain)have traditionally carried out some particular solidarity initiatives and service to the community that have been developing and expanding throughout the years.Because of their excellent results and impact on our community,they have been included and implemented in our School Educational Project and Framework.
The fact of sharing a similar school profile has led us to create an International Project called “Solidarity and Volunteering:new learning in the classroom” whose central theme is learning and community service from participative action.Its main aim is to acquire new skills and new methodologies to improve the quality of the actions taken as community service in our school environment.
The objectives:Promote values such as social and personal empathy,altruism from linking academic and personal knowledge by means of solidary practical activity and thus,contributing to the shaping of new citizens.Exchange volunteering experiences with other students in the country of the exchange and improve the learning in the foreign languages taught at each school.
The participants are a multidisciplinary team of teachers and students of the 3rd course of Compulsory Education in Spain and the 5th course in Guadalupe.For the exchange,two teachers from each school and14 students aged13-15 years old.The languages of communication are Spanish and French.
The activities that will be carried out in an interdisciplinary way in the project spin around the theme of solidarity and volunteering with local organizations close to the schools such as Caritas,Banco de Alimentos,Teleton,Asociación Down,CAJTIL,Retired Center Sainte Rose and Orvepard,REMS Cataluña-La Pedrera.The students carry out several cooperation initiatives with local organizations during the year of the project.Some of these initiatives will coincide with the dates of the school exchange when all students from both schools will get involved.Such activities include the organization of the school parade,traditional dance,waste management,charity party,Internet for retired people,handmade soap,toy collect and solidarity toys and traditional games.
The preparation of the activities is as follows:At each school a meeting is held with all local representatives of the organizations to understand the different nature of the different organizations and the needs of their users.Thus,the students can shape the voluntary activities according to the needs of these entities.
Considering their main aims,the students design the activities inside the different subjects,they do some research about the Organization,look for resources and materials.Once they have the planning,they show their classmates their presentations to do peer assessment and make some improvement proposals.
After this practice,their experiences will be shared in eTwinning.The activities that coincide with the exchanges will be announced to the students beforehand using Twinspace.The objectives,activities and methodology together with the role distribution and the timing will be outlined on the first day of the exchange in a welcome-presentation meeting.
Throughout the development of the different activities,the students will share their collaboration by means of photos,videos,interviews and explanatory texts about the activities.When the activities finish,an assessment meeting will be held with all the participants in the project;entities,students and teachers.
The outcome of the project will allow students to grow from a personal,social and linguistic-cultural dimension point of view because of the collaborative and international mixed nature of the project and the collaboration with social organizations.The project will allow teachers to exchange and develop innovative and better educative practices.Once the project is over,the descriptions of the activities,pictures,videos,padlets…will be available for other international schools by means of eTwinning.
Both countries try to be a role model for other schools interested in improving the human and citizen values of our students and implement solidarity activities and volunteering in our curriculum.Our main objective is not only to become competent in many areas but also to become competent helping other people in need.
The spirit of active volunteering should be fostered from an early age.This is one of the long-term expected outcomes;the fact that primary and secondary schools implement this methodology in their educative environments and inside their school project.The students involved in the project will carry out some presentations when the project finished to raise awareness about the importance of volunteering and social collaboration.
Both participant schools will continue with activities,enlarging and spreading their scope of action to meet the needs in every community.And keep in touch to exchange ideas and future collaboration.

Project Website

http://www.insjoseplladonosa.cat/erasmus

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 19094,4 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUT JOSEP LLADONOSA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• COLLEGE BEBEL