Together We Can Erasmus Project

Project Title

Together We Can

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Keeping in mind that every student has the right to an education free from discrimination and prejudice, that they all must have equal opportunities to learn and that legislation in EU countries prohibits discrimination in the educational system and supports inclusive education, we have decided to build this project with partners who feel the same way and have similar problems of inclusion within their schools.
Finding ways to prevent discrimination is our goal, in order to ensure students’ educational opportunities.
The recent arrival at our schools of a large number of students of different nationalities, together with a significant number of roma students and also a large number of pupils with SEN, present us not only with inclusion problems, but also with obedience to rules and even of compulsory attendance. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the inclusion of minorities, of those who are different, and of the most disadvantaged groups, both socially and economically. School should be able to launch strategies aimed at eradicating various forms of exclusion and discrimination, such as the eradication of prejudice, xenophobia, racism and gender difference, by striving for the full inclusion of minorities and difference.
This intercultural project involves schools from Portugal, Cyprus, Spain, Italy and Poland. Its logic is based on the understanding that mobility, an integral part of our increasingly globalized world, presents challenges stemming from cultural differences that are an intrinsic part of people’s complex identities. Therefore, knowledge and awareness of how culture affects communication is essential in effective intercultural communication.
Some of the goals of this project are:
•To improve pupils’ social skills in terms of tolerance, critical thinking and collaboration;
•to improve the participation of students with fewer opportunities and/or with SED, in order to promote equality and inclusion;
•to create empathy for problems of inclusion of disadvantaged groups at a local, national and European level;
•to raise awareness among students and the educational community of the diversity of European cultures and languages, as well as the value of such diversity;
•to stimulate a sense of belonging to a broader community based on values of tolerance and mutual respect;
•to encourage equal opportunities;
•to implement actions directed towards participatory and inclusive citizenship;
•to nurture consciousness of the eradication of prejudice, xenophobia, racism and gender difference;
•to implement actions directed to the inclusions of migrants and refugees;
•to implement actions directed to the practice of solidarity.
To achieve these goals, activities were planned between the 5 partners. Being the major theme “Inclusion”, each country will organize activities linked to subtopics of this theme. Thus Poland will prepare activities linked to “Solidarity”; Chyprus to “Social and economic discrimination”; Spain to “Gender Equality”, Italy to “Migrants and Refugees” and Portugal will prepare activities linked to “Interculturality”. This way students will have a broader vision of the big theme.
On the other hand, the students involved in an Erasmus+ experience will gain self-confidence, adaptability, openness, mutual understanding and solidarity. Erasmus+ mobilities offer a unique opportunity to recognize differences between cultures and to learn how to overcome them.
All activities will be monitored, in order to evaluate the achievement of the objectives, through questionnaires and reports. The monitoring of the project, in each one of its phases, will allow to make timely adjustments in case of necessity,.
ETwinning will act as the central means of communication of this project and Twinspace and eTwinning events will be used to share ideas and materials and to coordinate this project.
By participating in this project, it will be possible to change long-term practices in the schools involved, by introducing in the education system activities that ensure intercultural understanding and the participation of people from disadvantaged groups and/or special needs, thus increasing equality and inclusion. In addition, there will also be other benefits such as: improving self-esteem among students, improving language proficiency, fostering collaborative work, broadening horizons to other cultures, visiting new places, meeting new people. Finally, this collaboration will increase the internationalization of all the institutions involved.
The dissemination of the Project results, especially in the Erasmus + Project Results Platform will allow for a national and European expansion. It will be another opportunity for partners to communicate with other European schools interested in our project. This forms of dissemination will allow the project results to continue to be used by others, beyond the project funding time, thus ensuring its sustainability.

Project Website

https://aeermesinde.net/aee/index.php/erasmus/ka2

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 132041,24 Eur

Project Coordinator

Agrupamento de Escolas de Ermesinde & Country: PT

Project Partners

• DIMOTIKO SCHOLEIO DALIOU 3
• Zespol Szkolno-Przedszkolny nr 4 w Krakowie
• 3° Istituto Comprensivo Statale “L. Capuana”
• IES ILIPA MAGNA