Traces of migration and flight Turkey and in Germany Erasmus Project

Project Title

Traces of migration and flight Turkey and in Germany

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: Cultural heritage/European Year of Cultural Heritage; Integration of refugees; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

“Migration and flight” are real life circumstances that have always accompanied humanity from ancient times until today. Since 2015, the number of refugees in Europe has increased. Our project connects Turkey and Germany, which both have been affected by the present refugee situation and the migration of their residential population since the 1960s. That’s why our project aimed to sensitize all participants for the historical and global dimensions of migration and flight. During their research, the students recognized not only the problems, but also the opportunities of migration and flight. Therefore, they developed their own awareness of Europe through direct comparison. Our school’s guiding idea “School without racism – school with courage”- also supports our project’s context. We saw it as our mission, also through our project, to promote political education and common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination among young people. Furthermore, our project aspired to support disadvantaged young people in their education through intercultural dialogue. As a result, the students were particularly encouraged by the “migration stories” in their families and participated more actively in school life. Consequently, this project encouraged and supported refugee students and their parents, who mostly did not traditionally play an active role in the school community. They were successfully integrated into school and social life. The interviews with students and teachers always showed similar reasons for their flights.
The realization of the educational power, motivated some students to become politically for a future-oriented education. In our interdisciplinary project we worked with different grades (5-13). All participating students have achieved a wealth of interesting and varied results. Through interaction with the partner school, the students have effectively improved their English language skills. While researching the migration stories, the students wrote texts and took photos of the ancient migration in Troy and Bergama in Turkey, which they successfully presented. In this context, they transferred and compared the information they gained to the present situation. By using oral history methods, they interviewed contemporary witnesses in the “Stumbling Stones” subproject. Their results were demonstrated with photos and statistically recorded data. These data were presented in a memorial hour concerning the victims seeking refuge at the school and in the church. In addition, the students in Stromberg laid stumbling blocks as a memory of the victims of escape and made the public aware of their results. Apart from analytical research, there was an artistic approach which led to measurable and visible results. This included an exhibition that clarified the life circumstances of the refugees. Students made videos about guest workers in the 1960s and presented and demonstrated the scenes on an Erasmus screen. They have also drawn paintings and produced clay figures. They published their migration stories on a large self-made world map in the school foyer. Sophisticated teaching modules about “Migration and Integration” were created for the senior school students, which can also be used for the middle school students in the future. A daily life dictionary of 8 languages for refugees was developed by the students. The results were provided in an e-book. In ethics and religion, the flight of the forefathers was investigated, and the results also were provided in an e-book. The fifth graders participated musically in the project. They practiced international songs in different languages, and therefore made sound recordings. All schools, communities, agencies, companies and school authorities involved in the project attached great importance to productive cooperation. In addition, experts from a wide range of fields were involved in the project, including photographers, historians, acting teachers, the press and IT specialists. This in turn not only increased the students’ key competences, but also raised awareness in the wider community.
Although our project is finished, the work will continue to accompany us in the long term. The next generations in our school will benefit from the gained experiences in a future-oriented way. In order to open up a broad future horizon for our students, we intend to expand our project and to innovatively shape the course of education with other countries worldwide. The project results have been published.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 50584 Eur

Project Coordinator

IGS Stromberg & Country: DE

Project Partners

• BALIKESIR ADNAN MENDERES ANADOLU LISESI