Transform our Schools Climate across Europe by Peer Mediation Based on Nonviolent Communication Erasmus Project

Project Title

Transform our Schools Climate across Europe by Peer Mediation Based on Nonviolent Communication

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Inclusion – equity; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

Six schools across Europe adapted a good practice from a primary school in Bak, Hungary. It is a Peer Mediation program based on the principles of Nonviolent Communication. Our aim was to transform the school climate and to foster the emotional intelligence and social competence in schools across Europe.
At the first year of the project there was a strong emphasis on staff and students’ training on Nonviolent Communication and peer mediation.
Teachers’ trainings took place mainly during international meetings, leaded by professional trainers. At local level teachers invited students and offer them after school curricula to become a peer mediator.
Involved teachers were asked for researching about nonviolent communication and existing school-based peer mediation practises in their countries. Teachers from Finland had rich experience and background knowledge about existing school-based peer mediation practises, but it wasn’t based on NVC . They shared their thoughts, and we were able to discuss openly and honestly how the theory ( principles of NVC) could match with our every-day school life struggle.
In each school, “Student Workgroup” operated during the whole program, lasting for at least 45 minutes per week. Peer mediator training and supervision mainly happened in Student Workgroups. Students used TwinSpace for interacting each other.
During “short-term activities with students” participants learned about peer mediation, Nonviolent Communication and about other cultures.
After a year training students became “qualified peer mediators” and they were introduced with this title to the school community. Meaning of their function were explained to students, teachers and parents. In the second year peer mediators mediated real cases, but with the active help of the teachers.
There were about 15 peer mediators trained from each school (90 in total) and about 5 teachers from each school (30 in total) directly involved in the project.
The whole community of the Partnership schools benefited from the program which means about 1700 students, 660 staff members and 3400 parents.
The project’s first target group were the students of the Partnership schools. 10-20 students per school were trained to be a ‘qualified peer mediator’. At least half of the school population had the chance for peer mediation.
The project’s second target group was the staff of the Partnership schools.
Involved teachers participated in a three-day joint-staff training about peer mediation and Nonviolent Communication in Education. Every member of the Partnership schools’ staff received an introductory seminar on peer mediation program in their school in order to be informed about the upcoming program.
Administrative staff: The head teacher/chairman and a deputy head took part in the project, Approximately 19 administrative staff indirectly was involved.
The project’s third target group were the parents of the students. Parents were informed about the program from school’s newspaper and website, in additional they were invited for personal meetings to be informed. They were asked to help the “short-term activities with students” by hosting students from other countries, take care of them and prepare traditional food for cultural experience.
People in the local community (like local press and municipality) helped to disseminate the project to the wider community.
The objectives of the project were:
– Learn a peer mediating method based on strengthening the relationship
– Learn to transform anger by identifying our critical thoughts
– Find assertive ways to solve a conflict instead of being submissive or aggressive
– experience and knowledge among students and teachers of the diversity of Europe;
– create a network of partnership schools and encourage communication in foreign languages;
– promote inter-cultural dialogue between different counties;
– develop European awareness
– reduce social stratification;

Through our project short-term and long-term results were created, both tangible and intangible. Short-term results can be identified through the assessment of the project’s indicators.
The final product is a short film, a brief summary of the whole project.
Peer mediation is both a program and a process which changes the way students understand and resolve conflict in their lives. Changes include improved self-esteem, listening and critical thinking skills, and school climate for learning, as well as reduced disciplinary actions and less fights. These skills are transferable outside of the classroom.
Partnership schools have understand that the long term impact of the project is shifting from a fixed mindset to a growing mindset. The project is over but the process has just started. Involved staff from the partnership schools spent sufficient time to evaluate the program, and each school made a written recommendation for the further development of the peer mediation program in their own school.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 99785 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szent István Egyházi Általános Iskola és Kollégium & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Grundschule Kerschensteinerstrasse
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO STATALE ARCHIMEDE LA FATA
• Göcsej Kapuja Bak Általános Iskola
• Hyrkin koulu
• AGRUPAMENTO DE ESCOLAS DR ANTÓNIO AUGUSTO LOURO – E.B. 2,3 Dr. António Augusto Louro
• Ozel Gaziantep Bahcesehir Ortaokulu