United States of Europe: Fraternity, Unity; Liberty Erasmus Project

Project Title

United States of Europe: Fraternity, Unity; Liberty

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; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

By dealing with the specific topic of this project – the European Union -, students could dive into the foundations and history of the EU and its economical, educational, financial, humanitarian, environmental policies, learning about the adopted procedures and protocols, its guidelines, strengths, and weaknesses. Simultaneously, they could identify needs yet to be fulfilled. Like this, we promoted students’ perception of the European cultural heritage and raised their awareness of transnational and cross European shared history and culture. We contributed to more conscious youngsters, empowering them, as knowledge provides enlightening and the power of choosing.
Since the official language of the project was English and most activities were carried out in it, students’ proficiency in the language was fostered and thus the importance of communicating in English was highlighted as well as the impact it can have on their future.
We promoted the students’ digital literacy and developed their digital competencies grounded on more innovative, open, and inclusive learning/teaching activities by using varied platforms, apps, and digital tools required to present the result of their work. They presented that information to others, having decided beforehand how to do it, making it as varied as possible, using tools such as Prezi, PowerPoint, Google+, Office 365 (Class Notebook, Sway, OneDrive, SharePoint), and worked with digital storytelling, Infographics, cartoons, using Powtoon, for example, to produce new outcomes together: videos, posters, flyers, billboards, digital stories, magazines, and newspapers.
Taking into consideration that our youngsters are 21st-century students who need to be capable of learning by themselves much more than being the mere recipients of the information, we stimulated autonomous learning. By doing research, learning, and discussing results, while developing their project works, these youngsters improved their curiosity, critical thinking, and reasoning ability, amongst others, they became more confident and responsible youngsters, who are more aware of their problems and of those around them and more capable of fighting to promote the changes they see fit. This learning process also improved their ability to perform collaborative work, to lead a team or to be led, still being able of issuing their opinions, and making suggestions, and to help build a better and fairer world.
Students could realize that their education, both through school work and life experiences, greatly improves the chances of a better life for them and the communities they live in. The experience gained with the participation in this project helped them get better academic results and higher educational and cultural levels.
By meeting and contacting with other youngsters from the participating schools, students also developed their social skills, increased their self-esteem and confidence, and realized that, after all, their peers from other countries are teenagers who also have dreams and ambitions, and share with them the hope of a better future.
Some of the students who participated are from lower social and economic classes. For these youngsters, this project constituted the only way for them to be able to travel and get to know other countries. This was a unique opportunity for them to live a new experience and feel totally integrated.
As for the teachers, they became more aware of their role as facilitators in the teaching/learning process, and that more innovative practices are required nowadays not only to promote their students’ scientific knowledge but also to foster their soft skills.
Some of the most relevant outcomes of this project were the USEFUL Trivial Pursuit game, web quests, videos about the main topics, the cities and countries of the participating schools, and the “USEFUL Wall of Democracy”, composed by the politicians chosen by the students as being an icon of democracy in their countries.
In short, USEFUL had a strong impact on students and schools’ communities as it promoted innovative practices in education by supporting personalized learning approaches, collaborative learning, teamwork, and critical thinking, strategic use of ICT, open and flexible learning, virtual mobility, peer feedback and communication in a foreign language both in written and spoken form.

Project Website

https://admin912231.wixsite.com/useful

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 171980,1 Eur

Project Coordinator

Escola Secundária de Almeida Garrett & Country: PT

Project Partners

• III Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace im. Unii Lubelskiej w Lublinie
• INSTITUTO DE ENSEÑANZA SECUNDARIA LOS CARDONES
• Gymnázium Susice, Fr. Procházky 324
• COLEGIUL ECONOMIC DIMITRIE CANTEMIR
• Istituto Istruzione Superiore “A. Zoli”