VISIONS OF MY “FUTURE-ME” Erasmus Project

Project Title

VISIONS OF MY “FUTURE-ME”

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

Europe was going through a crisis following the events in 2010, and we based our project on the key points as outlined by European Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2014 agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change. We centred our project around values – present and future values – for our students in a common Europe.

Our objective was to give our students greater awareness of their identity, abilities and possibilities in a common Europe and enhancing them to make use of opportunities given to them by digital technologies, which know no borders. To do this we carried out a three year project which first focused on making them reflect over their identity, their personal and social role in the Europe of 2015/2016. The next year focused on Digital Competence, in order to ensure active socio-economic participation in a common Europe. This year also included focus on Internet safety as they were to reflect on their digital lives. Finally, the last year focused on our pupils’ role in a future Europe, by reflecting on their own future and by giving them practice in job-seeking skills and experience in the work life of international companies.

We were seven participating schools, from all over Europe. We included schools from the very north of the EU and Schengen area’s limits – Norway and Finland, to the furthest east of the union’s extent – Cyprus. The center of Europe was represented by Poland and Germany, while the southwest was represented by Portugal and Spain. It was as diverse a gathering as Europe itself.

The activities we aimed to complete varied greatly. In our first year we created short films on identity and creative presentations on values. In our second year we hosted a panel discussion on the impact of digital technology and together prepared a Safer Internet Exhibition which was hosted in each school. In our third year our students reflected on their future work life and the possibility of working in other European countries, visited international companies and universities during mobilities and worked together on solutions to youth unemployment. We also applied for funding to create seven statues which were to represent their “future-me”, but this part of our application was not approved and therefore never left the planning stages.

Our project resulted in greater awareness for students in their identities, roles, abilities and futures in a common Europe. Both them and the teachers involved became more competent with digital competences and digital safety. By disseminating our projects widely through the use of digital means, social media and blogs, and through local media as well as regional organisations and networks our project will have lasting impact on our communities, making them more aware of the opportunities present in the common Europe that we all share.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 163142 Eur

Project Coordinator

Varhaug ungdomsskule & Country: NO

Project Partners

• The English School, Nicosia
• Helsingin yhteislyseo
• DIVINA PASTORA
• Instituto Educativo do Juncal, S.A.
• Bischöfliche Canisiusschule
• Szkola Podstawowa w Zbrachlinie