We build Cajons – A teaching project for the development of a series of courses in the promotion of key qualifications for the professional world Erasmus Project

Project Title

We build Cajons – A teaching project for the development of a series of courses in the promotion of key qualifications for the professional world

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

With our project, we wanted to improve the chances of young people with learning disabilities in the primary labor market by, among other things, developing their crafting skills. The young people were actually able to improve their opportunities in some companies. However, it was not so much the manual skills that were required there. The companies are nowadays so specialized that they have to teach the young people fundamentally every step of the way. The key qualifications, such as order, punctuality, diligence, “seeing work” etc., are of great importance to potential training companies.
Our project started very positively, but it turned out after a few weeks that not all participants understood the project goal. The schools in Spain and Vienna have approached the construction of cajons with great euphoria because they wanted a finished product after a few weeks. Accordingly, it came to great disappointments, because that did not work.
Luckily, our first meeting in Vienna was an early project, so goals, methods and content could be explained again. The Mobility Tool and the use of the project funds were also discussed again. We have locally, made our connection through Skype together. It also turned out that the Spanish youth involved in the project were much more limited than expected. For them, the objectives were significantly reduced, so that the participation and towards the end of the artistic design of the Cajons in the foreground.
Unfortunately, it came after a few more weeks to big problems. For one thing, communications broke down because Skype made a software update that destroyed our connections. Here, the coordinating organization was able to provide technical assistance and we changed everything to Jitsi Meets. More seriously, there were difficulties at school in Vienna between the coordinating teacher and the school management. The teacher left the school without a proper project handover. The activities in Vienna came to a standstill. The coordinating institution then invited the Viennese headmaster to Bochum and discussed the project process and the mobility tool with him.
For a few weeks, everything went as planned. Unfortunately, there were two changes in Spain. The school board left the school and the building was so dilapidated that the school had to move. Again, the project faltered.
At the second meeting in Spain final questions could be clarified and the Bochum school was able to provide technical support to the teachers. The meeting clearly showed the changes in the young people involved: they took over much of the planning of the meeting. On the ground, it was clear that the young people had learned to organize jobs, structure work processes and were open-minded and polite. The cajons were now largely finished and so they could already be partially used.
In Bochum then the internships for the students were on. The companies were partly impressed by the performance of the young people. Some companies could even imagine the young people to make an offer for an apprenticeship.
At the final meeting in Bochum, local personalities were invited to a celebration during which we were able to present our results. We looked back and were able to gain insights for further projects.
An age difference among the young people involved is easy to bridge, as older like to help the younger. A big problem is the language barrier. Even English as an overarching language is difficult because the young people have hardly any English lessons. In all facilities, the project work should be spread over several employees in the future so that failures can be compensated more easily.
The series of lessons developed in the coordinating institution have become an integral part of the school’s curriculum and have thus been permanently installed.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 68480 Eur

Project Coordinator

Cruismannschule Bochum & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Zentrum für Inklusion und Sonderpädagogik/Volksschule Leopoldsgasse 3
• CP EDUCACIÓN ESPECIAL NÚMERO 1