You belong to us! Learning together with the Index for Inclusion Erasmus Project

Project Title

You belong to us! Learning together with the Index for Inclusion

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: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

You belong to us! Learning together with the Index for Inclusion

In our 3-year Erasmus project, we have succeeded in achieving our project objectives in line with the selected Erasmus project priorities and the UN BRK through a wide range of activities at each partner school. Within the Erasmus School Partnership, inclusive cultures have been strengthened and further developed, barriers to participation in education, refusal of school and school leaving in partner schools were also overcome. Our project activities were aimed at measures of teaching and school development in the sense of an inclusive school development, here the specific needs of the schools and participants were taken into account in the planning and monitoring: a special school for emotional and social development (Cologne), a comprehensive school (Rio Caldo, Portugal), and a general and vocational school (Cluj, Romania).
The pupils of the three partner schools ranged from primary to upper secondary education (vocational education and training). The vast majority of pupils in all partner schools are taught in lower secondary education.
Among the 580 participant students, at a preliminary stage, an analysis of their needs showed that for some of the student body, successful participation in education is risky due to a special need for support in their social-emotional development or learning, and further obstacles and risks arise for a part of the student body, e.g. through poverty or cultural differences.

The Inclusion Index enabled partner schools to use “a common language” in terms of diversity pedagogy to jointly develop goals and activities and to verify their success. Each school was left room for specific development concerns. As a method, levels of action were named (dimensions) as well as fields of action (indicators) of an inclusive school development, to which questions about evaluation were assigned, for example.

Our project activities in the partner schools and at the student and teacher meetings were derived as planned from the 3 dimensions in the Index for Inclusion.
On the one hand, they aimed at the activating and participation of all students in the classroom and in school life, e.g. by strengthening a respectful relationship with each other or, for example, by breaking down barriers by individualizing the learning opportunities.

On the other hand, our project activities aimed at strengthening common attitudes and guiding principles in the sense of inclusive school development, as well as the further development or introduction of methods, instruments and pedagogical concepts. This way, the results of our Erasmus project flowed into the school concept of each partner school. This ensures a sustainable impact, including regular evaluation and further development in the sense of inclusive school development. In addition, our project activities have enabled the use and development of resources of an educational participation in the local and regional environment of the schools in a variety of ways, for example several project weeks were carried out. Thus, new cooperations between schools and, for e.g., associations, museums or a university, could be tested , which will have a lasting effect through future offers.

In our project, the transnational project meetings and training, teaching and learning activities were particularly important to us, because teachers and students of the partner schools were able to experience the value of a European school project directly in joint activities. Students expanded their linguistic and intercultural skills by working together on project activities, such as applying English skills outside their countries of origin for the first time. Teachers benefited, among other things, from teaching visits, the presentation of concepts, methods and programmes.

During the last half-year of the project, our project activities were affected by the covid 19 pandemic, so planned project weeks and our final transnational project meeting had to be cancelled. Our final project focus “Use and expansion of local resources” has been expanded with activities on the aspects of “learning at a distance” and “digital learning opportunities”.

We have also been able to implement our mission to present the ongoing processes and results of our Erasmus project or European school partnership on a regular basis at regional and supra-regional level. These included, for example, regional working groups with other schools, municipal authorities, professional associations, further education courses and the homepages of the schools, especially on our project homepage: https://inclusioning.wordpress.com.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 103915 Eur

Project Coordinator

Städtische Förderschule ES Zülpicher Straße, Köln & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Terras de Bouro
• Colegiul Tehnic Energetic Cluj-Napoca