Our program aims at creating incentives and conditions for getting to know the "other" and removing all forms of stereotypes associated with xenophobia, hate speech, diversity, prejudice.Teaching and learning is necessary in a modern, multicultural school based on concepts and training material, which will be free of ethnocentrism and negative images of the "other", the "different" and utilizing the cultural capital of children from other countries to the benefit of themselves (with the aim of greater emotional security, smoother psychosocial development and better school performance), and indigenous students.The program activities, which are organized around food, sports, customs and traditions, games and arts will contribute to the diversification of established stereotypes, cultivating both for our young students, tomorrow's Europeans, body, the mind and emotions.Utilizing the results of the program, school groups will learn how to adapt teaching methodology, using educational tools that will result from good practice and experimentation in implementation within our program.
In the years 2016-2018, the 2nd Primary School of Kolindros participated and co-ordinated a European School Partnership program ERASMUS +. This initiative was treated with great enthusiasm by the school community (students, educators, parents) because we were given the opportunity to open our wings to the world, to escape from the narrow framework of the small town of Kolindros, to get in touch with colleagues from Europe, learn different educational systems, compare, adopt or reject elements. The following 9 schools participated in the school partnership: 1. Greece - Kolindros – 2nd Primary School - Coordinating school 2. Bulgaria - Dolna Oryahovitsa - Saints Cyril and Methodius Primary School 3. Romania -Curtea de Arges-Gymnasium School Mircea cel Batran 4. Lithuania - Gargždai-Gargzdu Minijos progimnazija 5. Poland -Lubycza Królewska- Zespół Szkół w Lubyczy Królewskiej 6. Portugal -Torres Novas-Agrupamento de Escolas Artur Gonçalves 7. Italy -Formia- I.C. Alighieri Formia - Ventotene 8. Turkey - MERSİN-Memduh Türkoğlu Ortaokulu 9. Spain - Alcover Tarragona-Institut d'Educació secundària Fonts del Glorieta The Bulgarian school was it in the 1st year of implementation. Organized in total 7 Transnational meetings: The first Transnational Meeting took place at the headquarters of the coordinating school in Kolindros Pieria, and then followed: 2nd in Curtea De Arges, Romania, 3rd in Lubycza Królewska, Poland, 4th in the city of Alcover, Spain, 5th in Formia, Italy, 6th in Erdemli-Mersin, Turkey and 7th in Torres Novas, Portugal. All Transnational Meetings had a specific theme addressed by the participating teachers and were the benchmarks for all partners. At the Transnational Meetings, which were prepared and organized with absolute success by the corporate schools, the groups of the participating teachers not only dealt with the practical / technical part of each activity, but during their discussion, they even analyzed and challenged some approaches that were the result of different cultures and educational systems. The Transnational Meetings developed a distinct interpersonal relationship and cooperation, built a common approach to the subject of our plan, and resolved all the questions and difficulties encountered during its implementation. The impact of our project on pupils, teachers, school and parents was great and unique. Particularly: For our students, we have the opportunity to improve their learning abilities with new innovative programs, to study and discover knowledge through different approaches, to express their creativity beyond the narrow frameworks of our own educational system, from the many activities of different cultures, to become aware of their diversity and to escape the stereotypes and prejudices, which were our main goal and the theme of our plan. The activities that took place for the students of the participating schools were aimed at getting to know the culture, arts and the specific characteristics of each country. In the work being done, emphasis was placed on the skills we wanted to develop: critical thinking, cooperation, teamwork, communication, creativity, the removal of all forms of stereotypes. For teachers: • Getting acquainted with the traditions and culture of other countries. • Getting acquainted with the education systems of other countries and applying new teaching methods. • Deepening and exploring scientific interests. • Improving ICT skills. • Improving project management skills. • Establish strong links with partner colleagues. • Improvement and development in foreign languages. For school: • Improving the school climate • Familiarization with the idea of European education and society. • Ability to compare and evaluate the training provided. • Ability to organize meetings. Developing interdisciplinary approaches. • Changes in organizational and school management support. • Better teamwork among teachers. For parents: • It was impeccable to collaborate with the school and the teachers of the program. • Parents supported the program during its implementation. • Their children came into contact with educational systems and experienced different cultures. Our school as a coordinator has organized educational day presentations and dissemination of results to students, teachers and parents of the school as well as to the educational community of the wider region.