YOU ARE NOT ALONE! – it means you live among people who can help you, and also there are a lot of people who are waiting for your help. We are a project team from five European countries: Italy, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Poland. The project is an answer to our students’ and teachers’ needs. Main aims of the project are: increasing participants’ knowledge about other countries and cultures, developing social and intercultural competences, increasing competences in ICT and foreign languages.To get the project aims in all partners’ organisations, we will introduce inclusive education by promoting equity and inclusion and reducing disparities in learning. We are going to introduce activities addressing culture diversity, actions involving students with disadvantaged backgrounds(social and economic obstacles) and children of immigrants. Also, the project is focusing on the topic of the refugees’ crisis in Europe because young people are interested in it and want to enrich their knowledge in this aspect. Taking part in the project activities and creating the common products, participants will become tolerant to other nationalities. They will better understand the differences and similarities between cultures and break stereotypes. Thanks to the project, students and teachers will be able to speak English and use ICT at higher level.Moreover, all participants will get not only knowledge but also practice in providing jenaplan programme which is very effective in Netherlands partner school. We want to include the main aspects of it into partners’ school curriculum because it is focusing on personal and social development of each student.We intend to achieve the aims in cooperation with all project schools. We are sure that the project teams will exchange of good practices and way know-how between all partners. The methods and techniques of working in the project are interesting and innovative for students and for teachers. The work in the project is provided through integrated approaches and is incorporated into partners’ school programme, according to the project plan. The target group consists of disadvantaged learners and these teachers who want to develop their personal and professional possibility. Doing the project and creating outcomes, participants will increase their competences, motivation and satisfaction in school work. The total number of students involved in the project is 1600. There are 20 mobility from each school, so 100 altogether. We are planning three transnational project meetings to provide management trainings and exchange of good practices in the field of teaching and learning using innovative methods and techniques. Also, teachers will practice English and gather materials needed to effective implementation and dissemination. As the result, partners are going to create and publish common products: - a guide for teachers “You are not alone!” containing methods of teaching social and intercultural competences especially useful for teachers and educators when number of international classes in many European countries is highly increasing nowadays.- an English workbook “English in Action” to teach students vocabulary and communication using activating and innovative methods. It will contain language tasks illustrated by copies of real maps, photos, tickets, leaflets, postcards, advertisements, etc. Moreover, we will create and publish: a project logo and a website, a project exhibition, a common presentation about culture influences in partners’ countries, an educational Scrach game, a mini 6 European language dictionary, a project performance “One Europe”, an outdoor parade promoting culture diversity. Also, educational materials created in partners’ national languages and in English. We believe, that the project will have positive impact at local, regional, national and international level because the topic is interesting for many other students and teachers. Furthermore, the products are valuable especially when we observe the process of great migration of people and schools should be prepared to the new situation to work in multicultural and multinational classes. We realize, that intercultural education is important for all pupils to help them to live in international European society.
The Erasmus+ project “You are not alone!” was implemented for 24 months (2016-2018) by five (primary and lower secondary) schools from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Holland and Poland. The main aims of the project were: developing participants’ social and intercultural competences, increasing knowledge about partners’ countries, increasing competences in foreign languages and using ICT. The activities promoted equity, inclusion and reducing disparities in learning by including into the project learners with fewer opportunities compared to their peers (students with disadvantaged backgrounds because of social, geographical, economic obstacles and students from immigrants families). The second target group included into the project actions were teachers who increased English and ICT competences, got knowledge and experience in using new methods and techniques during working in multicultural classes and with students with mentioned problems. Teachers completed three transnational project meetings and students completed three short-term students’ exchanges. There were 100 mobility altogether and participants got Europass Mobility certificates confirming acquiring abilities and skills. Providing project activities in order to explore partners’ culture, playing together, meeting more foreigners, making friends abroad, students became tolerant to other people and diversity of their cultures. They overcame fears and fought with stereotypes connected with different religions, traditions, way of behaviour and thinking. Moreover, the partner from Holland demonstrated jenaplan programme activities which were innovative for others. All participants got new experience in these educational aspects and became prepared to get new challenge in the future because Europa becomes more multicultural nowadays. Thanks to short-term students’ exchanges and project activities pupils improved using vocabulary and communication in English and in other partners’ languages. Also, all partners introduced new ICT techniques, for example: Glogster, Prezi, Emaze, cod QR, Playbuzz, Vimeo, Animoto, a padlet. Students and teachers became familiar with them thanks to the exchange of good practices during project meetings. Participants created common outputs using the ICT techniques, for example: a presentation about international influences on European culture, presentations about educational systems, Prezi/Emaze presentations about the cultural heritage of partner countries, a Scratch educational game, Playbuzz games, outside parades, digital exhibitions, padlets, animations, collages, a common eTwinning project. Furthermore, participants created a common logo, a mini six-language dictionary, project dance and music performances, a common performance “One Europe” in Holland, a “kamishibai” performance in Poland, several English Worksheets and Activity Plans used to create main products. As the result, the partners created a guide for teachers “You are not alone!” containing Activity Plans in order to teach pupils social and intercultural competences and an English Workbook “English in Action” for pupils to study English vocabulary, grammar and communication. It contains also tasks for dislectic students. The impact of the project was significant at a local, regional and European levels because it was disseminated using many ways, for instance: organizing Erasmus+ Days at schools, project exhibitions, project workshops for students and teachers also from other schools and for workers from other institutions, cooperation with parents, local governments, libraries, the eTwinning platform, Amnesty International, Historical Museum, International Dialogue Institute. Moreover, a workshop with a native speaker and a speaker of English, a media workshop, meetings with immigrants and travelers, conferences, meetings, trainings, a blog, a school newspaper, press and school websites articles, a radio interview during the visit in Spain, a TV interview by Dutch NA during the visit in Holland and others. The project achievements were measured by using questionnaires, quizzes, graphics and oral techniques. According to the analyses, the project has had a very positive impact on participants. Thanks to it, a lot of students, teachers and other participants got not only knowledge but also social and intercultural competences. They learnt tolerance to other cultures, religions and languages. Also, participants improved their English and ICT skills. The project got The Label connected with European Year of Heritage 2018 in Spain and can use its logo.