Our project aims at developing the social entrepreneurship skills of students by means of the method learning through working, as well as at raising the level of basic skills competence, communication and presentation skills, and the ability to work in a team or the so- called “soft skills”. The project will present its activities and products mainly in 2017, which is declared a European year of Entrepreneurship. We want to give our pupils the best possibilities for developing their social entrepreneurship skills but also to make them face the social realities motivating them for doing voluntary work. We will put efforts in cultivating self- awareness towards different people, empathy towards the ones that suffer and a desire to share the value to help each other. That is why volunteering is the second important point that will be present in our project. If a person is surrounded with models which express an urge for helping others, the chances to adopt these models are really great. This is a project which will encourage the study of English language in the sphere of entrepreneurship by writing a handbook “Successful steps in entrepreneurship” and the use of English language as a working base with the students from the partner countries. The main aim of the project, which includes 5 schools from 5 different countries, is to establish the criteria for successful implementation of an entrepreneurial idea on the European market.To achieve the goal of the project, the following activities will be organized: a competition, called “Entrepreneurs of Future” on a given topic in every country; “Entrepreneurship”- when students meet and they will also be supported by mentors, PTA representatives and NGOs. The final product will be a handbook “Successful steps in Entrepreneurship”. This handbook will present all mandatory stages that every entrepreneurial idea goes through from its origin to its fulfillment. We are 5 primary schools from different countries and we have planned to make two training meetings in the middle of each year. At these meetings the participating teachers and students will discuss the criteria and features that every successful entrepreneurial idea should conform to. During these training meetings voluntary initiatives, aiming at solving both a social and ecological issue, will also be organized. The voluntary initiative with eco focus will be “Plant a tree, save the Earth”- cleaning a particular region, collecting waste, planting trees and from the waste collected- making an art product. The voluntary initiative solving a social issue will be called “Dance with me”- a dance lesson in SOS children’s villages/ family-type accommodation centers/ nursing homes.The ideas, participating in “Entrepreneurship”, will be presented to business representatives, other students and educational institutions, too. Thus, the participants in the project will become part of global education, aimed at performing the goals of sustainable development. These goals will definitely be a priority in the next 15 years. Entrepreneurship and initiative, one of the key competences mentioned in the European Framework of Reference, can solve one of the global problems. Project activities will be based on what present skills requires and that is flexibility. That is why, students will combine knowledge in ICT, foreign languages, entrepreneurship, business research, geography and even psychology. Good practices and innovation will also be applied in the curriculum. We will cooperate with non-governmental organizations, local formal and informal institutions, similar schools and schools in the region to distribute products and project results. This synergy is shown in the fact that the project unites students with different interests, coming from different socio-economic environments. Our aim is to define common points of interest and create products which will be a symbol of cross-border cooperation through entrepreneurial skills. One of the best activities will be the organization of voluntary initiatives. The best art products will be awarded and long-lasting dissemination will be ensured.We will achieve project sustainability by making films for each stage on CDs. The handbook “Successful steps in Entrepreneurship “ will be presented to each partner country on paper and uploaded online on project’s page.Partners will prepare and publish two issues of magazines. Number of people involved: Mobility of teachers: 32 Mobility of students: 68People, accompanying students: 96 Total number of participants: 336
The project as a whole stayed within the remit of the original project. The students learnt much about their partners through the project as demonstrated through a questionnaire at the start and end of the project. Activities such as the “Dance with me” project in Lithuania ensured that the participating students learnt about the cultural capital of our partner countries. We were all also able to share traditional songs from our countries with the residents of a local care home. Enabling the students and staff to work with each other directly and indirectly has developed communication skills and language skills. This was particularly demonstrated during a Bulgarian Spelling Bee conducted in English. Students being able to participate in lessons at host schools, and spend time with host families also built these relationships and was a key benefit not originally highlighted in the project outline. Voluntary work has been an important focus for our project. During our visits to host schools we have planted trees and visited elderly care homes in Lithuania and have undertook beach cleaning ventures in Italy. Each school has also performed additional voluntary work such as charitable donations and sponsored events for local organisations, supporting vulnerable groups in the local community by collecting for food banks. In the UK the older students raised money in a variety of ways in order to fund a climbing frame and exercise area for the younger students. This supports the government remit of supporting children’s health. There have been a variety of ways in which we have supported the development of entrepreneurial skills with our students. This has been both to support charities and to develop and nurture a growing work ethic. Our students have taken part in competitions by planning, designing and making products to sell and ensuring a profit margin. This awareness of how to manage money is a key life skill. Our project has involved the wider community throughout. We have had the opportunity to visit local tourist attractions to see how they contribute to the local economy. Our students have spent time in classrooms to experience schooling in other cultures as well as spending time with host families. We have visited local government offices, elderly care homes and sporting venues to experience and develop an understanding of how a society is structured.