The schools participating in the project are similar concerning the social background of their students. Most of the students are aged between 17 and 20, structurally deprived, highly motivated and open for an improvement of their intercultural, specialist, social and economic skills. Both schools have a high number of students with migration backgrounds, who – as a result of the social circumstances – do not have the opportunities of intercultural meetings abroad. Due to the vocational subject area of both schools, students are prepared for their working life. Both schools have economy and administration/management as their subject area. Occasionally, there were exchanges and placements abroad in the Fachoberschule, but only a minority of students profited from these offers. The Lycée Simone Weil is participating in many international projects. This exchange comes clearly into effect in the profile of the school. The long-term effect of the planned Erasmus+ project is the establishment of a platform which enables the trade with regional products abroad. The idea of the project supports the profile of the schools and can be integrated into the skills-based curriculum. The Lycée Simone Weil chooses classes from the economy and administration/management department. The classes which are chosen for the exchange by the Lycée Simone Weil are very similar to the classes of the Fachoberschule. The aim of the project is the marketing for regional specialties in the partner country via an online platform. In order to realize this project, the search of suitable products, which will be successful in the partner country (analysis of the market), advertising and the preparation of a market, where the products will be available during the exchange, will be necessary. The schools of both partners will cooperate on a national and an international level and they will meet via etwinning, conference calls and other modern media. A total of 50 students and 6 teachers will carry out, evaluate and improve five activities in two countries (Germany and France) so that the project provides a sustainable and lasting offer for the following generations of students, because it can be continued and improved. The project offers a good opportunity to learn with the help of a practical and integral task both how companies act and how to bring about intercultural meetings which help to reduce language barriers. In the domain of commerce the students obtain insights in work processes which are customary in the administration and in companies. An important element is the communication in different languages in the company and at school. These skills will help the students in their career (certificates will be handed out in the form of the European mobility certificate) and at the same time they will complete the profile and the educational offer of the Lycée Simone Weil and the Paul-Schneider Realschule plus and Fachoberschule with specific experiences and subject matters. The sustainable and long-lasting benefit of such actions has always been confirmed by students, parents, companies and teachers.
The project, entitled "Digital Marketing of Regional Specialties in the Partner Country," had the economic focus of selecting products from its own region, marketing them using digital media, and selling them on an open house day in the partner country. The students involved in the project were between 17 and 20 years old, structurally disadvantaged, highly motivated and open to an expansion of intercultural, professional, social and economic competences. Both schools have a high proportion of of learners with a migrant background who, due to social circumstances, have few opportunities to make cross-cultural encounters outside their own country. In the first instance, there were 50 students over the course of the two years and 30 pupils from each class of the two countries. Specifically, the project aimed to extend the students' intercultural horizon. In addition, a subject-specific, cognitive increase in learning among the participants should be achieved. In addition to language skills, the social skills in dealing with strangers, authorities and institutions should also be improved. An increase in self-reliance and self-confidence in coping with professional and everyday school life was also sought. At the teacher level, objectives have also been set. Among other things, it was about establishing networks, and applying innovative learning methods through the integration of information and communication technologies. The first two of a total of five transnational meetings served on the one hand to establish contact and get to know the teachers in charge, and on the other hand to carry out planning and define measure. In the next step, the students worked on their own profiles in the other language, which were first exchanged and explained in a first video conference between the two classes. During the first visit to Dijon, all participants got to know each other better and work together on the project. A pre-selected product range from both countries was evaluated using a developed questionnaire. Initial considerations on the ordering system and the homepage were made and arranged in the further process of the project. The time was also used to bring the students closer to the Burgundy region and to visit companies of the selected products. The approaches from the first visit were further developed in the further course and presented and exchanged through videoconferences. A marketing plan was developed on the basis of which the regional products should be marketed and sold. The homepage with the reservation system as well as the individual bilingual product descriptions was taken online. A previously developed application procedure was carried out. The aim was to select four students, who were then allowed to accompany and carry out the sale on the open day. For the open day at the Paul Schneider Realschule plus Sohren, the students of the Lycée Simone Weil visited us. Besides the preparations and the sale the time was used to visit the region as well as Mainz, the twin town of Dijon. But companies were also visited from an economic and ecological point of view. Months later, four students visited the Lycee Simone Weil in Dijon to sell the regional products there. The profits from the two sales were donated to SOS Children's Villages. The results include various learning videos on various marketing topics as well as the marketing concept. Furthermore, the different evaluation procedures. The sales system and the homepage will be maintained by the Federation Association. Especially in two areas, the project had far-reaching effects on the participants. On the one hand, the intercultural competence of students was expanded. For many students this project was the opportunity to travel to another country, to get to know another culture. Even the language skills previously only used in school could now be applied and expanded in other situations. Inhibitions against language and other cultures were dismantled . Many facets of the team and social competence of each student have been strengthened during the work with and on the project. On the other hand, the students received deep theoretical and practical insights into commercial processes. With the help of the project, the theoretical school material could be applied in practice. Locally, the project has led to greater attention and attractiveness of the school among interested students, parents and companies in the region, who are available for new partnerships in the field of internships. With the help of local advertisements, the school was able to distinguish itself from other schools and draw attention to itself and the project.