"Think ALLOWED - Teenage students have their say on Human Rights " was created to promote greater and more active participation among young students (between 15 and 17 years of age) as European citizens and, in this way, to contribute, in line with the 2015 Paris Declaration, to the promotion of the values of freedom, equality, dignity, Human rights and respect of diversity. The project was born in response to the attacks led on 26th December 2016 that highlighted the need for to coordinate, cooperate, exchange experiences and insure that the best Ideas and teaching practices are shared throughout the Union. The idea behind the project is to work simultaneously on two aspects: sharing and identification of best teaching practices, able to use computer systems; realization of moments of transnational exchanges in which students can meet with their peers from other European countries and debate on the main themes of the project. Compared to the first aspect, a comparison among different school realities in countries that have adopted a different approach regarding their teaching of civic education (Spain, France and Greece have inserted the civic education as a different subject from the others, while Italy and Romania have set its teaching in a transversal way) may contribute to a more effective comparison of best practices. As for this aspect, THINKING ALLOWED also aims at stimulating reflection on teaching and transmission methodologies as well as on the civil values of European citizenship. 16 teachers, 4 from each partner institute, are called to support students in making illustrative videos on the ideals shared in Europe (made in each individual countries and compared during the last mobility in Italy), so that they will indirectly come in contact with different teaching approaches adapted by the colleagues. The activities led remotely and the use of various digital tools (use of platforms for learning how eTwinning and Ted-ED, use of storage platforms like Dropbox and Google Drive; use of social media for informational purposes) will enable teachers to deepen the knowledge of these tools for educational purposes and to establish a comparison with their European colleagues. The second aspect will be pursued through activities in foreign countries. The goal is to train 100 students, 20 from each partner institute, to identify common aspects existing between different cultures and laws on the protection of freedom and diversity. They will consist of initial virtual activities such as a webseminar entitled "The Declaration of Human Rights and its meaning" and 5 physical mobility periods of the duration of 7 days in total (2 travel days plus 5 educational activities), each of which focusing on a specific aspect of human freedom (immigration, disability, gender equality, cyberbullying and position of the European Union for the defense of such rights). The mobility will take place in the following countries: France; Spain; Romania; Greece; Italy. At a methodological level, the project involves the use of the following tools: - training event as a means to deepen knowledge in the field of teaching methods and to share it with colleagues from other countries; - blended mobilities as a means able to allow teachers to observe other European colleagues operating within the class environment and allow students to learn about other cultures and improve their language skills. The blended activities are designed as a tool to evaluate, through the observation in non-school contexts, the effectiveness of best practices outside the context in which they were born. All tasks developed remotely, realized through the use of eTwinning, will be preceded by a national meeting between teachers and students (each school will implement preparatory meetings in remote, though making use of teaching materials previously shared between all partners and in compliance with a previously agreed timetable). The project will involve a major impact not only on the direct beneficiaries of such activities (teachers and students) but also on the participating institutions both at national and European level. As for the educational institutions, THINKING ALLOWED will allow the adoption of new teaching methods and improve the quality of internationalization strategies in a European perspective. At national and European level, the project will lead to the development of European best practices and the interaction of different processes able to form "new Europeans" and increase the respect for the “other”.
"Thinking Allowed - Teenage students have their say on Human Rights" promoted the active citizenship of the new generation of “native Europeans”, prompting their spirit of initiative towards important issues such as immigration, equal opportunities, democracy, human rights, in line with the Paris Declaration of 2015, which supported values of freedom, equality, dignity, and respect for the diversity. The project was born in response to the terroristic attacks that took place in Berlin, in December 2016, which highlighted the need for more cooperation among European schools. The Strategic Partnership born out of the project “Thinking Allowed” allowed the exchange of experiences and the establishment of good practices among the partner schools and training organizations. The general objective of the project was to stimulate a reflection on teaching methods as well as on European civic values while, at the same time, facilitating the process of Language Learning in a real context of debate and cultural exchange. The project covered a period of 24 months and involved different European schools (the Lycée "Martinère Monplaisir" from Lyon, IES "San Rosendo" from Mondoñedo, the Greek School "A 'Arsakeio Geniko Lykeio Psychikou" located in Athens, the Romanian Technological High School "Mihai Eminescu" of Suceava) and training organisations ("Formamentis Srl" from Battipaglia, in Italy), coordinated by the high school “Liceo Statale Publio Virgilio Marone" from Avellino. 88 students and 12 teachers took part in the training and exchange activities promoted by the project, divided into 1 Short-term joint staff training event and 3 Blended mobility of school learners: - Activity C1 - mobility of teachers towards Italy for the realization of a Training Event for school staff; - Activity C2 - mobility of learners to Spain; main topics: equal opportunities and gender differences; - Activity C3 – mobility of learners to France; main topics: immigration and cultural integration issues; - Activity C4 - mobility of learners to Romania; main topics: defence of human rights and the fight against bullying; - Activity C5 – mobility of learners to Greece; main topics: democracy and freedom of expression. The 12 participating teachers all came from state-of-the-art schools located in 5 different European countries, with years of experience and diverse professional profiles and backgrounds; the 88 students, selected from the III and IV classes (and equivalents), represented different socio-cultural, economic, religious and linguistic contexts, often coming from economic disadvantages and geographical limits. The project “Thinking Allowed” promoted the following positive impacts: - all partners were able to better understand the European funding mechanisms and, specifically, those of the Erasmus+ Programme, improving their planning and organizational skills; - participants in LTTAs improved their school performance, intercultural dialogue, language and digital skills as well as their soft skills (flexibility, self-esteem, team work) developing a more positive attitude towards cultural exchange and the general sense of belonging to the same European Community; - major knowledge of the possibilities offered by Europe for the internationalization of schools’ didactics; - learners (and families) managed to overcome cultural, religious, social stereotypes and prejudices, which means communities more open to intercultural dialogue; they also improved their proficiency in English, used as the main language of exchange; - broader knowledge of the features characterizing the VET system thanks to the mixed cooperation between the partner schools and a training organization specialized in professional training, a strategy that allowed the deep integration of both worlds; - deeper familiarity with the Erasmus+ Programme and the European tools of recognition and certification of skills acquired in formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts.