The project "Cultivating Languages and Youth Entrepreneurs" joins partners from Estonia, Greece and Italy with the coordinator from Latvia. The project is aimed at secondary school students who will make a difference by collaboration. There will be 100 participants involved in the transnational activities, both students and teachers. There will be more students and teachers who will benefit from the participation in the local and virtual activities. The underlying theme of this project is to enhance the European dimension of education by promoting joint cooperation activities in the schools and expanding their practices beyond schools in local communities. This project will enable students and teachers to acquire and improve skills in the areas of foreign languages, entrepreneurship, ICT, as well as social awareness/integration and of reducing the food waste. The participation in the activities will enrich a sense of teamwork, sociocultural relations, project management and the use of ICT. The project will increase multilingual capacity and motivation towards language learning amongst staff, students and the wider school and community. All of the participant applicants demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for their role in their community from that of a local one to a European one. Throughout the project, such cross curricular themes as Language, Business English, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Food waste will be explored and researched. Students and teachers will engage in a series of actions and activities which will lead to improved competences, skills and more developed knowledge in the subject matters as well as language, cultural awareness and diversity with the view to the advantages that can be gained from working in a European context. The cross curricular nature of this project will enable a wide variety of subjects and issues to be addressed in ranging from language, Economics and IT classes, to Biology, Geography, Music, History and crafts. Students will compile and complete a questionnaire as to food waste habits in their household or in those of their community. Students will analyze a minimum of 100 questionnaires per school/community, they will engage in the project using the eTwinning platform, they will create materials and information for the websites. Moreover, students will explore where the food comes from and grow plants/vegetables at their school. The students will also contribute to the international garden at our Greek partner school where they will plant something traditional from their own country. Students will also witness the process of growing food by planting in spring and harvesting in autumn. Their experience and knowledge from the food businesses how they use food waste, will enable them to raise awareness in their households. school and community. In addition, the participants will identify reasons for unemployment across the Europe, difficulties in getting a job at a young age, they will explore job opportunities, creating workplaces. Students will define a minimum skills set, and inquire into the validity of entrepreneurship. They will also recognize the role of foreign languages in entrepreneurship witnessing the processes while on a field trip. They will also practice in workshops and gain knowledge from the entrepreneurs at a European level. The final results of the project will be displayed in the presentations, materials for schools, websites, policy makers.
The Erasmus + project "Cultivating Languages and Youth Entrepreneurs" brought together partners from Estonia, Greece, Italy and Latvia. The coordinator was Aloja Ausekla Secondary School from Latvia. The project was aimed for secondary school students. 100 participants, both students and teachers, took part in transnational learning activities and 3 transnational project meetings. More students and teachers were involved in the local project activities, thus benefiting from the project. This project was based on the promotion of a European dimension in partner schools, especially since it was the first Erasmus+ project for all. This project gave students and teachers an opportunity to acquire and improve foreign language skills, learn about entrepreneurship, ICT and promote awareness and tolerance for social and intercultural inclusion. Another major project theme was reducing food waste. Participation in activities promoted the ability to collaborate and team spirit. The partner schools and the educators involved have expressed a desire to continue their cooperation. This was an opportunity for both the school and the teachers to learn project management and the use of ICT in it. The project motivated the practical use of foreign language skills as well as learning new words and phrases, especially for students in host families. The project promoted cross-curricular links across topics such as language, business English, entrepreneurship, ICT and food production and waste, biology, geography, history, social sciences, music. Pupils and educators took part in a series of activities to improve their knowledge of the issues covered, as well as to improve their foreign language skills, intercultural understanding and tolerance, thanks to the opportunity to cooperate in the context of European Union. Students prepared questionnaires and surveyed more than 100 respondents to find out about the habits of local households in terms of purchasing food and reducing waste. The results were compared between partner schools and posted on school website. The participants also had the opportunity to find out what partner schools are doing about the issue, to look at the Greek school garden, to compost, During the study trip in Greece, the students planted something typical from their country in the international garden of the project. During the presentations, the participants explained or showed more about the plant, its use. During the project, the partner schools also got to know the eTwinning platform and created a project site there. The project gave an idea of employment in the partner school countries, regions, prospects, unemployment as well as traditional jobs as well as jobs related to the environment and tourism, business. The participants learned about the role of foreign languages in different companies and sectors. The participants made presentations about the project activities, told at school meetings, wrote articles for school and municipal websites and newspapers.