In the context of reforming national curricula Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as such becomes more and more relevant, because skills that are needed for Europeans to succeed in quickly changing world, are complex and could not be developed in separate subject areas. It develops intercultural communication skills, improves language competence and oral communication skills, develops multicultural understanding. The main goal of the project is to provide an opportunity for students to experience learning together in face-to-face settings that follow online learning activities, to bring together students' creative potential for making them aware of European values, their capacity to contribute wellbeing and sustainability of learning society. Project activities will expand practices and contribute students' global awareness and multicultural understanding, as well as teachers' competence to introduce new teaching-learning methodologies in practice. The objectives that partners are going to achieve are related to both sustainable practices and concrete processes: increased use (and proficiency) of CLIL and/or bilingual teaching/learning in schools, use of skype in the classroom methodology and tools, supporting teachers in adopting collaborative and innovative practices, both digital and non-digital, mutual face-to-face learning activities to learn together, to practice democracy and to implement collaborative projects, supporting teachers in dealing with diversity, in promoting creativity and multicultural understanding, as well as project work festivals demonstrating students' collaborative projects, that foster learning culture of schools. 2 rounds of student exchange allow to develop particular methodology and to identify strengths and weaknesses of this kind of collaboration to apply it in the most effective way. 5 kinds of activities for students will be organized to achieve the project's objectives: 1) local activities to prepare online collaboration via skype, focused on CLIL in history and social sciences and promoting digital literacy; 2) online activities when students present themselves, their schools, classes, their States and national history as a part of European Union: students will raise their national and EU awareness, understanding of European values, they learn to use both English and online collaboration; 3) mutual mobilities - during interactive learning activities students learn together (CLIL in real class settings), develop socio-emotional competence, practice democracy and tolerance both when discussing and making decisions, find common interest areas for further collaborative projects and use English for communication and learning; 4) online collaboration of students in mixed groups to finalize projects and to acknowledge the value of international collaboration; 5) student project festival to demonstrate, share and celebrate collaborative work. Although the project activities are focused on students, collaboration of teachers provide opportunities to adopt collaborative and innovative practices, both digital and non-digital, support teachers competence to deal with multicultural diversity and promote CLIL methodology in schools. There are 2 rounds planned in the project - 1 round for each school year, focusing on 14-15 year old students (for each round). Project is going to increase schools’ proficiency in doing and managing CLIL and/or bilingual teaching (English), meaningful use of ICT, introduce new teaching-learning methods, increase number of 14-15 year old students, who benefit from use of CLIL or bilingual teaching/learningreased as well as students' global awareness and multicultural understanding. The outcomes will be regularly demonstrated on school websites, social networks, in seminars, teacher conferences and during the students' collaborative project work festival at the end of each round. Besides, outcomes of the project will provide evidence for introducing CLIL in primary curriculum that is relevant in the context of challenges related to decreasing proportion of foreign languages in upcoming curriculum (in Latvia).
The project joined two European schools in Latvia and the Netherlands to experience content and language (English) integrated learning (CLIL), using ICT and see the benefits of cooperation in various contexts to enrich partners’ skills and uptodate use of effective teaching materials. The main goal of the project was to provide an opportunity for students to experience learning together in face-to-face settings that follow on-line learning activities, to bring together students’ creative potential for making them aware of European values, their capacity to contribute wellbeing and sustainability of learning society. The project enriched teachers and students’ opportunities to share their knowledge and adopt innovative practices cooperating. The implementation of the project activities was connected with long-lasting practice as well as with specific processes, for example: *)to intensify use and practice of CLIL and bilingual learning and teaching in schools; *)the use of Skype; *)cooperation and digital and non-digital innovative practice - mutual face-to face learning to implement collaborative projects and practice democracy, in promoting creativity and multicultural understanding. 2 rounds of student exchange were accomplished – 2 mobilities each year in both countries. 4 local mobilities were supplemented by online activities with presentations, discussions, questions via Skype. All in all, the project activities extended practice of educational establishments and promoted students’ and teachers’ mutual understanding, use of ICT and strengthened competence of teachers to introduce new learning-teaching methodology in practice. The following activities were organized during the project: 1) Local activities and online cooperation (Skype) based on CLIL in history, social sciences, sciences and promoting digital competence; 2) Local activities when students introduced themselves, their schools, classes, countries and national history as a part of European Union. Students enlarged their knowledge about their country, EU, European values. They practiced English for communication as well as evaluated benefits of on-line communication; 3) International mobilities. Interactive studies during the mobilities when students from both countries studied together using CLIL, bilingual methodology, developed their socio emotional competence, practiced democratic approach and tolerance when discussing and taking decisions as well as finding common interest topics for further cooperative projects and communicating in English; 4) 4 students’ project festivals and a Farewell Party at the end of mobilities where students presented their common work, shared their knowledge, discussed the results of cooperation and gave feedback. The main target group was 14-16-year-old students but the teachers involved had the opportunities to: *)experience new practice of cooperation and innovative methods – locally and digitally; *)strengthen multicultural understanding; *)enlarge their competence of using foreign languages; *)promote CLIL and bilingual teaching methods in schools; *)get acquainted with the educational system of another country and to take part into study process at school. In whole 110 students and 12 teachers took part into local and mobility activities, study process, festivals; in online activities – altogether about 300 students and 30 teachers from both countries (using Skype in the classroom, participated in outdoor lessons, festivals). The results of the project and descriptions of mobilities were enclosed in school’s homepage, demonstrated in classes, teachers’ meetings and when exchanging ideas with teachers, as well as in parents’ council’s meeting and festivals of student’s cooperation at the end of each mobility. The students who were present in mobilities shared their experience in International Open lesson "Crossing the borders with the Microsoft Teams!" in May 22, 2020 with the students from Kazakhstan, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Serbia. Due to the decrease of number of lessons in English in new Standard’s study programs, the results of the project proved the necessity of introducing CLIL method into study programs in junior secondary schools. The reinforced understanding of using CLIL and bilingual potential in national and European educational systems as well as purposeful use of ICT in multinational context is the impact of the project. By introducing CLIL and bilingual methodology education process at school became more modern and dynamic, related to real learning and life situations, students’ skills and abilities were developed in compliance with labour market needs, more teachers had a clear vision how to implement CLIL in their classes. During the project larger understanding of students’, teachers’ and communities was developed in order to advance 21st century education that is able and willing to share its progress in study process.