Background of the Project The Klessheim Tourism School has an international focus with internationality, modern languages, European context, mobility and intercultural exchange being quality objectives of the school development plan. In Klessheim there are 69 teaching staff and 410 students ranging in age from 14 to 21 years old. Our school has a longstanding student exchange programme with the French tourism school Lycee des métier de l’hotellerie et du tourisme Alexandre Dumas. Extensive work has been carried out to develop teaching materials and methods. Objective of the Project The pupils should be able to recognise and also experience the EU as the heart of the European ideal thus leading to the development of historical and cultural awareness. A strengthening of the language competence should also be attained. This is in accordance with employability, including general as well as vocational language and expertise for familiar routine situations in the context of a job. The young people should network in accordance with international tourism vocational training and should be encouraged to further their professional development at a European level. The pupils should in the course of their mobility concern themselves actively with European topics, exchange views with their partners and an improvement in the language competence should be achieved. The foreign language should be seen in the context of being “experienced” (participation in everyday life in the partner school, cooking specialities of the partner country together in the foreign language in the practical lessons). In addition the importance of the foreign language should be increased for the pupil above all through the example of the European institutions in Strassburg. The teaching staff continue the exchange of best practices in the partnership and the training plans are improved and augmented in line with these best practices. Student mobility The focus is on the development of an awareness of culture and history (in the European dimension), as well as on the practical and also the theoretical subjects. Languages, practical skills and intercultural competence are acquired in the training institutes and their associated operations (kitchen, restaurants, hotels) through practical use in contact with native speakers of the partner country. The focus on European, historical and cultural topics (among others also according to the curriculum) is implemented in cross-curricular lessons, whereby the teaching staff of both institutes work together. The preparatory activities are documented. During the mobility the topics (European institutions, selected historical and cultural topics and the language and practical competence enhancement are documented and after the mobility in each partner institute a review takes place. In addition a small Erasmus+ exhibition is organized in the library (Klessheim) and in CDI (Strassburg)and/or an information evening for the students of the subsequent years.- Long term benefits As long term benefits we expect a strengthening and extension of the strategic partnership at a European level as well as increased capacity and experience in order to remain innovative in this area. The project contributes to the promotion of empowerment, cross-sectorial co-operation and increased transparency as well as active citizenship.
Project background As a school with an international orientation, the Tourism School Klessheim has internationality, foreign language competence, European thinking, mobility, and intercultural exchange as quality goals in its school development plan. In Klessheim, 69 teachers teach 410 students between the ages of 14 and 21. There has been an exchange of students with the Lycée des Métiers de L’Hôtellerie et du Tourisme Alexandre Dumas in Strasbourg/France for several years. Extensive preparatory work has been done in the area of teaching materials and methodology. Project goals achieved The students got to know the EU as the heart of the European idea and were able to experience how school partnerships can broaden horizons. An improvement in the students' language skills was achieved. The young people were able to gain experience in terms of employability through the joint activities at the partner school. The joint work in the team improved the general as well as vocational language competence and expertise in order to be able to deal with familiar routine situations in a professional scenario. The young people were able to network in the sense of an international tourism education and were encouraged to develop professionally also on a European level. By experiencing everyday life in the partner school, by visiting classes and by cooking specialties of the partner country together during practical lessons using foreign language skills, the foreign language was put into the context of something "tangible". The visit to the European Parliament additionally illustrated the importance of the many different languages in the European Union. The teachers have continued the exchange of good practice. The good relations between the teachers are also a foundation of the long-lasting partnership and also an important pillar of cooperation in the new project cycle of accreditation, which the Tourism School Klessheim was already granted in 2021. With the help of the Austrian and French project coordinators, the partner school "Lycée Hôtelier d'Illkirch" submitted their accreditation application in October 2022. This continued engagement in the Erasmus+ program cycle and further collaboration is a result of the previous KA229 projects. The learner mobilities The focus was on the development of the de-European awareness, as well as on the professional practical and theoretical area. Language, professional and intercultural competences were acquired in training institutions and their training facilities (kitchen, restaurants, hotels) through the contact with speakers of the target language in the target country in practical application. European, historical and cultural topics (also according to the curriculum) were dealt with in advance in interdisciplinary lessons. However, this was only possible during the mobility before the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, the mobility of the French school was cancelled. In Klessheim, during the COVID years (in the time when face-to-face teaching took place), "Erasmus+ breakfasts" were held in the French classes and the students were informed about the planned activities after the pandemic. In this way, it was possible to avoid a complete break in identification with Erasmus+, as there were no mobilities after October 2019 and the students from the last mobility (October 2019) left the school in June 2021 after their Matura. Long-term benefits As a long-term benefit from the project, a strengthening and expansion of the strategic partnership at the European level was achieved and further valuable project experience was gained to continue to be innovative in the new programme cycle of Erasmus+ in the future.