For Seinäjoki high school, we wanted to build a more permanent bond with similar European schools, with the goal of wider opportunities for both staff and students regarding international activities. We also aimed to develop the school's existing areas of focus and strength (language track, drama teaching) together with our partners. During the 24-month project period we wanted to build a supportive exchange structure and relationship with our partners. Through this structure versatile exchange opportunities could be ingrained as part of the school's organic bilingualism, internationalism and drama teaching activities.
The planning of the project started in October 2018 in Greece, when we met representatives of schools in Slovakia (Gymnazium Opatovska in Kosice), Belgium (Scholen Kindsheid Jesu Hasselt) and Germany (Wiprecht Gymnasium Groitzsch) in Erasmus+ project management course. In that course we noticed the common priority areas of our schools in bilingual education, internationality and building a language path for our students. We decided to apply together for the ka101 project, where the exchanges are organized by each school during the 24-month project period. In addition to the schools we met in Greece, we had already formed a friendship school relationship also with Max Ernst Gymnasium der Stadt Bruehl (Germany). With Max Ernst Gymnsasium, the focus of the mobility activities was the development the drama pedagogical courses and training in both of our schools.