The main objective was to with these Erasmus+ mobilities to offer the students and their support staff the possibility to work in a multicultural working and learning environment, thereby enhancing their social skills, foreign language skills, and cultural knowledge. They also would have the opportunity to network with students from other countries, and within our own country since we are located in several campuses. The students who are in need of special support would be able to practice working in a new environment in a supported and safe way. We were hoping that every student could be a star - the project had six main objectives: professional growth, social skills and resilience, equality, networking, foreign language skills, and enhancing cultural awareness. In addition to professional growth, the objectives emphasised personal development. We aimed to make sure that every student and member of staff involved in mobility activities would learn to treat people more equally. Through these mobility experiences, a more anti-racist perspective would be spread in the school. The aim was that for every student to learn social skills and to feel part of a European and, in the future, a global community.
Spesia Vocational College (born in 2018 when Bovallius and Validia vocational colleges united) is the second-largest vocational college for students in need of demanding support in Finland. It currently operates in eleven locations. The number of students is more than 1200 students and about 580 staff. For a couple of years, with the merging and reform of vocational education going on, we did not have any international projects with student mobilities and in 2019 the aim of this project was to relaunch international activities in a new fresher, and richer form. Above all, the aim was to increase the number and develop the form of short-term student mobilities. It was also realized earlier that most Spesia students were not able to go on Erasmus+ mobilities on their own but would require some support from an accompanying person We applied for 24 student mobilities and 12 mobilities for accompanying persons, altogether 36 mobilities. And then at the beginning of 2020 covid 19 destroyed the best part of our plans.