The project was based on the need of schools for an interesting form of developing the skills of writing journalistic texts by students. In its assumption, through an innovative form of extra-curricular activities and their subject matter, it will familiarize direct and indirect beneficiaries with the problems faced by migrants in partner countries and promote social inclusion and the fight against xenophobia. The assumed goals can be fully realized only with international cooperation, because only common experiences within it will provide significant added value for pupils, parents, teachers, management, representatives of local authorities and partners. They will initiate or strengthen the international dimension of cooperation between partner schools, cooperation with institutions in the media world and with other local schools / universities in each country. Students directly involved in the project are young people aged 16-20, as all partner schools are secondary schools. The selection of partner schools teaching young people in the same age will ensure the full implementation of the objectives, especially in the field of the ability to create mature journalistic texts, the seriousness and understanding of emigration in Europe, the communicative level of foreign language skills and the conscious involvement of students in project activities during exchanges. The practical journalistic workshops planned by us will strengthen the knowledge and skills of the beneficiaries and will influence the motivation for further development and education and are directed at supporting students at risk of various types of exclusion. Our work can help young people acquire skills and journalistic competences also in English, necessary for educational development, but also for future employment and active European citizenship regardless of nationality or origin. The implementation of the project aims to change the student's awareness, give the opportunity for personal and educational development, release the initiative, energy for positive, creative thinking. The international project and planned exchanges provide an opportunity to get to know other cultures personally, experience what is the national heritage of other partner countries, open to the multiculturalism of today's Europe and show the culture of their own homeland and its system of values. The exchanges will enable meetings with interesting people and émigrés who can be an inspiration for contemporary youth showing how to deal with the process of acculturation, longing for their homeland, and what attitude they would take to make migration an asset and a key to success. The main objectives of the project are: 1. broadening the knowledge of partner school pupils about press, radio, television and internet journalism and bringing them closer to types and genres of journalism. 2. familiarize project participants with the principles of writing journalistic texts with the use of innovative ICT tools 3. developing the ability to create oral presentations, public presentations, including in English, 4. inspiring creative activity, responsibility and working in a team of international, independent and critical thinking 5. breaking personal barriers, fighting xenophobia and building a bridge of understanding and tolerance, while preserving our own national identity and the value of cultural heritage. 7. learning various historical and contemporary aspects of migration in Europe. In order for the above objectives to be fully implemented, the project will create an innovative 2-year after-school program, in which the classes will focus on improving students' journalistic skills in all schools, planned meetings, trips and local visits will increase the attractiveness of the workshops. Skills and knowledge will lead to better editing competences and the ability to publish online / paper school newsletter Three training meetings for teachers teams on topics: "ICT tools – how to edit online school newsletter", "Publications and ways to inform the public - international information media", "Copyright and journalistic professional ethics" will be the preparation and supplementation of knowledge and specific skills in the use of ICT and eTwinning tools in later work with young people on journalistic texts. Whereas the planned 3 student exchanges will be a common ground for presenting students' achievements, inspiration and the opportunity to improve foreign languages. Staying in host families will be the foundation for building friendships, tolerance towards other nationalities, fighting xenophobia and stereotypes. Personal participation in exchanges as for students as well as for teachers is a real opportunity to experience the social and educational value of cultural heritage, to social inclusion and to look at the migration with the journalistic eye in an objective, cross-sectional and multifaceted manner.
The project was created on the basis of partner schools fneeds or an interesting form of developing the skills of writing journalistic texts by students. Through an innovative form of extracurricular activities and their subject matter, it introduced beneficiaries to the issues of European migration in partner countries and promoted social inclusion and the fight against xenophobia. The assumed goals were achieved through international cooperation, and the shared experiences within its framework constitute a significant added value for students, parents, teachers, management, representatives of local authorities and partners. The international dimension of cooperation between partner schools allowed for wider cooperation with institutions of the media world and with other local schools / universities in each country. Students directly involved in the project aged 16-20and teachers implemented all the assumed goals, especially in the field of creating journalistic texts, exploring the seriousness and understanding of the subject of emigration in Europe, and the communicative level of knowledge of foreign languages. The mobility in the form of short learning and teaching meetings for students and teachers was possible after extending the project duration by one year. Due to COVID-19, the practical journalistic workshops we planned took place mainly in the last (third) year of the project. Thanks to them, the beneficiaries strengthened their motivation for further development and education. Students at risk of various types of exclusion participated in the project and exchanges. International workshops in English contributed to the educational development of students of all partner schools, but also to active European citizenship, regardless of nationality or origin despite the war events in Ukraine from February 24, 2022.. The implementation of the project changed the awareness of students and teachers, gave them a chance for personal and educational development, triggered their initiative, energy for positive, creative thinking. The international project and planned exchanges created an opportunity for personal getting to know others cultures, the experience of what the national heritage of partner countries is, opened the participants to the multiculturalism of today's Europe and made it possible to show partners the culture of a small homeland and its system of values. During the exchange, meetings with interesting people from the media world, immigrants, who can be an inspiration for contemporary youth, showed how to deal with the acculturation process, longing for the homeland, and what attitude to adopt to make emigration an asset and a key to success.Project objectives have been fully implemented:1.we broadened the knowledge of students from partner schools about press, radio, television and Internet journalism, and introduced the types and genres of journalism. 2.during workshops and exchanges, project participants got acquainted with the rules of spelling journalistic texts using innovative ICT tools, 3.the skills of creating oral statements and public presentations were developed, including in English 4.we inspired students to creative activity, responsibility and work in an international team, independent and critical thinking 5.the project was able to overcome personal barriers, it was possible to fight xenophobia and build a bridge of understanding and tolerance, and 6. to introduce various historical and contemporary aspects of migration in Europe Additionally,a 2-year program of extra-curricular activities was created, where classes were aimed at improving the journalistic skills of students of all schools, and the planned meetings, trips and local visits made the workshops attractive. Journalistic skills and knowledge translated into better text editing skills and the ability to publish an online / paper school magazine. three training meetings for teachers were organised on 1. ICT tools - how to edit school newspapers online, 2. "Publications and ways of informing the public - international news media" 3. "Copyright and journalistic professional ethics", strengthening and supplementing knowledge, the skills and competences of teaching teams in the use of ICT and eTwinning tools, which were then used in their subsequent work with young people. 3 student exchanges constituted a common platform for presenting students' achievements, inspiration and the opportunity to improve foreign languages. Staying in host families was not possible due to COVID-19 sanitary restrictions, but we managed to build a common foundation of friendship and tolerance towards other nationalities and the fight against stereotypes. Personal participation in exchanges, for students and teachers, was a real chance to experience the social and educational value of cultural heritage, for social inclusion and to look at migration through the journalistic eye in an objective, cross-sectional and multi-faceted way.