* Context The project planned by our organization addresses the field specific priority to strengthen the profile of the teaching profession, and adoption of new methods and tools, and the main objective of the strategy Education and Training 2020 - developing social and civic competences. The internationalization of the students is a strong point of the citizenship, and of course it contributes for improvement of their personal and professional development. The training events in an international environment will enable students to appreciate the differences between the cultures and traditions, the cultural heritage, the education and job opportunities. It supports pupils' involvement in learning and embracing changes, as well as preparing them to be competent and ready for the world of the grown-ups. It also offers an approach with which we will create innovative, well-educated, and citizens who think critically and in new ways, and have the courage to meet and adapt to the challenges facing them. * Objectives 1. Ensuring young people to acquire social, civic and intercultural competences, by promoting democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as active citizenship 2. Promoting intercultural dialogue through all forms of learning in cooperation with other relevant policies and stakeholders 3. Contribute to citizens' understanding of the EU, its history and diversity. 4. Foster European citizenship and improve conditions for civic and democratic participation at EU level. 5. Raise awareness of the common history and values of the EU and to promote peace, the values of the EU and the well-being of its peoples. * Activities There is total number of about 60 students and 15 teachers from the four partner schools that will be included in the student exchanges and activities. 1. selection of students and teachers involved in the activities, quality assurance, budget control and time management, contracting with host families, risk management, archiving, reporting to the National Agency and European Commission 2. exchange of students How to become a well-informed European citizen about the future education and employment opportunities 3. exchange of students Developing sense of the cultural heritage through building 3-D models 4. exchange of students European institutions, citizenship, democracy, and values 5. training event for teachers Integration of the learning outcomes in lesson plans for non-formal education 6. self evaluation instruments 7. dissemination activities (within the institutions involved in the project, in other institutions, public events and mass media coverage, publications and online dissemination). * Methodology 1. months 1-2 (establishment of a communication network between students and teachers) 2. months 2- (online meeting - selection and preparation of participants, specific rules) 3. months 7, 14, 19 (students exchanges) 4. month 22 (training event with teachers) 5. months 16 - after (follow up phase with direct activities with the target groups) 6. month 13 - after (dissemination phase with previously defined activities in a dissemination plan) 7. months 20-24 (completion of the project with specific tasks of each partner in the sustainability period, reinforcing the partnership and inviting new partners) * Results The main results of the project are: 1. at institutional level: developing strategies to implement the handbook in the curricula based on the expertise gained from the project; 2. activities with the beneficiaries: students will be aware of the EU objectives and values, they will have opportunity to experience internationalization, and spread the positive impact over their peers; 3. at inter-institutional level: partnerships and future school exchanges * Impact 1. impact on the students: improved competences regarding EU; broader understanding of the work and life of famous people (Mother Theresa, Koco Racin, etc.); increased knowledge of the structure and function of European and international institutions (EU, CoE, UN, Nato) 2. impact on the participating organizations: innovative approaches to addressing their target groups by providing: more attractive approach in teaching, in line with pupils' needs and expectations, use of ICT-based methodologies; 3. impact on teachers: enhanced professional development of teachers involved in the process of education; satisfaction in the daily work; enabled with innovative approaches to teaching; teachers having a tool for non-formal teaching; * The potential long-term benefits 1. new innovative approach to teaching and learning about the EU 2. implementation of the handbook in the curricular and extra-curricular activities 3. creation of an opportunity for many students to experience internationalization 4. new partnerships and projects to further enhance the results of this project
Our project has been a cross-sectorial cooperation between 4 countries: North Macedonia, Portugal, Turkey and Poland as a coordinator. It started in 2019 and was prolonged until 2022 due to the pandemic situation in Europe and all over the world which forced us to modify the original plan. Only the first C1 short term exchange was performed as scheduled. The remaining C2, C3 students’ exchanges and C4 joint staff training event were completed in 2022 due to the reasons mentioned above. The partnership based on collaborative work in an international setting was meant to strengthen the profile of the teaching profession, and adoption of new methods and tools, and the main objective of the strategy Education and Training 2020 - developing social and civic competences. As the project team, we defined all the partner responsibilities among partners; made all the necessary arrangements, considered risk factors allowing for specific situation i.e. war in Ukraine; identified effective techniques to monitor and evaluate qualitative and quantitative indicators of achievement. The training events carried out in an international environment enabled students to appreciate the differences between the cultures and traditions, the cultural heritage, the education and job opportunities. Students living in the world of permanent and rapid changes acquired new skills so as to become open, innovative and highly-educated citizens able to adapt to quickly transforming situations and surroundings. Our projects’ main objectives have been fulfilled despite the above mentioned difficulties. Democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion and non-discrimination, cooperation for the purposes on intercultural dialogue and understanding were promoted. The students were provided with the opportunity to learn about the EU its history, institutions and values by means of non- formal methods including 3-D modelling, debates and discussions in international group, quizzes, theatre plays ect. Advantages of European citizenship conditions for civic and democratic participation at EU level were discussed. Our common history and values of the EU were particularly emphasized as a way to promote peace, which seems of great significance allowing for the situation in Europe. Our project methodology included the establishment of a communication network between students and teachers, online meetings aimed at selection and preparation of participants and establishing specific rules, arrangements for students’ exchanges and training event with teachers. We undertook a targeted and wide dissemination with previously defined activities in a dissemination plan of our project’s tangible and intangible results through offline means such as making news in school magazines and press statements in local newspapers, internal meetings and team sessions, utilizing audiovisual materials developed during the project and using online tools such as social media networks. The ultimate goal of the project was to raise students’ awareness of the EU objectives and values by means of non-formal learning, to become part of the international community and spread the positive impact over their peers. The project offered an opportunity to lay the ground for continuation of partnership in future school exchanges. The students improved their competences with reference to the EU, its structure and functions as well as other international institutions international institutions (e.g. CoE, UN, Nato). The teachers were offered an opportunity to enhance their professional development, learnt innovative approaches towards teaching, acquired a tool for non-formal teaching bound to be implemented in the curricular and extra-curricular activities. The partners’ cooperation is very likely to be sustained not only long-term cooperation in future projects but also on professional and personal level.