The task-based main focus has been on acquiring and broadening skills and competences in the fields of language, culture and interculturality, nursery and child care as well as personal development and interpersonal skills. Furthermore, it has been the aim of the project to enable the participants, by means of comparing the relevant pedagogical approaches, to get to know and learn about European educational concepts, in particular early childhood education. To that end, the participants were given the opportunity to compare both the concepts and the practical work in Germany, Poland and Ireland with a clear focus on educational and social backgrounds as well as pedagogical concepts and methodology. In that connection, the salient points were the challenge of intercultural education, early foreign language learning and inclusion. By intensifying their adaptability, cooperation, linguistic competence, flexibility, ability to reflect, independence and generally broadening horizons, the participants enhanced their personal, interpersonal and professional skills. The project has also aimed at giving the participants the opportunity to experience the impact the EU has on people's personal and professional lives.
The most important reasons for doing this project result from the European development plan of Edith-Stein-Schule: the improvement, enhancement and long-term safeguarding of the European work placements and internships as integrated elements in the initial, school-based education scheme with individual internships or work placements lasting from six weeks up to ten months. This project has been carried out in collaboration with distinguished European partners. The long-term objectives are the establishment of a European class and the acceptance and acknowledgement of Edith-Stein-Schule as official European School of the Saarland, a goal that was reached in March 2022. The project is also conducive to securing and extending the European network of the school and considers itself as a component of labour market policy and a contribution to creating a European awareness with regard to the European Union as a mutual working and living space. The demand for European work placements and internships at Edith-Stein-Schule is unabatedly steep and has been increasing for years.