The goals can be divided into two main focuses: firstly, the promotion of foreign language skills of non-language teachers for subject-related cross-border activities, and secondly, addressing the growing (including cultural) heterogeneity of the student body and the changing pedagogical and didactic competencies of the teaching staff. Initially, the aim was to maintain the foundation for the existing German-French friendship by bringing together young people. This was to be achieved through cross-border encounters of school classes at historical memorial sites in Alsace, such as Natzweiler-Struthof and Hartmannswillerkopf. The basis for this is the high language competencies of the teaching staff in interactions with French partner teachers and classes. Furthermore, the ongoing increasing heterogeneity of the student clientele presents significant challenges for the teachers. By engaging the educational staff in European training programs, we hoped to foster a lively exchange on the challenges and opportunities of integrating refugees and migrants.
The motivation for carrying out the project goals was, on the one hand, the desire to further strengthen the competencies of the teachers teaching at the school in dealing with the high pedagogical and didactic challenges regarding the high heterogeneity in classes. On the other hand, an international orientation of our school, the Berufliches Schulzentrum Waldkirch is a long-term goal that has been implemented and consistently pursued in our institution, especially due to its location close to the French border. In order to achieve this goal, continuous training and further education of the teachers in the field of foreign languages, with a focus on French, is essential. Therefore, the resources and opportunities provided through Erasmus+ for pedagogical and didactic training, as well as for consolidating the teachers' language skills, have been gratefully accepted and utilized.