Our schools have multicultural students, are of different nationalities and belong to different denominations. Therefore, when we met at the contact seminar in Saarbrücken this year in January, we quickly agreed that we would like to realize a project with the students, where common values and diversity should be the focus. Every person is unique and special. In our project, our students will open up to other cultures, practice tolerance and learn to live peacefully together in a multicultural society. The young people should gain more self-confidence and improve their foreign language skills. The values of the EU, interculturality and equality are important to enrich the horizon of our students. We are also inclusive schools and would like to enable our inclusive children to participate in this project. Pupils with special learning difficulties, socially-emotionally conspicuous children or also disabled children are included. It is also elementary for us to sharpen the awareness of the pupils that the cultural heritage of Europe is a means of cohesion and common identity, especially in a time of social change. We want to enable all learners to experience success: children from our socially disadvantaged families, our inclusive school children and children with a migration background. Our project fights racism, segregation and discrimination. The participating schools face new challenges together. The pupils get to know their own and European identity and perceive cultural diversity as positive: by including their own family background, that of their classmates at their own and partner schools when assessing the topicality of cultural heritage. They break down stereotypes and prejudices by creating role plays.They will write a script and make anti-racism videos together. They also design posters on this topic. The young people get to know other traditions and cultures by teaching each other games from their countries in sport. On-site encounters take place. They develop social and intercultural skills by entering into an intercultural dialogue in multinational groups. The pupils take part in a Moringue workshop, for example. Moringue is a combination of martial arts and dance practiced by peoples of the Indian Ocean. It was developed by slaves on La Réunion. Tolerance, respect, openness and creativity of the young people are to be promoted by cooking dishes from different countries together and creating a "cookbook of cultures". The unity and diversity of the children is to be promoted by creating an "escape-game"(serious game) together with prizes, artistic and musical products (collage of the own country of origin, dances, songs). They develop skills such as critical thinking, media education, social skills and a sense of achievement for all. During personal interviews of interested pupils aged 14-15 years, teachers will decide which 4-5 pupils per institution will participate in a mobility in Europe. The prerequisite is that the students are willing to contribute their language skills in order to benefit most from this interaction and thus make a significant contribution to the objectives of the project. Similarly, we require good social behaviour and active participation in the project activities and in presenting them in their own school. Motivation, personal interest in multicultural projects will be criteria as well as creativity and commitment. Our project will be communicated very transparently in the school communities. We will involve a wide range of participants in our project, including interested parents, supporters of the school and relevant representatives of our public. In our project work, we will use an innovative and practice-oriented approach to design and publish a wide range of creative products. We will pass on our results to our pedagogical staff. We will also inform the school community and parents about the progress of our project and our final products.
Our schools boast a diverse student body, encompassing various nationalities and religious affiliations. Thus, when we first encountered one another at the contact seminar in Saarbrücken in January 2020, it became evident that we shared a common desire to initiate a project that would emphasize shared values, diversity, and inclusivity. Every individual is unique and extraordinary. Within our project, our students embarked on a journey of embracing different cultures, fostering tolerance, and learning to coexist harmoniously in a multicultural society. This experience bolstered the students' self-confidence and expanded their proficiency in foreign languages. The core values of the European Union, namely interculturality and equality, were instrumental in broadening our students' horizons. Moreover, as an inclusive institution, we extended the opportunity for our students with special learning needs, heightened social-emotional perception, or disadvantaged backgrounds to partake in this project. Raising awareness among our students regarding the cultural heritage of Europe and its role as a unifying force and a common identity, especially in a time of societal transformation, was fundamental. Thanks to Erasmus+, we successfully united learners from various backgrounds, including students from disadvantaged families, those with disabilities, and those with a migrant background. Our project tackled issues related to racism, segregation, and discrimination. Collaborative efforts among participating schools enabled the students to overcome new challenges. They delved into exploring their own European identity and celebrated cultural diversity by incorporating their own family backgrounds and those of their peers from partner schools when assessing the significance of cultural heritage. Stereotypes and prejudices were dismantled through engaging in role plays, creating scripts, producing anti-racism videos, and designing posters on this subject. The students broadened their knowledge of other traditions and cultures by teaching one another games from their respective countries within the context of sports. In-person meetings provided the platform for the development of social and intercultural skills, with activities such as a Moringue workshop—a martial arts and dance fusion with roots in the Indian Ocean, developed by slaves in Reunion. Tolerance, respect, openness, and creativity among the young people were fostered through collaborative cooking sessions featuring dishes from various countries, culminating in the creation of a "cookbook of cultures." Additionally, the students tackled an escape game developed by their teachers at the project's conclusion. They crafted a collage showcasing typical dishes, customs, traditions, and landscapes from their respective countries, learned dances like le Moringue and le Maloya, and sang songs from Reunion Island. This comprehensive approach also equipped them with critical thinking skills, media literacy, social competencies, and a sense of accomplishment. As the project progressed, teachers conducted personal interviews with interested students aged 14-16 to determine which five students per institution would have the opportunity to participate in a European mobility program. Criteria included willingness to contribute their language skills for meaningful interaction, good social conduct, active engagement in project activities, and presenting their experiences at their own schools. Motivation, personal interest in multicultural projects, creativity, and commitment were equally pivotal factors. The project was transparently communicated within our school communities, involving a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including interested parents, school supporters, and relevant public representatives. In our project endeavors, we adopted an innovative, hands-on approach to produce a diverse array of creative outputs. We shared our findings with the educational staff, keeping the school community and parents informed about our project's progress and the final outcomes.