Europe is experiencing a moment of change. Therefore, a close acting together of the school sector in all European countries has become even more important in order to see Europe succeed in guaranteeing a common future for young generations. Our goal is to actively contribute to the common European goals and priorities by encouraging students to explore mutual European values. The connection should be tangible and perceptible, also based on the experience of the diverse cultural assets in the field of youth culture. In addition to a sound general education, our central task is to promote the students' ability to work together. This is especially important in public schools, where more and more students with different backgrounds, cultures, upbringing and financial need come together. In order to counter exclusion, discrimination, anti-migration, anti-European racism and a general hostility to Europe, an important building block is “getting to know and appreciate each other”. Through visiting each other and working together, the participants get to know other European countries and young people. Friendships develop between the schools, the teachers and the students, persisting to continue long after the project is finished. Non-participants (parents, community representatives, pupils) are also involved in the project and may find contacts with their corresponding European partner through this intercultural dialogue. Project work and the securing of results are carried out by using digital media. The young people are introduced to the reasonable use of new digital media, which can be extended in class and at work. Media literacy education, which has been included in many educational plans in Europe, is also promoted effectively that way. It is the digital media that enables open, differentiated forms of learning as well as opportunities to consider the individuality of the student and to support independent learning accordingly. In order to ensure sustainability, events on the topic of “European Heritage Rocks” will continue to take place in schools in the coming years. There is close cooperation not only with the municipalities, but also beyond the project with the schools participating in the project. When making the selection, care is taken to preferably involve students (age group 15 - 18, with a number of 5 to 8 students per school) from socially weak families with learning difficulties and/or potential school dropouts, especially including those with a migration background, in the project. Our project includes five important topics: - We are looking for or investigate European treasures that are particularly in the area of experience of young people and in which they can contribute very actively. The connecting structures of pop art, street art, folk dances and music within Europe should not only be worked out in various workshops but should also be internalized through active participation. - In the workshops we use new digital media such as tablets, smartphones, apps, editing software, professional camcorders and cameras. The results are published on a website from the last project, “European-Heritage.rocks”, which is expanded to include further examples. - In addition to the main theme of youth culture in pop art, street art, folk and modern music, traditional dances, we will also get to know other cultural treasures at the school locations such as the Art Nouveau in Riga, old handicrafts (violin making, weaving) and various cultural monuments (Linderhof Palace, the Episcopal Seat in Kromeriz and churches of different religions in Daugavpils and Canterbury). - The subject of cultural treasures should be included in the lesson plans of all schools in the coming years in order to achieve sustainability. - With the special design of our website we would like to encourage many European schools to take up this topic. In addition to our results, we also provide prepared working materials in German and English. The aim is to involve not only the participants, but all students and teachers as well as many other groups: experts, artisans, artists, musicians, parents and other family members, representatives of the authorities, the public, the media, political representatives and other relevant people of all partner countries. All of those mentioned should become aware of our concerns and encouraged to participate. The participants, the "heirs of our heritage" themselves become ambassadors for our European cultural heritage by "tracing the common roots and values of the soul of Europe" (quote: Minister of Culture Grütters).
Through our numerous and diverse investigations of valuable cultural assets from the areas of music (the Merseybeat in Liverpool as the spark for the coming pop age), dance (the equivalence of traditional and modern dances using the example of the Tarantello), singing (singing along in a choir with young people from different European countries in several languages), street art (discovery of new art forms and their meaning), buildings (Art Nouveau as the best example for the connection of the European countries), man-made nature (parks of countries in comparison), we have succeeded to bring the participants closer to the importance and appreciation of these goods. The connecting element was that all activities moved within the framework of youth culture and could therefore be felt and experienced by the young participants and were understandable for them. The individual learning steps had to be adapted again and again to the age groups and the educational requirements of the participants. The community skills among the participants were promoted by the consistent international cooperation of the participants. Care was always taken to ensure that participants from different countries work together at the workshops. There was no discrimination, hostility towards migration, hostility towards Europe or racism. The cooperation with young people of different ages and origins was very successful, despite different languages. Cooperation beyond the project was signed by the participants in an "Agreement of Collaboration". Friendships among the young people will remain after the project. In the workshops, the sensible use of digital media (in image, word and sound) was explained to all participants and various apps (e.g. Actionbound) were used in the workshops. Through the targeted use of tablets, smartphones, editing software, professional camcorders and recording media (interviews), education in meaningful media skills, which is required in many educational plans in Europe, was sustainably promoted. Our topic "treasure chest Europe" should be included in all schools in order to achieve sustainability. With the special design of our website "European-Heritage.Rocks" we hope to encourage many European schools to take up this topic. In addition to our results, we also provide prepared working material in German and English. The aim is to involve not only the participants, but all students and teachers in the project. In every country there are specialists, craftsmen; Artists, musicians, parents and other family members, representatives of the authorities and the public, media, political representatives are involved as far as possible and thus get a lot of attention from students and adults.