- International experience and knowledge. Thus, they more easily can support and help students to go abroad and get their experience and knowledge. - to give teachers updated knowledge within pedagogy and the subjects we teach - give teachers experience and skills in English, thus create an understanding and ability to facilitate the students learning of English - give an opportunity to build international network - increased interest, understanding and knowledge of international activities - more focus on, and more knowledge of, challenges like global environmental problems and how to deal with them in vocational education, use of school farm for learning, cooperation with businesses and development of social competences for certain groups of pupils, Over time, we expect that our international activities and engagement will influence upon the culture at school, and make us all more open and willing to share experience and reflections upon teaching etc. All in all, we expect this to turn us into an even more active, skilled, and learning organization facilitating and supporting the pupils as they grow as persons and professionals.
Stend Vidaregåande Skule is a combined vocational school and an upper secondary school preparing for further studies. We have 580 pupils aged 16-19 and almost 180 teachers/staff. We provide these vocational educations: - nature based productions and activities. - sales and service - classes for pupils with special needs who learn parts of the curriculum covering nature-based productions and activities. - sports classes - one class for vocational students who want to prepare for further studies. Some of our pupils in vocational classes struggle to pass the exams and thus to finish their upper secondary education and obtain the certificates that they need to become skilled workers. These pupils often find subjects like foreign language and mathematics most difficult and demotivating. We believe in learning through practical activities, either at the school farm or by practical training in local businesses. We want to develop this methodology, learning by doing, further on. Some few students every year get the option to go abroad with Erasmus + to work at a school farm or with a business in another country. Our impression is that those who get this option, learn a lot, and grow both in knowledge and as individuals. They also gain motivation for further learning. As school we think this is extra interesting since our students for sure, and more and more, will meet a very international influenced working life.