CONTEXT AND NEEDS The 2014-2020 Erasmus+ programme is, based on a number of mid-term evaluations in all EU-countries considered as one of the EU's best-known successes not only impacting millions of individuals but educational systems at large. The forthcoming Erasmus+ programme period (2021-2027) will increase the focus on mobility, providing learning opportunities to 12 million people (three times as many mobilities as in the current programme), building a European Education Area and strengthening the European identity. This all means that more schools, in particular schools with disadvantaged students will need to build capacity for Erasmus+ participation in order to for the programme to reach its full impact. This also implies that widening participation in the programme is necessary in order for the Erasmus+ programme to be successful. The BE+ partnership, consisting of school, local school authorities, municipalities and transnational networks from Sweden, Italy, Norway and Germany have found that the participation of schools in the Erasmus+ programs is either not widely spread in their local communities or happening in a way it can fully lead to school development. OBJECTIVES The objectives of BE+ is to increase the administrative and organizational capacity in K-12 school education so that teaching and management staff is better prepared to transnational collaboration within the Erasmus+ framework. More specifically this means to: -Support schools in identifying their needs in relation to capacity building -Develop innovative methodology and tools to meet the training needs of school staff -Improve the skills of school staff in understanding and implementing a project cycle management -Develop a toolbox that will prepare schools for the next generation of Erasmus+ PARTICIPANTS AND ACTIVITIES More than 500 school staff and policymakers will take part in activities that will be disseminated and have the potential to reach and benefit a minimum of 2000 K-12 schools. The line of events/activities have been organized into 4 core activities ( Project management, IO1 A Self-Assessment guide for need analysis in Schools, IO2 Training course on capacity building and IO3 Capacity Buildning Toolbox) that are key elements in reaching the overall project objectives. Activities related to IO1 provide the partners as well as the project with a more profound, up to dated understanding of the needs of schools in a more holistic manner and will result in a self assessment tool that sets the stage for the other intellectual outputs. Building on IO1, IO2 will start of with a content development phase for the training courses that will be tested and evaluated during 2 Learning Teaching and Training activities. Core activity 4- IO3 summarizes the entire project by collating all of the resources in one accessible and easy-to-use place. The toolbox makes it more likely that the outputs will be used by a larger cross-section of teachers, educators, policymakers and other stakeholders, going beyond the project partners network, beyond the partner countries and beyond the project timeline thus ensuring the sustainability of the project, upon its ending. RESULTS AND IMPACT The project will result in many outputs related to capacity building, from identified needs of schools, the development and testing of innovative tools and methods, increased knowledge about the Project Management Cycle, increased confidence in engaging in application for Erasmus+ funding to the uptake in in new school contexts and the strengthening of the European dimension in K-12 Education. The long term impacts of BE+ are ultimately to increase the administrative and organizational capacity in the entire educational system so the Erasmus + program can be used as a vehicle of the modernization of European educational systems.
The general objective of the project was to increase the administrative and organizational capacity in K-12 school education so that teaching and management staff is better prepared to transnational collaboration within the Erasmus+ framework. Specific Objectives(SO) identified : SO1 Support schools to develop a thorough need analysis in relation to capacity building SO2 Develop innovative methodology and tools to meet the training needs of school staff SO3 Improve the skills of school staff in understanding and implementing a project cycle management SO4 Develop a toolbox that will prepare schools for the forthcoming Erasmus+ programme While there exist resources and guides about the Erasmus+ program, including examples of successful projects and overarching strategies, these are often too technical for schools, particularly for those inexperienced in transnational collaborations. Resources seldom underscore the prerequisites and specific needs of schools. Few still adress the current Erasmus+ program. Therefore, we aimed to develop resources through a collaborative process with various staff members from diverse educational settings that could develop capacity in schools to handle the Erasmus+ program for 2021-2027.
The project is based on an identified need to address the issues that prevent schools from fully participate in the Erasmus+ program. The Erasmus+ program from 2013-2020 was very successful, helping individuals and education systems, improving job prospects, and encouraging a sense of European unity. However evaluation also revealed barriers related to accessibility and inclusion. The new Erasmus+ program for 2021-2027 emphasizes the importance of providing learning opportunities for three times as many people as the previous program. Given these new opportunities and for the programme to reach its objective it is evident that schools with no prior experience need support to participate. The BE+ partnership builds on a close cooperation between a school institute, three municipal school authorities, a municipality, and international networks from Sweden, Italy, Norway, and Germany. We all have experienced, albeit at different levels, that the Erasmus+ program isn't as widely used in our local communities as it could be. To address these needs, we have been committed to lowering the thresholds for participation through new resources and training, thereby assisting schools in building their capacity in this area.