BACKGROUND Today’s Europe faces many challenges that risk compromising the strength of the European Union and our common values. Some of these challenges are the tendencies of focusing on individualities rather than communities, increased racism and xenophobia, and a decreased interest in civic engagement and cultural heritage. On top of this, the environmental crisis is dividing rather than uniting European citizens. The KA2 project “We are tomorrow's Europe” addresses these challenges in various way, involving primary students aged 11-16 and teachers from five schools from Sweden, Spain, Hungary, Czech Republic and Cyprus. All schools deal with the fact that their students have very little knowledge of European cultural heritage and consequently a limited understanding of its diversity. Our students also tend to be very individualistic and have little motivation to contribute and engage in civic and voluntary activities. The risen xenophobia in society is also reflected in schools. OBJECTIVES AND PARTICIPANTS The overall objective is to enhance our students’ knowledge of European values and promote an active European citizenship. This will specifically mean that students and teachers will collaborate around the following four identified themes over the course of 2 years: - Cultural heritage - Environment - Democracy - European citizenship and diversity Each topic will be prepared by each school, discussed and analyzed and results will be collated into a final manifest in which the students declare their hopes and ideas for the future of Europe. This manifest will serve as a sustainable output and be presented to members of the European Parliament in Brussels in May 2022. More than 100 teachers, 1000 students (aged 11-16), headmasters and parents from the schools in Norrköping, Barcelona, Budaörs, Nydek and Nicosia will be involved in the project, including those participating in the planned 8 learning teaching and training activities. An approach of inclusion and diversity will be taken into account when preparing and selecting participants. EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT As a result of the undertaken activities, the schools of “We are tomorrow's Europe” expect to see an increased knowledge among their students around - the cultural heritage in the participating countries - environmental challenges - how our countries benefit from and contribute to the EU - European active citizenship The project will also strengthen teachers' and students' intercultural as well as linguistic skills and teachers will share the best practices of the other partner schools and thereby inspire their colleagues in implementing some of the activities and methodologies after the project's end. Schools will also, as a result, increase their European dimension and build capacity for future transnational collaboration. The tangible outcomes, a manifest and a film, will be disseminated through a large number of internal and external dissemination activities, including the meeting in Brussels, and are expected to have a long term impact for years to come, not only on our schools, teacher and students, but also on policymakers and other stakeholders at a local, national and international level. As such the project strongly contributes to the European Policy Cooperation of ET(Education and Training) 2020 by promoting active citizenship in school education through the development of students' and teachers' intercultural competences. Furthermore, the project strengthens their understanding of EU, its values principles of unity and diversity as well as their social, cultural and historical heritage.
BACKGROUND Today’s Europe faces many challenges that risk compromising the strength of the European Union and our common values. Some of these challenges are the tendencies of focusing on individualities rather than communities, increased racism and xenophobia, and a decreased interest in civic engagement and cultural heritage. On top of this, the environmental crisis is dividing rather than uniting European citizens. The KA2 project “We are tomorrow's Europe” addresses these challenges in various way, involving primary students aged 11-16 and teachers from five schools from Sweden, Spain, Hungary, Czech Republic and Cyprus. All schools deal with the fact that their students have very little knowledge of European cultural heritage and consequently a limited understanding of its diversity. Our students also tend to be very individualistic and have little motivation to contribute and engage in civic and voluntary activities. The risen xenophobia in society is also reflected in schools. OBJECTIVES AND PARTICIPANTS The overall objective is to enhance our students’ knowledge of European values and promote an active European citizenship. This will specifically mean that students and teachers will collaborate around the following four identified themes over the course of 2 years: - Cultural heritage - Environment - Democracy - European citizenship and diversity Each topic will be prepared by each school, discussed and analyzed and results will be collated into a final manifest in which the students declare their hopes and ideas for the future of Europe. This manifest will serve as a sustainable output and be presented to members of the European Parliament in Brussels in May 2022. More than 100 teachers, 1000 students (aged 11-16), headmasters and parents from the schools in Norrköping, Barcelona, Budaörs, Nydek and Nicosia will be involved in the project, including those participating in the planned 8 learning teaching and training activities. An approach of inclusion and diversity will be taken into account when preparing and selecting participants. EXPECTED RESULTS AND IMPACT As a result of the undertaken activities, the schools of “We are tomorrow's Europe” expect to see an increased knowledge among their students around - the cultural heritage in the participating countries - environmental challenges - how our countries benefit from and contribute to the EU - European active citizenship The project will also strengthen teachers' and students' intercultural as well as linguistic skills and teachers will share the best practices of the other partner schools and thereby inspire their colleagues in implementing some of the activities and methodologies after the project's end. Schools will also, as a result, increase their European dimension and build capacity for future transnational collaboration. The tangible outcomes, a manifest and a film, will be disseminated through a large number of internal and external dissemination activities, including the meeting in Brussels, and are expected to have a long term impact for years to come, not only on our schools, teacher and students, but also on policymakers and other stakeholders at a local, national and international level. As such the project strongly contributes to the European Policy Cooperation of ET(Education and Training) 2020 by promoting active citizenship in school education through the development of students' and teachers' intercultural competences. Furthermore, the project strengthens their understanding of EU, its values principles of unity and diversity as well as their social, cultural and historical heritage.