Europe For You
Start date: Sep 1, 2014,
End date: Aug 31, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
E4U (Europe For You) is a European School-partnership formed by eight secondary schools from Belgium, The Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and Turkey. The pupils in the project come from a wide range of secondary schools and follow different curricula, which benefits the diversity of the group. The partnership comprises about 20 teachers and between 150 and 200 students (each year) and is based on a long-term cooperation.
Our intentions are to teach entrepreneurship and to create methodologies on filmmaking, interviewing, project days and making an international brochure. The pupils will enhance their transversal skills by studying the cultural heritage and social interaction in the European countries involved, both regionally and nationally as well as from a European perspective. They will engage in multinational video-conferences twice a year using www.zoom.us, which will enable them to debate with the students from the partnerschools. We will promote the search for regional/national cultures and identities. Students do not realize that many habits have similarities in other cultures, and by learning about these topics and communicating with other students, this understanding will broaden their horizons and stimulate their European awareness.
The partnership focuses on entrepreneurship involving cultural and social aspects as well as language and habits in the participating countries. Everyone will investigate their own cultural heritage, lifestyle and habits. This is why students will organize 'Generation Day', which includes interviews with the residents of Dum Senioru Dobris (Czech Republic) and St.-Louis Day Care Centre (Ireland), international dances and songs. The results will be presented in international assignments. Next to that, other students organize 'E4Youth-day'. The partner schools from Belgium, Italy, Germany and Ireland are going to inform the pupils of the primary schools about the project. This will be done on open-class days throughout the year. We show the final products, explain the goals and the methodology of the project. The preparation and the exchange of materials will help in preparing CLIL activities too.
All students will also report on their national and religious holidays focusing on the traditional aspects, and on topics such as family life, school life, food, famous people and 'my region'. All students will work in groups on at least one of these optional topics. Afterwards, they process the assignments made by the students of the other participating countries creatively. Furthermore, they will look into language similarities and will introduce each other to some basic common phrases of each of the national languages. The results will be translated into English and published on E-twinning.
The website could also be used for communications between teachers as well as students in all the participating schools.
What's more, students will be able to meet face to face at a number of multinational conferences organised by the participating schools. There, the pupils will get the chance to take part in common activities, so they can get to know their international peers and their lifestyles better. This is also reinforced by the fact that during the conference, they stay in host families, which provides another possiblity for them to experience everyday life in another culture. Teachers will use these conferences to discuss, assess and adjust the project, and to strengthen their international relationships.
As a result, the partnership will issue a booklet about the project, describing the main topics for each country. The reports on E-twinning can be consulted in the future and be used for many years to come, in different subjects. We hope to promote a true international spirit amongst the pupils and teachers, as well as amongst the parents and the communities. This will help to prevent stereotypes, early school leaving, prejudice and racism.