The project MEMORY: A PASSPORT TO THE FUTURE responds to the need of strengthening cooperation ties between schools, with the aim of searching and implementing innovative technologies and exchanching experiences and good educational practices. It is aligned with the priorities of formal education, as it pursues the improvement of basic skills in Secondary Education students, 12 -16 years of age, helping to fight early school-leaving and promote educational excellence. It raises a reflection on memory and the transmission of knowledge throughout history in different fields (linguistic, socio-cultural, technological and experimental sciences). It intends to help young people understand the similarities and differences between the past and the present time, and in this way, prepare them to face the future. Memory is important both for individuals and society. We will search where personal memory resides on the one hand, and where and when collective memory manifests itself on the other. We will wonder to what extent new technologies are changing anf affecting the quality of our personal memory. We will try to find out to what extent there is a collective memory in Europe, with shared interests, heart of European citizenchip. About 400 students and 50 teachers from four schools in Germany, France, Italy and Spain will take part in the project, which will be developed in three stages, with the following contents: 1. Research on personal memory: Where does memory reside? How are memories transmitted? We investigate the relation between memories and reality. We will wonder if communication between generations is endangered, because of the changes in words and expressions that the advent and generalization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have produced. 2. Memory as a common experience: Is there such a thing as common memory? Where and when does it manifest itself? Has it got common features in different countries? Does it allow to address problems based in common principles? Is there a European citizenship conscience? Which are its values? 3. Memory that is created as we move forward together: Our contribution to generations to come (values, artwork, scientific advances...) How can we turn memory into a real passport to the future? The project will help build bridges between generations, while simultaneously contribute to facilitating the learning of foreign languages, promoting the use of ICT in the classroom and the access to open educational resources (OER) as well. During the two-year development of the project, four students' exchanges will be carried out, which will allow them to: · Deal with common issues from different perspectives, attending to the specific characteristics of each country, and in this way contributing to a mutual enrichment. · Promoting the use of at least two different languages. · Improving social and communication skills, as participants will have to live together with foreign students and their families. · Discover new horizons and perspectives, which will motivate them and spark their curiosity and interest. · Get in touch with European culture and values. Besides: ·Cross-curricular educational material will be elaborated, in different languages, making the most of the knowledge and skills of the participants (teachers and students) and of the peculiarities of the schools, towns and countries. · Methodologies based on ICT will be implemented, as well as project-based learning. · The exchange of experiences and good practices between teachers will be promoted. · It will allow a deeper insight of the education systems of the participating countries (France, Germany, Italy and Spain). · It will strengthen cooperation with local institutions which will collaborate with schools in order to make the partners' stay more agreeable and fruitful during their visits to the host towns. It will intensify the sense of European citizenship at a personal, local, regional and national level, as well as in the schools and the families. The expected results and impact will leave its mark in the educational community as a whole. Reducing the dropout rate is a permanent priority in schools. This project will help improving teaching methodologies and this will spill over into students motivation, and consequently, into a reduction of dropout rates. Improving the development of students' key competences will make them better persons and better citizens, The strengthening of the cooperation between schools will allow collaboration beyond the duration of the project, implementing quality improvement programmes in some curricular areas. The fact that teachers can learn from the knowledge and the experience of their European colleagues and improve the professional competences of the teaching staff will spill over into the enhancement of education quality, fundamental objective not only for schools but also at a national and European level.