"Youth DOCs: recording critical glances on personal identity, youth culture and contemporary reality" WHY: Among youths, there are issues on “social identity and understanding of the other”, issues on “development of cooperation skills” and issues on “intercultural understanding and stereotypes” that need be critically addressed particularly in the context of the current economical crisis and the raise of violence and racism. WHAT: THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES are: a) To develop a partnership between two European regions, at the level of local educational authorities, as a means to create innovative educational procedures and to share good educational practices b) to establish and develop a sustainable network between schools and institutions and to encourage future partnerships c) ) to develop a teaching methodology which is student centered, promotes active learning and uses film and drama education techniques d) to create and develop collaboration between teachers/students and media/drama experts e) to promote students’ group work d) to facilitate the expression of students’ collective views on their own youth culture and personal identity as well as their views on the culture of the partner region, in the context of the current economic crisis and the raise of violence and racism f)to enable students to create and share doc-films and doc-dramas and to acquire the relevant abilities g) to develop a teachers’ training course, a teachers’ educational guide and openeducational resourcesbased on the educational methodology implemented in this project WHO: PARTICIPATING PARTNERS The 2 Project Partners: a) Directorate of Secondary Education of Eastern Attica, Athens, Greece b) Local Authority of Education-Bayrampaşa, Istanbul, Turkey The Local Associated Partners: a) Karpos Centre-Gr, a Media Education NGO, Greece b) TENet-Gr, a Drama Education Association, Greece c) University of the Peloponnese, Greece d) Six (6) Secondary Education Schools (14-17years) Greece e) Atatürk Ortaokulu, İstanbul f) Yenilikçi Eğitimciler Derneği g) Bayrampaşa Ticaret Meslek Lisesi h) Mobil İmam Hatip Ortaokulu HOW: METHODOLOGY & TOOLS The project will use pupil-centered methodology including active learning techniques in students’ group work and will utilizes the tools of videodocumentary” and “theatredocumentary” ( DocFilms and DocDramas) Students from secondary schools in both regions, in groups, will be invited to reflect upon, negotiate, choose, produce/record and exchange audiovisual messages (videos and/or dramas) on what they believe should be preserved from their natural, man-made or social environment, as representing important aspects of their own youth culture and identity. The trigger-question will be: "which elements of your youth culture would you choose, as a group, to create a short film or drama documentary for another youth group to see and comment?». Both videos and/or dramas will be based on own personal stories, and must have the form of the documentaries. In these doc-films/dramas, students, in cooperation with local partners (local associations, NGOs, municipalities, etc), will, at a first stage, present their collective views of their own community-region and, at a second stage, of the community of the other region in the partnership. Teachers will work together with media and drama experts. DocFilms & DocDramas will be created, teachers, education officers and experts will travel to other region, good-practices will be shared, Student Festivals, Conferences and websites will be organised, Guides and Courses will be prepared. RESULTS: a) In total 24 YouthDOCS (videos) will be researched and created b) In each country two (2) short workshops/training (one each year) for teachers & relevant material on film and drama techniques will be offered. c) A webside, where all doc-films, doc-dramas as well as documents with both theoretical issues, the projects methodology and practical tips will be uploaded free of access d) A final Evaluation Report. e) A Teachers' Guide will be written f) A specially digital Platform "..in our own view" as a virtual festival will be designed g) Eight (8) Video Tutorials for students and for teachers. h) A 35hours Teachers; Training Course will be designed and offered. IMPACT On participating teachers and their schools: Professional development, skills in sharing good practice and working co-intentionally with experts, skills on ICT, open educational resources and on new educational tools (media, films, drama, etc) On participating students: Development of personal identity, critical thinking and decrease of stereotypes, new skills on audiovisual expression (video and drama) On participating Local Authorities and their officers: A local network between schools, administration and NGOs will be established and can be used for further projects. Festivals, Conferences, WebPlatforms and Material will be organized to last (locally and internationally)