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Young Europeans on the Edge of Europe

Funder: European CommissionProject code: 2014-1-NO01-KA201-000341
Funded under: ERASMUS+ | Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices | Strategic Partnerships for school education Funder Contribution: 200,910 EUR

Young Europeans on the Edge of Europe

Description

We are a group of five schools from towns and communities on the edge of Europe - from Hammerfest, Norway in the north, to Adana, Turkey and Iglesias, Italy in the south, Brae in Scotland to the west and Gulbene in Lativa to the east - who have joined together to examine the issues that affect our pupils. Our schools and communities although far away from each other have faced similar issues over the last few years. The changing nature of our towns has greatly affected local societies and we want to teach our pupils how to cope with these changes. One of the biggest changes has been the changing needs of the employment market. With the change in industries traditional career paths have become less attractive and less sustainable. Our project will help pupils to learn about the new industries and increase the labour market relevance of the pupils. Another central element will be developing active citizenship and encouraging our pupils to learn more about entrepreneurship and how to react to the labour market; this will help our pupils develop into active citizens with increased employability and a greater understanding of local industries. Migration is also an issue that has affected all of the project partners, both immigration into the regions and emigration from the regions, we want to get pupils to learn about the consequences of this migration and to help them better understand both the positive and negative effects migration has on the nature of our communities. Our project is for pupils aged 16-18 years and about 250 pupils in total from our five schools will be taking part in the project directly with many more being affected indirectly. Our pupils face all the normal trials of teenages growing up in today's world but with the added challenges of living in remote areas that have often been overlooked by capital-centric government policies and the changing nature of economies moving from primary industries to secondary and tertiary industries that tend to be more centralised and which require new and different skills. Due to the challenges that they face many of our pupils lack motivation and a significant proportion to don't complete their studies and are thus unable to gain employment in their home regions. The participants will over the course of the project's two years not only learn more about their own communities but also about the similar situations other communities are facing. International collaboration helps pupils learn more about themselves as well as the wider European community. By working together we can enhance the quality and relevance of learning in our schools and help each other develop new and innovative approaches, at the same time we can promote and support the dissemination of best practice. By carrying out five exchanges, one to each of the partner schools, our students will be able to see how different communities have reacted to the same issues. During each visit as well as running relevant workshops at each school, each exchange will be centered around a visit to an important local industry. Teachers will also benefit greatly from these exchanges where there will be round table discussions about different pedagogical technics and practices which will help teachers increase the diversity of their teaching methods. Our project managed to complete all the planned activities, exchanges and workshops. While some elements took on a greater role than originally envisioned; local industries for example became central to all exchanges, we found that all the topics we had hoped to include in the project were relevant to our target group - the pupils. In addition to the formal workshops and excursions during the exchanges the informal meetings and brainstorming that the teachers took part in among themselves were invaluable and enriched both this short two-year project as well as the wider social capital at the partner schools. Another important impact has been the relationships built with local industries who hopefully can continue to be fruitful in coming projects. Much of what has been learn and achieved is hard to document but its impact on the teachers, partners and relevant, local stakeholders will develop over the next few years as the our international work and partnerships continue. The impact that the project has had on the pupils has been great, first and foremost their English language and communication skills have improved. Another important impact has been upon the pupils social skills, by taking part in exchanges they have learn to adapt to a different culture. By comparing and contrasting their own situations and possible career paths to the pupils' at our partner schools they have learnt much about their own society and the wider European community in which they live in. This project has helped our pupils learn how to express their views and become motivated, empowered young adults with the skills and drive needed to make a positive impact on their regions.

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