Erasmus+ 2021-1-LT01-KA220-SCH-000030299
ACTIVE TO STRENGTHEN EUROPEAN VALUES
Description:
Background: Why did you apply for this project? What are the needs you plan to address?
Youth civic engagement or participation in their countries or the EU civic activities are quite low even though it is slowly growing at present. The results of surveys and researches implemented by different European organizations show that youth participation in civic and political life are low enough Working with students all the time it is noticed they are passive and avoid expressing their opinion for specific topic and it might be considered that it is not for the lack of knowledge but lack of competences and skills of self-confidence, critical thinking and creativity as well as the lack of practice in public speaking and debating. It is undoubtable young people of the EU should gain consciousness for their importance in active civic and political participation, understand that their activities and decisions can make changes for welfare of humanity. Participating in the project activities students will gain and improve their knowledge of current issues and cultures of the European Union, strengthen their critical thinking and creative competences, develop skills of public speaking and debating. They’ll also build the values for importance of being active in participation to consider, overcome and make decisions for the problems which the EU is facing at present. The project language is going to be English so participants will develop the language skills.
Objectives: What do you want to achieve by implementing the project?
- Youth civic engagement and developing their civic responsibility - active youth participation in local. national, European context; - develop the competences : critical-thinking, creativity, problem-solving, tolerance, empathy, - developing debating and public speaking skills in the international context; - improving cooperation and communication skills at international level; - establishing online cooperation (etwinnning); - learnt to be open to diversity, teenagers are able to accept differences and estimate similarities; - created the programme of Active citizenship" - created rooms on social media: facebook, youtube for the intercultural messages to Europe; - strengthened students' self-confidence and developed values; - shared good teaching practice among teachers; - creating strategies to integrate the EU studies in the school subjects applying partner schools practice; - prepared training programmes for students'' trainings, which could be used as non-formal trainings at schools after the project activities have finished;
Implementation: What activities are you going to implement?
LTTA for students and teachers, each LTTA activity is devoted to a different theme linked to the EU issues
(discrimination, fake news, democracy and EU citizenship, pollution and consumption, human rights), LTTA for teachers is devoted to develop methodological competences to integrate the EU in their teaching subjects; Working on the creation of the programme “Active citizenship” with teacher’s toolkit will be created; Each partner school will launch a debating club in their schools; Each partner will organize multiple event at the national level; Competitions of debates and public speaking will be constantly organized; Meeting with the national members of the parliament will be organized.
Results: What project results and other outcomes do you expect your project to have?
Project production: the programme “Active citizenship” with teacher’s toolkit will be created; Students will develop their critical thinking, creativity, empathy, tolerance, language skills. They will be more motivated and active in their
communities, civic activities. They will also develop debating and public speaking skills, gain more self confidence in
decision making or solving problems. The students will gain much knowledge regarding the EU and its work The teachers will develop their professional qualification, will gain knowledge and improve the quality ofthe lesson organization by applying more different methods
Youth civic engagement or participation in their countries or the EU civic activities are quite low even though it is slowly growing at present. The results of surveys and researches implemented by different European organizations show that youth participation in civic and political life are low enough: Master’s thesis (Vilnius University of Educalogy, 2014); the level of youth participation in voting Romania in 2016 is lower than 20% (Youth policy RO 2017); study based data on Italy (Expected political participation IT, 2012) considering the period from 1970 to 2000 the Italian youth were more active in civic affairs, but since this period the numbers have started to decrease. The situation is worse in Turkey (case study, 2013). From the reviewed material of the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Lithuania and Turkey it is obvious that all countries have established the policy and laws to encourage and motivate young people’s participation in public, civic and even political life as a result that in many EU countries considering young people’s interest in political life, their active civic participation are quite low. Working with students all the time it is noticed they are passive and avoid expressing their opinion for specific topic and it might be considered that it is not for the lack of knowledge but lack of competences and skills of self-confidence, critical thinking and creativity as well as the lack of practice in public speaking and debating. It is undoubtable young people of the EU should gain consciousness for their importance in active civic and political participation, understand that their activities and decisions can make changes for welfare of humanity. Participating in the project activities students will gain and improve their knowledge of current issues and cultures of the European Union, strengthen their critical thinking and creative competences, develop skills of public speaking and debating. They’ll also build the values for importance of being active in participation to consider, overcome and make decisions for the problems which the EU is facing at present. The project language is going to be English so participants will develop the language skills.
THREE TOPICS ADDRESSED BY OUR PROJECT:
European identity, citizenship and values
Key Competences development
Teaching and learning of foreign languages
Objectives:
All planned activities will involve teenagers in active participation of local, national and European level. Teachers will also learn new teaching approaches such as applying the method of debating in their classes, they’ll organize their classes integrating the EU issues while teaching their subjects. The project is innovative even though the method of debating is not new, but it is not very often applied in a traditional class. Moreover post soviet European countries need still to learn and to be encouraged to state their opinion independently. The topics discussed while implementing project activities will be very topical and consider the issues the EU is facing at present. The partnership will consist of two schools from the Netherlands and Italy, countries which joined the EU first in 1957, three schools from Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania which are quite new members, joined 2004 and Turkish school, which is still a candidate. So the idea to involve schools having different feelings regarding the membership of the EU provides more effective discussions on the current affairs and issues the EU is facing at present. Finding the different reports and attitudes encourage the students (participants) to look deeper into causes and consequences as well as make the learners understand the importance of their role in their communities, countries, Europe and the world. The activities planned in the project develop participants' critical thinking, creativity, tolerance, empathy and responsibility. The main objectives and concrete results of the project are: to study teenagers’ understanding of the EU values and strengthen them; to let every European citizen be included in the European issues; The main objectives: to create a list of topics for debating activities considering the European values; to establish a website for publishing information of the project content and working methods; to create a video of debating activities; to create a youtube content transfer project participants’ message to the European community; to create a debating learning programme for students’ short term trainings in each partner school; to develop teaching/learning methods; to create training programme of "Active citizenship" which could be taught as an optional subject.at schools It will be created after the practice and experiences gained in the first year of implementing project activities; to organize a debating competition among partners in each partner school while short-term student trainings; to organize a debating club in each partner school; to involve more less active teenagers in the project activities; to develop participants’ debating and public speaking skills; to broaden their outlook considering the values of the EU as well as problems the continent is facing at present; to project teenagers’ values for their importance of participate in making decisions at local, national and European level; to strengthen competences and skills of critical thinking, creativity and self-confidence; to improve general competences; to improve English skills; to disseminate the project activities and created programme in the multiplier events of each partner countries to share good practice of applying effective teaching/learning approaches among partner countries; It is also foreseen after the project activities have been implemented the partner schools will continue to have debating clubs as well as it is expected teenagers’ a more active participation in civic and political movements in their towns, countries, each partner school
How will the project meet the needs of your partnership and those of the target groups?
it is very important to see what European values mean to a teenager from different European countries, moreover to encourage them to discuss on current affairs in the EU at present such as values of democracy, human rights, and solidarity and it is enough to bind the continent together. The main theme of the project is planned and the partners decided to cover European values: citizenship, responsibilities, duties, law, economics, ecological issues, equality, racism, etc., as the European Union is facing difficulties considering refugees, Brexit, terrorism and other issues. The participants will have 6 short-term trainings in each partner institution devoted to one theme and one short staff trainings for teachers devoted to techniques and approaches of applying themes regarding the EU. The students will have responsibility to learn more about the society's attitudes and values regarding the issues of the EU in each partner country. Then they decide themselves which themes they see the most topical. The partners of Lithuania. Italy and the Netherlands have experiences in the cross-curricula lessons which integrate the issues of the EU, so they will share good practice examples Turkish partners have been practicing for some time debating on the EU only as extra curriculum activities. Romanian and Bulgarian partners have experiences in public speaking activities. The participants students will create the project debating team in each school. It consists of active and less active students to have a possibility to encourage each other at local level at the beginning, after that they equally will be participating at international activities The aim is to involve less active and lacking self confidence teenagers. The teachers participating in the project will be cooperators and facilitators with the students' teams. Moreover the teachers will be expertising students' work and their involvement and after the first year of the project will create the programme, the manual as a teacher's toolkit 'Active citizenship" which will be the project product and which will be the programme of the optional school subject. This programme will be presented at the end of the project in multiplier events. The project activities will strengthen students' skills and competences of creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, public speaking, tolerance, responsibility and empathy. The participants will broaden their horizons regarding the content of the EU countries, their problems and how youth active participation and civic responsibility can make the European countries closer and with broken stereotypes.
Outline the benefits of cooperating with transnational partners to achieve the project objectives.
Youth civic engagement and developing their civic responsibility are ones of the most important school goals, moreover key competences should be strengthen constantly. - active youth participation in local. national, European context; - developing the competences necessary in the 21st century: critical-thinking, creativity, problem-solving, tolerance, empathy, - gaining cultural knowledge as well as improving the language skills; - developing debating and public speaking skills in the international context; - improving cooperation and communication skills at international level; - establishing online cooperation (etwinnning); - learnt to be open to diversity, teenagers are able to accept differences and estimate similarities; - created the programme of Active citizenship" (optional subject) for 15-18 years students; - created rooms on social media: facebook, youtube for the intercultural messages to Europe; - strengthened students' self-confidence and developed values; - shared good teaching practice among teachers; - creating strategies to integrate the EU studies in the school subjects applying partner schools practice; - prepared training programmes for students'' trainings, which could be used as non-formal trainings at schools after the project activities have finished;
What outcomes, including project results when relevant, are expected during the project and on its completion?
- created and applied training programme for short students' LTTA which will be devoted to develop youth key
competences aa well as broadening young people's horizons linked to the EU issues; - created programme 'Active
citizenship" with the teacher's toolkit; - created programme for short LTTA for teachers regarding the application of
methodology teaching the EU values and discussing issues the EU is facing; - establishing project rooms on social
networks;
In what way is the project innovative and/or complementary to other projects already carried out by the participatingorganisations?
Even though public speaking and debating are not new methods but these techniques are not very often applied in the lesson organization, moreover during the period of the implementation project activities, teenagers will have international competitions of debates and public speaking. It will be not only one-time event but it will become a traditional event. partners will establish debating clubs in their schools. Moreover there is not a school programme "Active citizenship" which is devoted not only to broaden academic knowledge but to develop general competences and an annex teacher's toolkit, which help teachers to develop the ideas how to teach the EU topics;
How did you choose the project partners and what will they bring to the project? Does it involve organisations that have never previously been involved in a EU-funded partnership project?
The partners for the project have been chosen under the activities and strategies they implement in their schools. The coordinator school has been cooperating with the school from Netherlands since 2005 and know each other well. The Dutch coordinator of Erasmus + projects is a teacher of civic science and work with students on the content of EU, moreover the school students need also encouragement for active democratic participation. The partners from Romania and Turkey were met on eTwinning platform, Bulgaria and Italy on Facebook. All partners feel about the need for active youth participation and responsibility as well as the problems the EU facing at present. The young people still lack self-confidence to express their attitudes regarding the local community, country or European affairs. Moreover the need of developing teenagers’ public speaking skills is very important to be able to express their position smoothly. The partnership consists of countries representing various roles regarding the European values: Dutch and Italian partners are old members of the EU, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania are new countries and Turkey is a candidate. The partnership involves the Italian and Turkish school, which are new comers regarding Erasmus+, it is aware with the programme. The other partner schools have been aware with the programme as some have got more practice and others less. Partners are experienced in implementing Erasmus+ projects. The Italian partner has not been experienced in schools partnership as they carried out one Erasmus + in the field of VET. As the topic is European values and methods debating the partners: Four partners have been practicing the approach of debating and public speaking as well as working with the content of European values. Partners from Lithuania, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Romania have already implemented strategic partnership projects. They also have experienced project teams and capable institutions for strategic partnership projects. The Italian and Turkish schools will have new experiences of students training exchange practice in general education. All partners have got effective hard-working teams, and the partners who have less experience in this field will be supported and encouraged,. The partners will help each other with new teaching/learning approaches. Moreover, all partners express their interest in the importance of the European values, and debating, but they do not apply debates much in their teaching practice as well as do not pay much attention to European values. the Dutch, Italian and Lithuanian partners are aware more regarding the topic and method. Thus, this partnership will be a dynamic team teaching and learning each other and from each other. This project idea was applied for Erasmus+ last year but unsuccessfully so we have been and developing it to apply for a new Erasmus+ round.. All partners are the same from the last year except for the Turkish school, which has join the partnership and which is very motivated and have good practice of applying the EU
topics in the curriculum.
Participants:
The main target group is teenager students age 15-18 and teachers from 6 countries, . Students and teachers will be
encouraged to write the motivation letter for the participation in the project activities. Students, having less opportunities will be encouraged to write motivations as well. Activities that will be carried out simultaneously by the partner schools at the local level regarding the project activities. 24 students and 12 teachers will be directly involved in the project activities at local, regional and international level and 50% of partner schools’ communities will be involved in the project activities at local level. Teachers will introduce the theme of the EU in their teaching subjects. Students establish debating clubs and organize debates. Moreover, parents and schools’ staff will attend the project meetings and presentations regarding the project topic. Partner towns authorities will be presented and updated with the information regarding the project topic and work. The students around 24 from other district schools of partner countries will participate in the debating competitions organized by project partner schools (age 15-18) In addition, the project is planning to have sessions regarding the project topic with the national representatives of the EU (Lithuanian partners have got this practice). The representatives of the EU deliver the sessions regarding the topics and organize debating activities. Town’s authorities will present their practice and position regarding the project topics and the EU issues. Students from upper secondary schools age 15-18 will be involved directly in the project activities, as one of the planned activities is debating clubs in partner schools. The partnership students group will initiate debating topics at their schools. These topics and results will be presented during the partners’ training. The teachers will also participate regarding how the method of debating could be applied in teaching different subjects. The project will have trainings for teachers to share their good practice with European schools’ teachers about the effectiveness of debating approach in the teaching classes and create the programme of "Active citizenship" as well as teacher's toolkit for teaching it. During the international meetings teachers will organize the classes with their teaching subjects in which debating method will be applied and the European values will be discussed
Activities:
Each objective will be fulfilled by following results by doing activities which will consist of: - project promotion:
presentation project activities to local community and town authorities , - TM in Lithuania - working on European values: students learn about the EU policy, - working on the programme of LTTA for students and for teachers - establishing a project website ); - C1 March 2022 (Bulgaria) the topic "Discrimination." . - raising awareness about the subject by informing meetings and presentations on the school level regarding European issues, students practice public speaking, have debating and civic science classes, each partner school establish a debating club ; - working on the programme "Active citizenship - C2 May 2021 (Lithuania) Responsible Consumption and Production - meeting representatives of the European commission in each partner country, presentation of the project activities and objectives, involving them into LTTA activities (they deliver lectures to the students) - debating activities outside the partner schools regarding the European Union debating competition - online teachers- coordinators meeting for the procedure of the programme "Active citizenship" - C3 - LTTA for teachers 2022 Lithuania (devoted to teaching methodology) - working on programme "Active citizenship" - online meeting to discuss for integration the EU themes in different school subjects by applying the method of debates and public speaking and discuss the LTTA programmes for the second year of the project C4 October 2022 (Italy) the value of the integration as basis of democracy and EU citizenship activities for understanding each partner country’s relation to the EU and each country’s position towards the EU debates, public speeches, creating material for presentations. - working on the toolkit C5 March 2023 (Netherlands) Fake news each partner school creating an animated material for the message they would like to give the European community. debating on EU topics, presenting results to schools’ communities, teachers working on lesson plans for debating classes, participate in discussions with students for the material and tools of the presentation. - writing messages on the website and other social media to transfer their remarks to the European community. C6 May 2023 (Turkey) EU values in Forum theater creating video of debating and public speaking material to share the ideas and good practice. During the C1-C5 participants meet local authorities for transferring their attitudes and interest. C7 September 2023 (Romania) Human rights in the EU A20 editing created material for youtube platform: message to the European community. During A1-A2 material is documented and uploaded on website and social media, articles are presented to local and national communities. The C1-C5 evaluation, reflection by each participant, organizing diaries and post on the website - virtual conference for continuing the activities after the project activities are completed. (to continue debating) sessions among partner schools, uploading their ideas regarding the EU issues on the website and social media: organizing multiplier events in each partner country constantly online meeting will be organized to monitor work, time and budget.
Project results: Intellectual output
IProgramme for an optional subject "Active citizenship" with Toolkit
The programme for an optional subject "Active citizenship" was planned as the project result, which will be established as an optional programme for upper secondary school students. The programme includes the themes topical for present Europe as well as it encourages students to be active in civic participation. The programme will have teacher's toolkit which will help teachers to teach the subject professionally applying interactive techniques and approaches such as debating, public speaking, problem solving. This programme for the optional subject "Active
citizenship" will be devoted to upper-secondary schools of the European schools. This subject is innovative among schools and could meet the needs encouraging our student to be more active, responsible, empathic and sensitive to the EU issues The teenagers will develop the skills of decision making, creativity, critical thinking, responsibility. The toolkit will include the ideas of the integrative lessons, for example, how teaching mathematics or biology the EU issues are integrated. The optional subject "Active citizenship" will be established in partner schools and it is a new subject. at school. The methodology of teaching this subject will be presented in the toolkit, the subject will be non-traditional one promoting debating and public speaking activities. "Active citizenship".
This product will be created by the project participants, teachers, who teachers different subjects and integrate the EU issues in their subjects. The programme will have an annex teacher's toolkit, which cover the ideas of the organization a lesson under the exact topic as well as suggestions about attractive techniques and methods which could be applied to have an effective class. All team will be working on this product" - starting to work with the students on the discussion for the most interesting topics among teenagers considering the EU, participants, teachers will include these topics in the programme. Thus all will be working on the programme and creating the toolkit where will be described the organization of the lesson linked to the exact topic: methods, activities, tasks and visual material. The leading school of this production will be the coordinator, as this institution has got experience in creating intellectual production regarding school curriculum and renewing the content if the curriculum. The technician of this school will prepare the programme to digital document, to be able to share with all schools interested in the
subject in Europe. All partners will be responsible for their parts of the programme and the toolkit. At the first TM it'll be discussed. The production will be translated in national languages.
Multiplier event in each partner country with 50 local participants
ACTIVITIES:
Kick off meeting in Radviliskis. Lithuania
Activity title
Leading organization
Students
Teachers
Duration
C1
Training course based on EU values: Discrimination
Gimnaziya s prepodavane natchuzhdi ezitsi Yordan Radichkov
Bulgaria
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C2
Training course on EU values Responsible Consumption and Production
Radviliskio Lizdeikos gimnazija
Lithuania
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C4
Training course based on EU values: The value of the
integration as basis of democracy and EU citizenship
Istituto D'Istruzione Superiore
"Pomponio Leto" Italy
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C5
Training course based on EU values: Fake news
Vereniging voor Christelijk
Voortgezet onderwijs Rotterdam
en omgeving, Christelijke
Scholengemeenschap Comenius
College Netherlands
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C6
Training course based on EU values: EU values in Forum theater
Fahreddin Kerim Gökay Anadolu
Lisesi Turkey
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C7
Training course based on EU values: Human rights
Colegiul National de Informatica
Matei Basarab Romania
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 day+2 days travelling s
ACTIVE TO STRENGTHEN EUROPEAN VALUES
Description:
Background: Why did you apply for this project? What are the needs you plan to address?
Youth civic engagement or participation in their countries or the EU civic activities are quite low even though it is slowly growing at present. The results of surveys and researches implemented by different European organizations show that youth participation in civic and political life are low enough Working with students all the time it is noticed they are passive and avoid expressing their opinion for specific topic and it might be considered that it is not for the lack of knowledge but lack of competences and skills of self-confidence, critical thinking and creativity as well as the lack of practice in public speaking and debating. It is undoubtable young people of the EU should gain consciousness for their importance in active civic and political participation, understand that their activities and decisions can make changes for welfare of humanity. Participating in the project activities students will gain and improve their knowledge of current issues and cultures of the European Union, strengthen their critical thinking and creative competences, develop skills of public speaking and debating. They’ll also build the values for importance of being active in participation to consider, overcome and make decisions for the problems which the EU is facing at present. The project language is going to be English so participants will develop the language skills.
Objectives: What do you want to achieve by implementing the project?
- Youth civic engagement and developing their civic responsibility - active youth participation in local. national, European context; - develop the competences : critical-thinking, creativity, problem-solving, tolerance, empathy, - developing debating and public speaking skills in the international context; - improving cooperation and communication skills at international level; - establishing online cooperation (etwinnning); - learnt to be open to diversity, teenagers are able to accept differences and estimate similarities; - created the programme of Active citizenship" - created rooms on social media: facebook, youtube for the intercultural messages to Europe; - strengthened students' self-confidence and developed values; - shared good teaching practice among teachers; - creating strategies to integrate the EU studies in the school subjects applying partner schools practice; - prepared training programmes for students'' trainings, which could be used as non-formal trainings at schools after the project activities have finished;
Implementation: What activities are you going to implement?
LTTA for students and teachers, each LTTA activity is devoted to a different theme linked to the EU issues
(discrimination, fake news, democracy and EU citizenship, pollution and consumption, human rights), LTTA for teachers is devoted to develop methodological competences to integrate the EU in their teaching subjects; Working on the creation of the programme “Active citizenship” with teacher’s toolkit will be created; Each partner school will launch a debating club in their schools; Each partner will organize multiple event at the national level; Competitions of debates and public speaking will be constantly organized; Meeting with the national members of the parliament will be organized.
Results: What project results and other outcomes do you expect your project to have?
Project production: the programme “Active citizenship” with teacher’s toolkit will be created; Students will develop their critical thinking, creativity, empathy, tolerance, language skills. They will be more motivated and active in their
communities, civic activities. They will also develop debating and public speaking skills, gain more self confidence in
decision making or solving problems. The students will gain much knowledge regarding the EU and its work The teachers will develop their professional qualification, will gain knowledge and improve the quality ofthe lesson organization by applying more different methods
Youth civic engagement or participation in their countries or the EU civic activities are quite low even though it is slowly growing at present. The results of surveys and researches implemented by different European organizations show that youth participation in civic and political life are low enough: Master’s thesis (Vilnius University of Educalogy, 2014); the level of youth participation in voting Romania in 2016 is lower than 20% (Youth policy RO 2017); study based data on Italy (Expected political participation IT, 2012) considering the period from 1970 to 2000 the Italian youth were more active in civic affairs, but since this period the numbers have started to decrease. The situation is worse in Turkey (case study, 2013). From the reviewed material of the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Lithuania and Turkey it is obvious that all countries have established the policy and laws to encourage and motivate young people’s participation in public, civic and even political life as a result that in many EU countries considering young people’s interest in political life, their active civic participation are quite low. Working with students all the time it is noticed they are passive and avoid expressing their opinion for specific topic and it might be considered that it is not for the lack of knowledge but lack of competences and skills of self-confidence, critical thinking and creativity as well as the lack of practice in public speaking and debating. It is undoubtable young people of the EU should gain consciousness for their importance in active civic and political participation, understand that their activities and decisions can make changes for welfare of humanity. Participating in the project activities students will gain and improve their knowledge of current issues and cultures of the European Union, strengthen their critical thinking and creative competences, develop skills of public speaking and debating. They’ll also build the values for importance of being active in participation to consider, overcome and make decisions for the problems which the EU is facing at present. The project language is going to be English so participants will develop the language skills.
THREE TOPICS ADDRESSED BY OUR PROJECT:
European identity, citizenship and values
Key Competences development
Teaching and learning of foreign languages
Objectives:
All planned activities will involve teenagers in active participation of local, national and European level. Teachers will also learn new teaching approaches such as applying the method of debating in their classes, they’ll organize their classes integrating the EU issues while teaching their subjects. The project is innovative even though the method of debating is not new, but it is not very often applied in a traditional class. Moreover post soviet European countries need still to learn and to be encouraged to state their opinion independently. The topics discussed while implementing project activities will be very topical and consider the issues the EU is facing at present. The partnership will consist of two schools from the Netherlands and Italy, countries which joined the EU first in 1957, three schools from Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania which are quite new members, joined 2004 and Turkish school, which is still a candidate. So the idea to involve schools having different feelings regarding the membership of the EU provides more effective discussions on the current affairs and issues the EU is facing at present. Finding the different reports and attitudes encourage the students (participants) to look deeper into causes and consequences as well as make the learners understand the importance of their role in their communities, countries, Europe and the world. The activities planned in the project develop participants' critical thinking, creativity, tolerance, empathy and responsibility. The main objectives and concrete results of the project are: to study teenagers’ understanding of the EU values and strengthen them; to let every European citizen be included in the European issues; The main objectives: to create a list of topics for debating activities considering the European values; to establish a website for publishing information of the project content and working methods; to create a video of debating activities; to create a youtube content transfer project participants’ message to the European community; to create a debating learning programme for students’ short term trainings in each partner school; to develop teaching/learning methods; to create training programme of "Active citizenship" which could be taught as an optional subject.at schools It will be created after the practice and experiences gained in the first year of implementing project activities; to organize a debating competition among partners in each partner school while short-term student trainings; to organize a debating club in each partner school; to involve more less active teenagers in the project activities; to develop participants’ debating and public speaking skills; to broaden their outlook considering the values of the EU as well as problems the continent is facing at present; to project teenagers’ values for their importance of participate in making decisions at local, national and European level; to strengthen competences and skills of critical thinking, creativity and self-confidence; to improve general competences; to improve English skills; to disseminate the project activities and created programme in the multiplier events of each partner countries to share good practice of applying effective teaching/learning approaches among partner countries; It is also foreseen after the project activities have been implemented the partner schools will continue to have debating clubs as well as it is expected teenagers’ a more active participation in civic and political movements in their towns, countries, each partner school
How will the project meet the needs of your partnership and those of the target groups?
it is very important to see what European values mean to a teenager from different European countries, moreover to encourage them to discuss on current affairs in the EU at present such as values of democracy, human rights, and solidarity and it is enough to bind the continent together. The main theme of the project is planned and the partners decided to cover European values: citizenship, responsibilities, duties, law, economics, ecological issues, equality, racism, etc., as the European Union is facing difficulties considering refugees, Brexit, terrorism and other issues. The participants will have 6 short-term trainings in each partner institution devoted to one theme and one short staff trainings for teachers devoted to techniques and approaches of applying themes regarding the EU. The students will have responsibility to learn more about the society's attitudes and values regarding the issues of the EU in each partner country. Then they decide themselves which themes they see the most topical. The partners of Lithuania. Italy and the Netherlands have experiences in the cross-curricula lessons which integrate the issues of the EU, so they will share good practice examples Turkish partners have been practicing for some time debating on the EU only as extra curriculum activities. Romanian and Bulgarian partners have experiences in public speaking activities. The participants students will create the project debating team in each school. It consists of active and less active students to have a possibility to encourage each other at local level at the beginning, after that they equally will be participating at international activities The aim is to involve less active and lacking self confidence teenagers. The teachers participating in the project will be cooperators and facilitators with the students' teams. Moreover the teachers will be expertising students' work and their involvement and after the first year of the project will create the programme, the manual as a teacher's toolkit 'Active citizenship" which will be the project product and which will be the programme of the optional school subject. This programme will be presented at the end of the project in multiplier events. The project activities will strengthen students' skills and competences of creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, public speaking, tolerance, responsibility and empathy. The participants will broaden their horizons regarding the content of the EU countries, their problems and how youth active participation and civic responsibility can make the European countries closer and with broken stereotypes.
Outline the benefits of cooperating with transnational partners to achieve the project objectives.
Youth civic engagement and developing their civic responsibility are ones of the most important school goals, moreover key competences should be strengthen constantly. - active youth participation in local. national, European context; - developing the competences necessary in the 21st century: critical-thinking, creativity, problem-solving, tolerance, empathy, - gaining cultural knowledge as well as improving the language skills; - developing debating and public speaking skills in the international context; - improving cooperation and communication skills at international level; - establishing online cooperation (etwinnning); - learnt to be open to diversity, teenagers are able to accept differences and estimate similarities; - created the programme of Active citizenship" (optional subject) for 15-18 years students; - created rooms on social media: facebook, youtube for the intercultural messages to Europe; - strengthened students' self-confidence and developed values; - shared good teaching practice among teachers; - creating strategies to integrate the EU studies in the school subjects applying partner schools practice; - prepared training programmes for students'' trainings, which could be used as non-formal trainings at schools after the project activities have finished;
What outcomes, including project results when relevant, are expected during the project and on its completion?
- created and applied training programme for short students' LTTA which will be devoted to develop youth key
competences aa well as broadening young people's horizons linked to the EU issues; - created programme 'Active
citizenship" with the teacher's toolkit; - created programme for short LTTA for teachers regarding the application of
methodology teaching the EU values and discussing issues the EU is facing; - establishing project rooms on social
networks;
In what way is the project innovative and/or complementary to other projects already carried out by the participatingorganisations?
Even though public speaking and debating are not new methods but these techniques are not very often applied in the lesson organization, moreover during the period of the implementation project activities, teenagers will have international competitions of debates and public speaking. It will be not only one-time event but it will become a traditional event. partners will establish debating clubs in their schools. Moreover there is not a school programme "Active citizenship" which is devoted not only to broaden academic knowledge but to develop general competences and an annex teacher's toolkit, which help teachers to develop the ideas how to teach the EU topics;
How did you choose the project partners and what will they bring to the project? Does it involve organisations that have never previously been involved in a EU-funded partnership project?
The partners for the project have been chosen under the activities and strategies they implement in their schools. The coordinator school has been cooperating with the school from Netherlands since 2005 and know each other well. The Dutch coordinator of Erasmus + projects is a teacher of civic science and work with students on the content of EU, moreover the school students need also encouragement for active democratic participation. The partners from Romania and Turkey were met on eTwinning platform, Bulgaria and Italy on Facebook. All partners feel about the need for active youth participation and responsibility as well as the problems the EU facing at present. The young people still lack self-confidence to express their attitudes regarding the local community, country or European affairs. Moreover the need of developing teenagers’ public speaking skills is very important to be able to express their position smoothly. The partnership consists of countries representing various roles regarding the European values: Dutch and Italian partners are old members of the EU, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania are new countries and Turkey is a candidate. The partnership involves the Italian and Turkish school, which are new comers regarding Erasmus+, it is aware with the programme. The other partner schools have been aware with the programme as some have got more practice and others less. Partners are experienced in implementing Erasmus+ projects. The Italian partner has not been experienced in schools partnership as they carried out one Erasmus + in the field of VET. As the topic is European values and methods debating the partners: Four partners have been practicing the approach of debating and public speaking as well as working with the content of European values. Partners from Lithuania, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Romania have already implemented strategic partnership projects. They also have experienced project teams and capable institutions for strategic partnership projects. The Italian and Turkish schools will have new experiences of students training exchange practice in general education. All partners have got effective hard-working teams, and the partners who have less experience in this field will be supported and encouraged,. The partners will help each other with new teaching/learning approaches. Moreover, all partners express their interest in the importance of the European values, and debating, but they do not apply debates much in their teaching practice as well as do not pay much attention to European values. the Dutch, Italian and Lithuanian partners are aware more regarding the topic and method. Thus, this partnership will be a dynamic team teaching and learning each other and from each other. This project idea was applied for Erasmus+ last year but unsuccessfully so we have been and developing it to apply for a new Erasmus+ round.. All partners are the same from the last year except for the Turkish school, which has join the partnership and which is very motivated and have good practice of applying the EU
topics in the curriculum.
Participants:
The main target group is teenager students age 15-18 and teachers from 6 countries, . Students and teachers will be
encouraged to write the motivation letter for the participation in the project activities. Students, having less opportunities will be encouraged to write motivations as well. Activities that will be carried out simultaneously by the partner schools at the local level regarding the project activities. 24 students and 12 teachers will be directly involved in the project activities at local, regional and international level and 50% of partner schools’ communities will be involved in the project activities at local level. Teachers will introduce the theme of the EU in their teaching subjects. Students establish debating clubs and organize debates. Moreover, parents and schools’ staff will attend the project meetings and presentations regarding the project topic. Partner towns authorities will be presented and updated with the information regarding the project topic and work. The students around 24 from other district schools of partner countries will participate in the debating competitions organized by project partner schools (age 15-18) In addition, the project is planning to have sessions regarding the project topic with the national representatives of the EU (Lithuanian partners have got this practice). The representatives of the EU deliver the sessions regarding the topics and organize debating activities. Town’s authorities will present their practice and position regarding the project topics and the EU issues. Students from upper secondary schools age 15-18 will be involved directly in the project activities, as one of the planned activities is debating clubs in partner schools. The partnership students group will initiate debating topics at their schools. These topics and results will be presented during the partners’ training. The teachers will also participate regarding how the method of debating could be applied in teaching different subjects. The project will have trainings for teachers to share their good practice with European schools’ teachers about the effectiveness of debating approach in the teaching classes and create the programme of "Active citizenship" as well as teacher's toolkit for teaching it. During the international meetings teachers will organize the classes with their teaching subjects in which debating method will be applied and the European values will be discussed
Activities:
Each objective will be fulfilled by following results by doing activities which will consist of: - project promotion:
presentation project activities to local community and town authorities , - TM in Lithuania - working on European values: students learn about the EU policy, - working on the programme of LTTA for students and for teachers - establishing a project website ); - C1 March 2022 (Bulgaria) the topic "Discrimination." . - raising awareness about the subject by informing meetings and presentations on the school level regarding European issues, students practice public speaking, have debating and civic science classes, each partner school establish a debating club ; - working on the programme "Active citizenship - C2 May 2021 (Lithuania) Responsible Consumption and Production - meeting representatives of the European commission in each partner country, presentation of the project activities and objectives, involving them into LTTA activities (they deliver lectures to the students) - debating activities outside the partner schools regarding the European Union debating competition - online teachers- coordinators meeting for the procedure of the programme "Active citizenship" - C3 - LTTA for teachers 2022 Lithuania (devoted to teaching methodology) - working on programme "Active citizenship" - online meeting to discuss for integration the EU themes in different school subjects by applying the method of debates and public speaking and discuss the LTTA programmes for the second year of the project C4 October 2022 (Italy) the value of the integration as basis of democracy and EU citizenship activities for understanding each partner country’s relation to the EU and each country’s position towards the EU debates, public speeches, creating material for presentations. - working on the toolkit C5 March 2023 (Netherlands) Fake news each partner school creating an animated material for the message they would like to give the European community. debating on EU topics, presenting results to schools’ communities, teachers working on lesson plans for debating classes, participate in discussions with students for the material and tools of the presentation. - writing messages on the website and other social media to transfer their remarks to the European community. C6 May 2023 (Turkey) EU values in Forum theater creating video of debating and public speaking material to share the ideas and good practice. During the C1-C5 participants meet local authorities for transferring their attitudes and interest. C7 September 2023 (Romania) Human rights in the EU A20 editing created material for youtube platform: message to the European community. During A1-A2 material is documented and uploaded on website and social media, articles are presented to local and national communities. The C1-C5 evaluation, reflection by each participant, organizing diaries and post on the website - virtual conference for continuing the activities after the project activities are completed. (to continue debating) sessions among partner schools, uploading their ideas regarding the EU issues on the website and social media: organizing multiplier events in each partner country constantly online meeting will be organized to monitor work, time and budget.
Project results: Intellectual output
IProgramme for an optional subject "Active citizenship" with Toolkit
The programme for an optional subject "Active citizenship" was planned as the project result, which will be established as an optional programme for upper secondary school students. The programme includes the themes topical for present Europe as well as it encourages students to be active in civic participation. The programme will have teacher's toolkit which will help teachers to teach the subject professionally applying interactive techniques and approaches such as debating, public speaking, problem solving. This programme for the optional subject "Active
citizenship" will be devoted to upper-secondary schools of the European schools. This subject is innovative among schools and could meet the needs encouraging our student to be more active, responsible, empathic and sensitive to the EU issues The teenagers will develop the skills of decision making, creativity, critical thinking, responsibility. The toolkit will include the ideas of the integrative lessons, for example, how teaching mathematics or biology the EU issues are integrated. The optional subject "Active citizenship" will be established in partner schools and it is a new subject. at school. The methodology of teaching this subject will be presented in the toolkit, the subject will be non-traditional one promoting debating and public speaking activities. "Active citizenship".
This product will be created by the project participants, teachers, who teachers different subjects and integrate the EU issues in their subjects. The programme will have an annex teacher's toolkit, which cover the ideas of the organization a lesson under the exact topic as well as suggestions about attractive techniques and methods which could be applied to have an effective class. All team will be working on this product" - starting to work with the students on the discussion for the most interesting topics among teenagers considering the EU, participants, teachers will include these topics in the programme. Thus all will be working on the programme and creating the toolkit where will be described the organization of the lesson linked to the exact topic: methods, activities, tasks and visual material. The leading school of this production will be the coordinator, as this institution has got experience in creating intellectual production regarding school curriculum and renewing the content if the curriculum. The technician of this school will prepare the programme to digital document, to be able to share with all schools interested in the
subject in Europe. All partners will be responsible for their parts of the programme and the toolkit. At the first TM it'll be discussed. The production will be translated in national languages.
Multiplier event in each partner country with 50 local participants
ACTIVITIES:
Kick off meeting in Radviliskis. Lithuania
Activity title
Leading organization
Students
Teachers
Duration
C1
Training course based on EU values: Discrimination
Gimnaziya s prepodavane natchuzhdi ezitsi Yordan Radichkov
Bulgaria
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C2
Training course on EU values Responsible Consumption and Production
Radviliskio Lizdeikos gimnazija
Lithuania
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C4
Training course based on EU values: The value of the
integration as basis of democracy and EU citizenship
Istituto D'Istruzione Superiore
"Pomponio Leto" Italy
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C5
Training course based on EU values: Fake news
Vereniging voor Christelijk
Voortgezet onderwijs Rotterdam
en omgeving, Christelijke
Scholengemeenschap Comenius
College Netherlands
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C6
Training course based on EU values: EU values in Forum theater
Fahreddin Kerim Gökay Anadolu
Lisesi Turkey
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 days +2 days travelling
C7
Training course based on EU values: Human rights
Colegiul National de Informatica
Matei Basarab Romania
20 (4 from each partner country)
10 (2 from each partner countries)
5 day+2 days travelling s