Crossing Borders: New Approaches to Inclusion
Project Summary
This
project, entitled "Crossing Borders: New Approaches to Inclusion" is a
cooperation between teachers and students (aged 13-15) from Denmark,
Spain, Poland and Austria with people with special needs carrying out
activities and workshops on a national level in different cultural /
social / sports / environmental and arts contexts in order to foster
social inclusion.
Throughout the course of the project, there will be various opportunities to involve people with disabilities and special needs to foster social inclusion and to bring them in connection with students from participating schools. Project partners will find one or more institutions or training facilities for people with special needs in order to cooperate with them on a national level. Students will get an in-school training carried out by professionals for handicapped people in order to integrate the topic “inclusion” at school and to put it on the daily curriculum. As a following step students will transfer their knowledge gained in the theoretical training at school to practical training sessions at local institutions that care for handicapped and disadvantaged people. As a third step experiences gained in in-school training and in the cooperation with handicapped people at the local institution will be transferred on a European level and exchanged with project partners.
Transnational exchange of experiences, knowledge and best practices in relation to social inclusion of challenged people on a European level through students' exchanges is carried out. On transnational project meetings students and teachers should exchange their training experiences, best practices and knowledge with other project partners. Apart from exchanging experiences and knowledge gained in the national workshops the project should also foster social, linguistic and cultural exchange between the partners on a European level. Therefore city tours, social, cultural and sports activities should be carried out during the transnational visits and students' exchanges in order to intensify European integration, values and cooperation and the attitude towards European projects and institutions.
Participating partners have also planned various products to dessiminate gained experience and knowledge: e.g. blog, Facebook-groups, brochure, videos, pictures, virtual platforms, eTwinning project etc.. Students will also participate in the implementation and organisation of the project through meetings, discussions, production of output and communication via virtual platforms with other partners which also promotes students' entrepreneurship. Students will also acquire self-confidence and when they are confronted with new experiences and people with difficulties and; they will gain new skills and competences useful to their social and personal development. What is more, when going abroad they will learn about formal and informal techniques of social inclusion on a national and international level, about other people's culture, language, arts and lifestyle and they will learn to appreciate diversity.
The main purpose of the project is to encourage social inclusion and to raise cultural awareness. For this reason, the expected impacts to be achieved are: increased competence in foreign languages and digital competence, greater understanding and responsiveness to social, linguistic and cultural diversity, increased motivation and satisfaction in daily life, to develop and activate the principles of diversity, tolerance and the intergenerational solidarity, to appreciate different points of view from people all over Europe. This project, through its methodology and dissemination measures will have immediate effects on the students in terms of creativity, self confidence as well as their motivation for language learning. Teachers will gain team work skills, and they will have the opportunity to cooperate in a better way from an interdisciplinary point of view. Schools will have the chance to cooperate with local authorities and thus gain a different status in the local community. What is more, families will be more involved into school life, so that schools can fulfil their missions of being social institutions which are able to connect different generations and educate students for life, helping them turn into active, caring citizens.
Throughout the course of the project, there will be various opportunities to involve people with disabilities and special needs to foster social inclusion and to bring them in connection with students from participating schools. Project partners will find one or more institutions or training facilities for people with special needs in order to cooperate with them on a national level. Students will get an in-school training carried out by professionals for handicapped people in order to integrate the topic “inclusion” at school and to put it on the daily curriculum. As a following step students will transfer their knowledge gained in the theoretical training at school to practical training sessions at local institutions that care for handicapped and disadvantaged people. As a third step experiences gained in in-school training and in the cooperation with handicapped people at the local institution will be transferred on a European level and exchanged with project partners.
Transnational exchange of experiences, knowledge and best practices in relation to social inclusion of challenged people on a European level through students' exchanges is carried out. On transnational project meetings students and teachers should exchange their training experiences, best practices and knowledge with other project partners. Apart from exchanging experiences and knowledge gained in the national workshops the project should also foster social, linguistic and cultural exchange between the partners on a European level. Therefore city tours, social, cultural and sports activities should be carried out during the transnational visits and students' exchanges in order to intensify European integration, values and cooperation and the attitude towards European projects and institutions.
Participating partners have also planned various products to dessiminate gained experience and knowledge: e.g. blog, Facebook-groups, brochure, videos, pictures, virtual platforms, eTwinning project etc.. Students will also participate in the implementation and organisation of the project through meetings, discussions, production of output and communication via virtual platforms with other partners which also promotes students' entrepreneurship. Students will also acquire self-confidence and when they are confronted with new experiences and people with difficulties and; they will gain new skills and competences useful to their social and personal development. What is more, when going abroad they will learn about formal and informal techniques of social inclusion on a national and international level, about other people's culture, language, arts and lifestyle and they will learn to appreciate diversity.
The main purpose of the project is to encourage social inclusion and to raise cultural awareness. For this reason, the expected impacts to be achieved are: increased competence in foreign languages and digital competence, greater understanding and responsiveness to social, linguistic and cultural diversity, increased motivation and satisfaction in daily life, to develop and activate the principles of diversity, tolerance and the intergenerational solidarity, to appreciate different points of view from people all over Europe. This project, through its methodology and dissemination measures will have immediate effects on the students in terms of creativity, self confidence as well as their motivation for language learning. Teachers will gain team work skills, and they will have the opportunity to cooperate in a better way from an interdisciplinary point of view. Schools will have the chance to cooperate with local authorities and thus gain a different status in the local community. What is more, families will be more involved into school life, so that schools can fulfil their missions of being social institutions which are able to connect different generations and educate students for life, helping them turn into active, caring citizens.
This project has been funded with
support from the European Commission. This publication/blog reflects the views
only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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