Connecting Schools, Building Citizenship DESCRIPTION OF PARTNER NO. 1 IES “Luís Seoane” , which will be the co-ordinator of our association, is a secondary school and vocational training college , member of the UNESCO Associated Schools Network since 1997. Several educational levels are taught in our school: compulsory secondary education, Higher Secondary Studies (A levels) both in Arts and Sciences GNVQS for Secretarial Studies, Marketing, Administration and Finance, Management and International Trade and Commerce. Courses for adults are also taught in the evenings.. Our school is located in the area of Monteporreiro, an alluvial district created at the end of the 70s, where approximately 8.000 people presently live, mostly in public housing, although some private housing is also available, since the district is not far from the city centre and it has beautiful surroundings. Among the community facilities in the area you will find a health centre, a cultural association “The House of Culture”, a kindergarten for children aged 0-3, a nursery school for children aged 3-5, a primary school, a day centre for the elderly and CRD COGAMI - MONTEPORREIRO (a Resource Centre for people in Pontevedra who suffer from serious physical disability). Apart from all that, we also have our school for secondary education and vocational training and UNED, a university for distance learning.. Monteporreiro is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic area, with quite a large gipsy community. The Moroccan and Latin communities are also quite large. People in the area are involved in improving the educational level of its inhabitants and promotes community initiatives through our institution, the Neighbours Association, Students’ Parents’ Associations, (AMPAS), other educational institutions and even the local government. Students from all the communities take part in the Project and even some students with specific needs (Students suffering from Asperger’s disease, severe hearing impairment, and other needs resulting from the student’s family and social situation). DESCRIPTION OF PARTNER NO. 2
Gimnazjum nr 9 is located in the Centre of the city. Due to its location, it covers a lot of environments and social classes. A significant number of students comes from social environments suffering difficulties during the stage of growth and therefore they are in need of special attention and protection at the same time that a greater effort in the development of their educational training. Our Center makes use of different didactic methods offering students a wide range of extracurricular activities that enjoy a great participation, ensuring that students make effective use of their free time in an attempt to avoid demoralization. Teacher is the mobilization of students for their participation in the cultural competitions and multiple educational projects. DESCRIPTION OF PARTNER NO. 3 The city of Aubervilliers is bordered by the North-East of Paris. It is a working town that it has now 76,000 inhabitants, of which a 40.2% is of foreign origin. Most of them are from North African and sub-Saharan Africans, and to a lesser number from China, India, Pakistan and Europe. There is currently 21% of unemployment, which affects mostly young people, 30.3%. Henri Wallon is a "Cité Scolaire", with compulsory secondary studies, a technical Institute (with different studies like accounting. Communication studies, human resources, trade and optics) and BTS (post-baccalaureate training). According to the socio-economic context of the students, the school is classified as ZEP (priority education zone) and the "Prevention of violence zone" Institute. The 70% of the students of the Institute come from schools in the Plan ' Ambition réussite ' and most of them belong to families with few resources. In order to repair the difficulties of more than 40% of our students, since 2008, the "Lycée Henri Wallon" is a "Lycée Pôle d'excellence", an experimental project within the "Plan Espoir Banlieue", which means that, in addition to the general education program, students can perform. • Artistic, cultural or scientific projects • Specific classes in order to continue studies at the Conservatory of music • Optional Theatre, cinema and art history subjects, which they may be used to pass the “baccalaureate” exam • Workshop of "Political science" in relation with the Institute of political studies of Paris, enabling our students to report each year to the entrance exam in this Institute. • Methodology lessons. • Extra lessons with the support of pedagogical assistants.
DESCRIPTION OF PARTNER NO. 4 The school E.B. 2,3/S Aquilino Ribeiro is located in the parish of Porto Salvo, a subdivision of Oeiras municipality (Lisbon Metropolitan Area). Scholar population is composed of approximately 900 students; teaching staff about 90 teachers. The school is a member of the UNESCO ASPNET since 1991. Its main objective is to promote Education for Democratic Citizenship, Human Rights and Social Inclusion. A significant part of the scholar population’s origin is african: parents emigrated from Cape Verde and from other Portuguese-speaking african countries. Most of them live in social housing districts, and families present low educational standards and incomes. These circumstances propitiate significantly social inequality, school under achievements and dropouts. With the purpose of minimizing these risks, the school is involved in the governmental project "Educational Territories of Priority Intervention " since 2009. So, we have extra-curricular projects like: “Integrarte” (arts education), “Terra Colorida” (intercultural education), “Educação Ambiental” (environmental education), “Crescer Saudável” (health education), “Português, língua não materna” (Portuguese, second language) and the “Núcleo da UNESCO”. The courses provided in school are: Basic Education (5th to 9th grade students); Education and Training (correspondent to 9th grade - Computer Operator; Educational Action; Gardening and Green Spaces; Administrative Assistant); Support Unit Students with Multiple Disabilities; Integrated Program for Education and Training (for pupils at risk of social exclusion); Secondary Education (10th to 12th grade - Scientifichumanistic course of Sciences and Technologies); Secondary Professional Courses (10th to 12th grade - Social and Cultural Animation; Tourism Technician). The Project of our Tourism Professional Course “Travelling in Portugal, travelling around the world” celebrates our school’s diversity of cultures and nationalities. It intends to contribute to develop sensitivity, tolerance and respect within and beyond our community and to nurture a sense of social responsibility. In fact it proposes a journey across the world because all along the centuries, Portugal has built strong cultural built strong cultural bridges, uniting different peoples and nations. The common patrimony of Lusophony is spread throughout the world – from Europe to Africa, Asia and America. Joining the Project “Connecting Schools, Building Citizenship” really means a lot to us. SUMMARY The project “Connecting Schools, Building Citizenship” is a multilateral association in which No 9 Gimnazjum in Rzeszów (Poland), Lycée “Henri Wallon” de Aubervilliers (France), S.B. “Aquilino Ribeiro” in Porto Salvo (Portugal) and IES “Luís Seoane” in Pontevedra (Spain) take part. Through mutual knowledge and international cooperation, it intends to develop a European active citizenship pattern, which is based
on solidarity, aiming at sustainable cultural, social and economic development . To this end, we will work in the environment of mutual knowledge (active dialogue) it will deal with current problems in the awareness of a failure in living together in the past (holocaust) and taking into account the difficulties in building up a united Europe (critic and reflexive dialogue) non-imposed integration of immigrant students and the role of national ethnic minorities such as gypsies ( intercultural dialogue), roles girls and boys have (gender equality). Interdisciplinary and co-operative Works will be formed by students from different schools with an active methodology based on learning through projects and problemsolving activities. The associated schools have experience in joint projects and have been chosen because of their students’ diversity and because they are located in multi-cultural and multi-ethnic areas. At the same time that students work in social and cultural aspects and they become aware of the main dangers for building up a European Citizenship , the use of mother tongues will promoted (Spanish, English, French, Polish, Galician and Portuguese) and the commitment to build a fair, equitable and sustainable society will be reinforced. RATIONALE The proposal was born to a reality of a multi-cultural and diverse Europe, a free welcoming land, seeking a defense of human rights, in the framework of peace and sustainable development culture (Constitution and Bill of Rights for European Citizens), deeply rooted in history and has been enriched by significant contributions from other peoples. These pillars of European construction are currently being questioned because of economic hardship, which, unfortunately, many use as an excuse to blame the “different�, thus generating xenophobic, discriminating and racialist feelings. The ultimate goal of the project is to preserve future generations of intolerant attitudes and behavior contrary to the Europe we want to build, through mutual knowledge. Reasons to promote the project 1. Contribute to sustainable, social cultural, and economic development, involving the community in the process. 2. Boost co-operative work so that students become active members of their own learning. 3. Promote learning and use of different foreign languages. The project involves the use of different foreign languages (German, Spanish, Polish, French and Portuguese),
the knowledge of minority languages (Galician), and a common working language (English) 4. Promote the use of new technologies that will be used for the manufacture of certain products (videos, presentations, digital magazines) and to facilitate communication between the schools,(blog, Twitter, email, videoconferencing, cloud) 5. To promote European citizenship and social ethics. Some of the students in our schools come from different countries and/or cultures, and others come from ethnical minorities. In order to meet our students’ needs we must first diagnose their needs, then assess them in virtue of the activities we design to meet them and finally evaluate them bearing in mind the new challenges we have as citizens living in an interrelated space and time which are increasingly interdependent. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY Related to the learning process 1. Promote new methodologies of co-operative work based on learning through projects and problems. 2. Promote students’ creativity and stimulate their initiative. 3. Use strategies and teaching methods that help potential dropouts and help integration of gypsy and immigrant students. 4. Promote interdisciplinary activities, international co-operation and students’ exchange. Related to skills acquisition 1. Help young people acquire basic life skills and necessary competences for their personal development, , for future employment and active European citizenship. 2. Promote linguistic competence in a foreign language of both teachers and students. 3. Integrate new technologies into the project to communicate, do research and present results. Related to value acquisition 1. Promote knowledge and understanding of diversity of European languages and culture and the value of such diversity among the educational community (students, teachers, parents, non-teaching staff) 2. Promote awareness and involvement in the educational community in the values that determine a profound interest in intercultural education and peace.
3. Forming citizens able to cope with living together in a complex and dynamic world, committed to the construction of a more just and equitable society. 4. Incorporate cultural diversity and respect difference as the value of enrichment in communication and interaction between people and groups. Explain the issues and problems that we must address 1. Europe’s youth. Europe’s citizenship. 2. Multiculturalism and dialogue. 3. Solidarity and co-operation against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and Islamophobia 4. Economic crisis and intolerance. 5. Learning from the past: Holocaust. 6. Equality between boys and girls. What approach will be adopted to achieve our objectives? At all times we will use an active methodology, based on co-operative and interdisciplinary work that will enable learning through projects and issues and aimed at the acquisition of a series of psychosocial skills divided into three broad categories: Cognitive: critical thinking, conflict resolution search for solutions. Affective: selfesteem, managing stress and emotions, responsiveness and overcoming failure threshold, Social: ability to negotiate and reach agreements, co-operation and empathy. RESULTS AND OUTCOMES November: VIDEO DIGITAL PRESENTATIONS We introduced ourselves and our school and we also introduced our neighbourhood to the other schools. December: EXHIBITION “Aubervilliers-Rzeszów- Porto Salvo -Pontevedra”. With photographs provided by the schools. This exhibition will travel to all the schools and will be completed with new materials in each school. They´ll make a digital archive. March: VIDEOCLIPS ON THE IDEA OF EUROPE made by the students themselves with their phones. June: FIRST ISSUE OF OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE with articles written by the students, teachers and parents. It will serve as a compilation of activities carried out in the students’ own school and the other schools.
September: INTERCULTURAL POSTER . Its preparation will be done jointly. Each school will build a part that will be added when the students meet for the poster presentation. October: PORTFOILIO PRESENTATION to other schools. Here the best work will be compiled : the CD, songs, photographs, evaluation results, etc. January: “HOLOCAUST WEEK” with presentations, documentaries, films, debates and reading of literary fragments. We intend to make a joint reflection and learn from the past. We will do a special chapter for the gypsies. March: RECORDING of the short film "Girls and boys in Europe". May: RECORDING of the short film "Girls and boys in Europe". June: PORTFOLIO EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE The work of educational communities of each of the Member countries in the project will allow us to create a space for Exchange, knowledge and mutual respect that will serve our students model for future co-operation in the employment, social and economic fields . They will be able to feel European citizens and engage in development of European of peoples and individuals. We cannot lose sight of the ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity present in the various schools. As an added value to the project there will be development of co-operative work based on projects and problems and organized in international teams, practice in European languages, students’ and teachers’ exchange, which will allow teachers to know about different options for an internship and become familiar with diversity in educational systems. IMPACT Students and teachers will be able to work in an active and participative way. The encounter with different countries and cultures will allow students to understand their own culture in a better way and to discover common unifying values in the European framework. Learning about different lifestyles that they can share in the future will certainly prove most useful. The fact that students know each other and are encouraged to discover equality starting from diversity and discrepancy will boost their growth as a person and will help them create awareness of European citizenship. Teachers will share different pedagogical approaches and learn from and with their European colleagues. And, altogether, the entire educational community will learn and teach respect for diversity and will acquire skills and intercultural competencies that will make our schools and
our communities more harmonious, peaceful and egalitarian places. At the same time, our students will improve their linguistic and digital skills. RELEVANCE TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME 1. To improve the quality and to increase the volume of mobility involving pupils
and educational staff in different Member States (COM-OpObj-1) 2. To improve the quality and to increase the volume of partnerships between
schools in different Member States, so as to involve at least 3 million pupils in joint educational activities during the period of the programme (COM-OpObj-2) 3. To encourage the learning of modern foreign languages (COM-OpObj-3) 4.
To support the development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning (COMOpObj-4)
5. To enhance the quality and European dimension of teacher training (COM-
OpObj-5) 6. To support improvements in pedagogical approaches and school management
(COM-OpObj-6) Describe the relevance of the project in your context (national and/or regional or other) and in the context of the programme objectives chosen by you. We would also like to point out that we hope that our co-operation will not end with the Comenius, but it will extend over time, by reinforcing the links between the various educational communities, some of which have worked in close co-operation for years, as S.B. 2/3 Aquilino Ribeiro and IES Luis Seoane,. These two institutions have had yearly meetings since 2001 in the "Meeting for Young Scientists" or high school "Henri Wallon and IES LuĂs Seoane which have been working since 2011 or S.B.. At this point we would also like to highlight that three of the four schools (Poland, Portugal, and Spain) belong to the UNESCO associated schools network. TOPICS European citizenship and European dimension (TOPIC-17) Gender issues, equal opportunities (TOPIC-22) Intercultural education (TOPIC-27) EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING FIELDS Foreign language (0109) History (0105)
Other basic programmes (010l) KEY COMPETENCES Communication in foreign languages (KC2) Communication in the mother tongue (KC1) Learning to learn (KC5) Digital competence (KC4) Social and civic competences (KC6) Cultural awareness and expression (KC8) HORIZONTAL ISSUES Promoting an awareness of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity within Europe, as well as of the need to combat racism, prejudice and xenophobia (Div). Cultural and linguistic diversity (CulDiv). Fight against racism and xenophobia (RacXen). Promoting equality between men and women and contributing to combating all forms of discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Discr). Equal opportunities men and women (Equal). PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION DISTRIBUTION OF TASKS IES Luís Seoane in Pontevedra (Spain) is responsible for co-ordination, planning meetings and collection of finished products and the results of the evaluation of the project. Students will take part in piloting the project, which wil be monitored by Ms Luisa Márquez González (Social Science teacher and project co-ordinator) Gimnazjum No.9 of Rzeszów (Poland), S.B 2/3 Aquilino Ribeiro de Porto Salvo (Portugal)and Lycée "Henri Wallon" in Aubervilliers (France) will work on the project with their students, and they will duly inform you of progress and results, as well as compiling different products. Also the 4 schools will collaborate with the blog http://escolasenrede.blogspot.com will prepare the seminars and exhibitions, will evaluate the process and the fulfilment of the project, disseminate the results and will host various meetings.
COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION We will use all the means at our disposal to ensure the success of our co-operation: communication by mail from teachers and students, video conferencing, social networking, Twitter, exchange between students (photos, presentations, letters, recordings), mobility of teachers and students, roaming materials, exhibitions, etc. During the development of our Multilateral-Comenius partnership, you are welcome to visit our blog http://escolasenrede.blogspot.com, which was launched in the academic year 2012 / 2013 and has served as a basis for designing our project. PARTICIPANTS' INVOLVEMENT After a brief presentation when our project is launched, we will distribute tasks to students and will assign them different responsibilities so that the project can be successfully carried out. Co-operative work is a primary issue and students are expected to do their best by working in teams ranging from joint elaboration of surveys, setting up exhibitions, displaying photographs, videoclips, awareness-raising campaigns on the issue of the Comenius, evaluation of results and processing of materials and products and dissemination of results. Teaching staff is responsible for dynamizing and promoting development of the pedagogical coordination unit and project teaching departments, incorporate the Parents Association and non-teaching staff and coordinate meetings in different countries. INTEGRATION INTO ONGOING ACTIVITIES The project will be incorporated into the syllabuses for both students’ mother tongue and foreign languages (English and French), and other subjects such as Philosophy and Ethics, Education for Citizenship and Human Rights, geography, history, technology, economy and international trade. Exhibitions, conferences, presentations, will be integrated into our school life and will therefore be assessed as a complement to students’ curriculum. 5. EVALUATION Different assessment instruments are used: 1.Initial Survey or brainstorming (in each school) to elicit what students know about Europe and the Holocaust. 2.Survey (carried out in each school) to indicate progress in the project and adequacy of methodology. 3. A portfolio that will include materials and most significant products.
4. Final report prepared by all members that reflects the change in values and attitudes. Students’ assessment • Knowledge and experience contributed by each student has contributed to the process and interaction with the rest of the group. • Self-assessment • Critical assessment: clarifies, defines, analyzes and identifies objectives. • Initial and intermediate surveys on the project. • Public presentations of students’ work . Evaluation of teaching staff • The meetings will serve to evaluate the works made and lessons learned. • They will respond to surveys and shall draw up reports on the work of the schools. • Compiling results through interviews, questionnaires and products The evaluation of the co-ordinating teaching staff will be carried out by • Presentations and reports in your school and other associated centers. • Frequent contacts. • Their contribution to project development. DISSEMINATION AND THE USE OF RESULTS How will results and experiences and perhaps products of the association be spread for students’ benefit? -in organizations or participating institutions? Through presentations in different classrooms, exhibition and dissemination of teaching materials, days of reflection and meeting. -in local communities? Dissemination of project results through local media, sharing products with other schools in the environment and their presentation in the fifth Galician encounter and the national meetings of UNESCO associated schools. -in the permanent learning community in general?
Blog, short film and magazine diffusion and possibility of disseminating the results on the e-twinning platform.
PARTICIPANTS AND ACTIVITIES •
Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Luís Seoane.
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Gimnazjum nr 9 Oddzialami Dwujezycznymi im. Sw. Królowej Jadwigi.
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Cité Scolaire Henri Wallon.
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grupamento de Escolas Aquilino Ribeiro - (Escola sede "Escola E.B. 2,3/S Aquilino Ribeiro".
WORK PROGRAMME 1. We present the Comenius programme in each educational community-We
elaborate initial surveys. Result analysis. 2. We introduce ourselves and then we presen tour school, our neighbourhood
and our city. We elaborate some digital materials. 3. Presentations in different schools. Teachers’ meetings in Pontevedra (Spain). 4. EXHIBITION “Aubervilliers- Rzeszów-Porto Salvo-Pontevedra”. With
photographs provided by the schools. It will be circulated between schools and will be completed in each one of them. 5. 27 January “Memorial of Holocaust Viuctims”. 6. March 8 - Day of the Working Woman” Analysis: The role of woman in our
educational centres. Present results. 7. RECORDING VIDEOCLIPS AOUT “ YOUR IDEA OF EUROPA” made by the
students with their mobile phones. Students in different schools will select the best ones, those they consider more creative and significant to make a CD, in which songs written by the students will be included. 8. Students’ mobility. 9. DAY OF EUROPE (9 May). 10. Nª 1 OF OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE with articles elaborated by the students,
teachers and students’ parents. It will serve as a compiling element of the activities carried out in the member schools. Middle assessment of Comenius development.
11. INTERCULTURAL POSTER jointly elaborated by students will put up their
contributions in each meeting. 12. PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION to other shcools where the best projects will be
complied , the CD, songs, photographs, assessmet results,etc. The project will be started in the co-ordinating centre, tour all the other schools and come back to the co-ordinating centre. 13. Teachers’ meeting. 14. “ HOLOCAUST WEEK” with presentations, documentaries, films, debates and
reading of literary fragments. We aim at a joint reflection which will help us learn from the past. This will also include a special chapter for the gipsy people. 15. EXHIBITION “Boys’ and Girls’ roles” (itinerating). 16. Students’ mobility. 17. EXHIBITION ABOUT THE GIPSY PEOPLE AND CELEBRATION OF APRIL 8,
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIPSY PEOPLE. 18. Recording of short film “Boys and Girls in Europe”. 19. CELEBRATION OF EUROPE’S DAY (9 May) and edition of Nº 2 OF OUR DIGITAL
MAGAZINE. 20. FINAL ASSESSMENT AND PORTFOLIO.