Erasmus+ is a EU foundation. The title is- Open up for a changing Europe. We are four participating countries; Sweden, Germany, Poland ang Czech republic.

Agnieszka Mathea, Katowice, Polen-

The whole title of our project sounds

Open up for a changing Europe

Fostering young peoples´ social and cultural competences under the influence of new and unfamiliar experiences in their life at school and in wider community.

What we want to do is to follow all what concerns the future of Europe and its citizens. Our European community is changing rapidly in its history.

That’s how we described our objectives in the successful application form.

Among other actual changes in our lives in Europe are those within the sector of education who are dealing with the inclusion of disabled people and those who have got less access to education and working life for social , economical, religious or ethnic reasons.

These influences are also concerning the youth at our schools. Those who have to deal a lot with their own personal development anyway.

They have to deal with changes in their lives that they have personally no influence on. For the strength of the own position, that is necessary for being able to open up for others they have to simply ask:

Who am I? Who are you? How do we suit each other?

The project´s aim is to help young people between the age of 12 and 16 years to better become aware of their stronger and weaker sides and to feel sure as a part of their social group.

This knowledge shall be brought in to the cooperation with young peers from neighbourhood countries to be experienced and compared with.

Questionnaires at the begin and ending of the project are to describe the respective attitudes of the attending students.

There is expected to be an increasing development of self consciousness that will lead to a better acceptance of diversity. That´s what´s needed in inclusive education.

In social context that will be one of the most basic conditions for a more positive development of an European Society.

There have been four European schools decided to work together in an Erasmus+ project for 25 months.

Leading organisation is a special needs school for the visual impaired from Duisburg, Germany. Next there are two secondary schools who are already working inclusively. One from Kattovice, Poland, the other from Karlshamn, Sweden. And a secondary school from Banov, Czech Republic.

There are three main parts of the project work:

a) lessons at the respective schools along the whole duration of the project containing the topics individuality, self-confidence,

position within a group, familiar and social context, cultural and historical background as well as national and international assignment of the school.

b) International group meetings with five days´ stays at the receptive schools. Main topics will be the host pupils and their school as well as their social and cultural surroundings.

c) Collecting, documentation and dissemination of the results from a) and b) with the help of the Twin Space portal.

Besides the open access of reports and further outcomes there will be an advantage of medial competences with students and teachers linked with that point. International contacts will be increased.

Success will be stated if there is:

– measurable differing self consciousness by comparing before / after questionnaires

– measurable differing assessment of the own peer group

– increasing knowledge about life and life conditions of the partner groups

– measurable increase of openness towards dealing with diversity and acceptance of deviant behaviour.

The real effect of the outcomes will possibly show not until later.