Introduction

This Strategic partnership for schools includes the collaboration, cooperation for innovation of a group of partners. Each partner is a school from a different region of Europe. ERASMUS+ is an international communication, which lasts 2 years (2015-2017) and completes the research and practice with the participation of 8 countries: Poland, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, Turkey, Italy and Belgium.

During the preparatory visit in Spain, the team came up with the idea of writing partnership project entitled "Better Together Join Us" and conclude to some proposals to ensure students of their schools get strong social and physical and strengthen the bond with themselves, the family and community.

PROGRAM'S OBJECTIVES

Discussing between the partners, the team came with a result, an idea, that the main problem in our schools is a feeling of rejection of many students, isolated by their contemporaries. It's caused by discrimination because of their low social status, disability, cultural identity, ethnic, religious, behavioral problems (can be aggressor or the victim of violence), learning difficulties, social and media pressure to "be the best, beautiful", abuse problems (to the internet, drugs). The feeling, which referred above, of isolation often leads to drop out of school, causes depression, frustration, leads to moving away from society, results later in problems with getting a job, starting a family, is often a reason why young people try to take their own life.

Studying the data and the results of the researches of strategic activities in the European Union by 2020 about the increasing percent of the retarded within the range from mild to severe, which is higher than the average and the influence of bulling and addictions to the isolation of young people, we came to a point that writing partnership project entitled "Better Together-Join Us" which will explore and implement ways to fight against rejection of children and young people. Also this projects aims to the collaboration, communication, learning through cooperation, joint activities enhancing ties between students, developing a passion, interest, joining into cooperation parents and students environments.

PARTNERS (SHORT CHARACTERISTICS)

1. POLAND

SOSWS – (Specjalny Osrodek Szkolno-Wychowawcy w Sieradzu)Special education school located in the city Sieradz of Poland, a public and no-profit organization.

The activities and the experience of SOSWS on physically and mentally handicapped students and preparing them for living and helping them to integrate with the society gaining the possible comprehensive development in the case of disabled students which is possible by using and applying special methods and programs with social revalidation and rehabilitation processes, day and night care and prepare each student for a job, to choose a certain job and how to work adapting to the requirements of the job. Training will lead specialists of: neurologists, behavioral therapy, alternative communication (e.g. Makaton), a psychologist, therapists, coaches of sport, theatre, dance, visual arts.

2. GREECE

EEEEK KILKIS – (Ergastirio Idikis Epagelmatikis Ekpedevsis ke Katartisis) Special and Professional education and Treatment Workshop in the city of Kilkis of Greece, a public and no-profit organization.

A pioneer of the Special education in Greece and established in October 2001. Length of studies last 5 years and plus 1 year for practice. There are programs for students to achieve social accession and professional formation. The program of Autonomous living is pursed through special programs of hygiene, cleaning and cooking and other two workshops are running for agricultural products and handicrafts.

3. ESTONIA

Kohtla-Jarve Lasteaed Tareke – Kindergarten in the city of Kohtla-Jarve of Estonia, a private educational centre.

Pre-primary level general education with 11 groups from 2 years old to 7 years old children two of the groups educating children of special needs. There are gym and musician classes and an Estonian language teacher, a logopedist and an eye nurse. Also the kindergarten has a kitchen with 3 cooks and a storekeeper and a laundry, a charwoman, yard-keepers, guards, seamstress and repairman.

4. LATVIA

Rigas Raina 8 vakara (mainu) vidusskola – Secondary evening (shift) school in the centre of the capital city Riga of Latvia, a public and no-profit organization.

Beyond the general education programs, the school undertakes classes for students with hearing impairments and different social groups, some of the students are from social risk groups: persons with criminal past, students who had been addicted to drugs or children from families with very low incomes. On the other hand many famous Latvian celebrities attend to school.

5. PORTUGAL

Agrupamento de Escolas Alexandre Herculano-Porto – a vocational training secondary level school in the city of Porto in Portugal, a public and no-profit organization.

The institute belongs in an organization that congregates 9 schools of different educational levels. The Agrupamento de Escolas Alexandre Herculano-Porto is the "mother school" of this group. Student's age ranges from 14 to 22. The school has integration with students with special needs of diverse types.

6. TURKEY

Hatice Erdem Professional and Technical High School (Hatice Erdem mesleki ve teknik anadolu lisesi) – located in the city Kdz Eregli in the region of Zonguldak of Turkey, it is a public and no-profit organization.

Student's age range from 14 to 18 years old. The school has 12 classes and a dormitory. The main education program is maritime (marine), building a ship and geck. After their graduation, the students can work in ships, shipyards and construction industry.

7. ITALY

Galileo Galilei institute (Instituto Comprensivo Galileo Galilei) – is located in the city Tradate in Italy and is a non- profit organization.

The institute includes pre-primary school, primary school, secondary school and a class hospital and student's age range from 3 to 14 years old. The school promotes transversal skills through the creation of relational and social activities and operates in specific contests suchas: high number of immigrants foreign pupils, physical and physical handicaps, students from families suffering due to the economical crisis, foster care, separation, divorce, and students who left alone because both parents work.

8. BELGIUM

Gemeentelijke lagere school voor buitengewood onderwijs Sancta Maria – located in Deerlijk of Belgium, is a public and no-profit organization.

At the school there are studying children with retardation and children with learning disorders, also the group of children with autism spectrum increases by the year. The school prepares the students to go to the normal secondary school, working on their self esteem and their social and emotional development.

ACTIVITIES, MAIN TASK

The addresses of the activities are teachers and pupils of schools from 8 countries: Poland (disability, behavioral problems, poverty), Turkey (addictions), Belgium (learning, behavioral difficulties), Latvia (disability), Sweden (cultural differences, communication problems, immigrants from Europe and Asia), Italy (disability, behavioral and learning difficulties), Greece (disability, poverty), Estonia (difficulty in proper behavior, poverty).

The project is also addressed to parents, communities of local schools, local communities, education employees from the region, headmasters, representatives of the media, associations and foundations, dealing with addiction issues.

In almost all of these countries, but at different level of variety, does exist all types of rejection, which is why it is so important for the project to work together and find ways of eliminating the causes of loneliness among young people.

Each country has a different level of living, different experiences within integration of people with disabilities with society, other experiences at the field of preventing addictions, use different innovative working methods.

Without cooperation between the above institutions, it is unlikely to develop a solution to the problem.