The aim of the project is to help students to develop civic competence and the understanding of what it means to be a citizen in a democratic European society. We believe that young people need to develop civic competence and to know how democracy influences their daily live. They also need to know what it means to be well informed and know about their rights and duties in this society. Civic competence starts by teaching the students their rights and responsibilities for themselves and for all the people around them (respect, tolerance, prevent prejudices, equality). In order to achieve this we intend to - Raise the students’ awareness of democracy and civics through intercultural dialogue. - Have the students share their history and customs in regard to democracy in their own countries. - Raise the students’ awareness of trans-national and cross European shared history of democracy. - Have the students get a better understanding of the fact that there are always two sides to an argument. - Have the students share share their viewpoints of the current events and controversial issues. The expected outcome of the project is the students’ and teachers’ understanding of what it means to be well informed and an active citizen in an integrated unified Europe. By awakening understanding of each other’s history and how democracy influences their daily live, we hope to help the students to be active and informed citizens in a modern European society.

• Subjects: Foreign Languages, Informatics / ICT, Politics
• Languages: EN
• Pupil's age: 16 - 17
• Tools to be used: Chat, e-mail, Other software (Powerpoint, video, pictures and drawings), Web publishing
• Aims: The objectives of the partnership are to allow students to work on topics related to civic competences in order for... read moreThe objectives of the partnership are to allow students to work on topics related to civic competences in order for the students to understand what it means to be an active citizen in a democratic Europe. We will help the students to identify and develop the necessary skills and competences which will help them to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life in an increasingly diverse society. To do this each school cannot act alone but must act in a collaborative way and work with other institutions across the borders to allow students to become active citizens. We believe that in order for the students to be aware of their own responsibility as active citizens in Europe they have to find common values. We aim to: - have the students ask – and answer – the question: What is it to be an active citizen - have the students look into and investigate their own environment , taking into account the democracy in school council - make investigations of the city councils and government in each partner’s country (history and procedures), comparing, analysing and sharing these findings - enrich the students’ awareness of a multicultural, multilingual, diverse but still similar Europe - have the students read literature and see films in order to analyse and share how democracy is shown in different forms of media - help the students to realize their own responsibilities in regards to equality (gender and economically) - have the students find out how the European Union is presented in each country - increase students’ autonomy - increase students’ competence in the use of ICT In order to attain these objectives, we will take a student-centered approach, where the teachers will act as consultants and and facilitators letting the students explore their range of interest with an important autonomous component. The activities will be integrated in the subjects of English, politics, history, mother tongue, art and culture. hide
• Work process: Both teachers and students will make extensive use of ITC to communicate. We will use e-mails, Facebook and Skype for... read moreBoth teachers and students will make extensive use of ITC to communicate. We will use e-mails, Facebook and Skype for regular communication. We aim at six meetings with teachers and students in order to coordinate the tasks of the project and will thus also have direct communication of the project, thereby having a good grasp of what each partner is doing at each time. Minutes of the meetings will be put on the homepage for all interested to view. We will have a homepage, on which all products (written and videotaped - DVD) will be put. hide
• Expected results: The students who are directly involved in the project will come to understand the other young people they are working... read moreThe students who are directly involved in the project will come to understand the other young people they are working with better and this will undoubtly lead to them being better European citizens and will facilitate their further involvement with others, both nationally and globally. The teachers involved will have the opportunity of enriching their personal and professional live with good practices from their foreign colleagues and will enrich their own lives by their contacts with schools and teachers with different background. This experience will also have an echo among the rest of the staff and students at school, thus promoting everyone’s interest towards new European initiatives. All schools will benefit from the meetings held at each school as the project will be more visible during the days of the meetings with foreign teachers and students working in school and will thus bring an European dimension into schools. hide

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