"""My Way, Your Way, Our Shared Cultural Identities"" is an innovative inter-cultural communication project involving schools from Bulgaria, Italy, Spain and Sweden. Its rationale is based on the understanding that mobility, an integral part of our increasingly globalized world, presents challenges arising from the cultural differences that are an intrinsic part of people's complex identities. Therefore, knowledge and awareness of how culture impacts communication is essential in effective cross- cultural communication. The project has sought to a) develop students' understandings of the interrelated nature of language, culture and communication; b) develop students' skills to spot, reflect and deal with culture bumps; c) enhance students' confidence when encountering unfamiliar environment; d) develop students' presentation skills; e) train students to conduct interviews to extract relevant information, analyse it, and present it in both oral and written form; f) develop students' curiosity towards different cultures and languages;g) to prepare students for study and work in inter-cultural settings;h) hone students' IT skills through utilizing innovative applications;i) develop a broader view of what European identity means to foster responsible citizenship skills;g) enrich teachers' classroom instruction methods and schools' curricula.This project has built on the rich experience all schools have with mobility to design a learning resource for training students to take stock of their inter-cultural experiences and develop understandings of the interrelated nature of language, culture and communication. The resource pack contains critical incidents and videos based on the experiences of the participants from the project.The methodology used to design the resource pack has used the culture assimilator, a cognitive approach in inter-cultural training based on the meaning attribution method. During the preparation stage, participants were trained through simulation games and inter-cultural training activities aiming to develop their sensitivity and awareness of identity formation, empathy, ethnocentrism, values, stereotypes, the dynamic and emergent nature of culture and strategies to decenter and re-frame in order to negotiate meanings. This learning resource has been beneficial on two levels - through the process of its designing and the outcome itself.As the participants experienced cultural variation, they gained knowledge about what, how and why cultures do their shared practices; through the culture-contrast approach and reflective practices they gained insights into the value systems of both their own and other cultures; their insights helped them develop skills of successful communication in diverse settings and resulted in the production of learning resources for use by all who are interested in intercultural education. The interactive nature of the resources have had a double effect - developing students' IT skills and making the materials appealing to a wide on-line audience. In addition, both teachers and students have learnt to deal with culture by adopting the culture assimilator approach, which have enriched their classroom practices and the school curricula in several subjects. Outcomes :1) ""Cultural Detectives in Action""- an OER pack for analyzing culturally diverse behavior, which consists of: -20 critical incidents (text, video, art, photography);- teachers' notes.The resources have recorded and enacted misunderstandings based on cultural differences drawn from students' authentic experiences. The resources are accompanied by teacher's notes explaining the rationale, objectives and procedure to assist educators who will be interested in implementing these in their practice. The critical incidents and the teachers' notes are available online and on paper to all participating schools to integrate in all classes where culture is an issue. Also, they are a convenient tool to prepare students who are to embark on a cultural exchange. Their online status makes them accessible to an audience outside our immediate school communities and ensures its wider impact. Some of the critical incidents have been translated into Bulgarian and Italian to make them accessible to teachers who do not speak English. 2) Intellectual Output: ""CulturAll” - this is an interactive resource whose purpose is to raise awareness of cultural facts about our own countries through the intercultural journeys the main characters from each country take and the challenges they encounter. This is a game created by using a web application and it practices intercultural learning in a fun and innovative way."

Context and Background: The main goal of the European Commission as it was declared in January 2018 is to provide young people with any kind of help, such as knowledge and skills, through the educational system in order to improve the connection between the job market and them. The path, through which this will happen, is the triangle: education – research – innovation, in order to rediscover young people’s talents and skills. Its a tough bet but also absolutely necessary in today’s circumstances. Being inspired by this, we want to work in a project based on learning in an environment outside of the schools. Our students will face with real-life issues, primarily on a local base, but also through a global aspect. They will to visit organisations, people and places linked to these local problems and try to suggest the best possible solutions. The core of this methodology is to abandon the sterilized environment of the classroom and we put education in the centre of real life. The topics have been chosen as they are linked to the EU commission’s priorities, allow a multi-disciplinary approach and are linked to the schools’ curriculums. Each theme is strongly connected with one of the participating schools and its local area. The LTT metting in each country will be concentrated around it: -Social and economic inequality: The quality of life in a disadvantaged neighbourhood -Food ethics: Food waste -Immigration: the integration of immigrants -Environment: the pollution of the sea Objectives of our project in relation to the program priorities and the European Comission are: 1.To learn and research in an innovative way, mostly outside the classroom and on locations that are relevant for the different local topics during the LTT activities. 2.To learn in a practical and critical way, to ensure that our students have the capacity to think out of the box. Since the given problems concern real life, the way our students should deal with them must be absolutely practical and the method must ensure the increase of critical thinking. The problems concern real life and the solutions should be linked to that. 3.Foster social integration, enhance intercultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community. In a multicultural environment it is necessary to achieve a minimum of consensus between the different communities in order to succeed in dealing with the complicated and more demanding problems of our era. And through this the common goal of coexistence can be ensured. 4.To produce a teacher’s guide for our own teaching methodology that focuses on teaching essential skills and competences in a practical way and which can easily be accessed and implemented in the school practice all over Europe. Number and profile of participants: 200 students are directly and indirectly involved. In detail, about 30 students of each school will travel abroad to the partner schools and about 180 students will indirectly provide their help and efforts to conclude the goals of the project. Also about 30 teachers will interfere and provide their guidance for the purposes of the program and share experiences. Activities: The students will prepare an introduction to the local theme of research. The form of this introduction will be a short film which will show in a clear manner the nature of the given problem. After this the participants will work on similar local problems in their places. During the LTT meeting, the participants will be in contact with local institutions and factors who have tare linked to the problems. Each group will come up with an out of the box solution, after they have completed their research. After the discussion that will follow, the students will decide the type of the event through which they are going to act towards suggesting their own solutions. They will prepare a vlog about the process and the solutions. The concrete results will be: a.A teacher’s guide that contains a methodology, activities and lesson plans that will be shared. b.A website on which to describe the themes in the participating countries, the results of the research and the solutions c.A YouTube channel that contains the vlogs the students made during the LTT activities , the research process and the presentation of the solutions Impact: We focus on the direct connection between real life and education, the preparation of our students to act and behave as proactive citizens, the increase of their critical and practical ability, the integration of disabled, learning and economically, groups of students, the multicultural cooperation in a demanding and changing modern environment. The public character of the program and the widespread of its results in a vaster educational community through its concrete results will provide the methodological tools to colleagues in the whole EU, helping them to deal with the major problem of modern education, to adjust to the modern demands and connect to real life.

CONTEXT/BACKGROUNDToday's world map shows us an increasing intermingling of various cultures that have to or want to live together. More often than not, these colourful maps are often clouded by inherent conflicts and threats of imminent war. It is why we believe that the sooner we act, the better chance we will stand to prevent such conflicts from breaking out. The reason why we chose to make this a priority of our project is the fact that this entire phenomenon is also visible from early stages of life, at ages when children should try to see the beauty of life, should learn acceptance and tolerance and should be free from prejudices. The basic behaviour that students generally resort to at their age to show disrespect and lack of tolerance is bullying, a phenomenon which has increased steadily and affected an increasingly worrying number of students in the past years.OBJECTIVESThe overall purpose of the project is to combat the unsound mentalities existing inside communities which are built on disrespect and intolerance against certain groups of people by raising students awareness of the terrible effects of these behaviours on the development of a human being and by combating hate speech and hate behaviour inside schools.The objectives we have established are meant as steps that need to be undertaken in order to attain the purpose:1. to promote inter-cultural dialogue between different countries and socio-cultural categories2. to reduce violence, school dropout and inequality by promoting values such as tolerance, acceptance of alterity and inter- and intra-cultural respect3. to actively involve students in activities that presuppose working in multicultural teams.4. to discourage the tendency to stereotyping and prejudice based on isolated cases of misbehaviour.5. to enhance the quality of the relationship among students of different cultural backgrounds and develop their social and communication skills6. to encourage the learning of different languages and cultures from the European space.NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS2000 students in the 5 schools with ages ranging from 14-19 will benefit indirectly. Out of these, 128 students will participate in the short-term exchanges. 32 of them are at risk of social exclusion, facing economic difficulties or have behaviour problems. The selection will happen before each meeting (8 students/partner/meeting) according to a previously estabished methodology. One criterion in the selection of the team will be to have a wide variety of cultures and minorities.200 teachers involved directly and indirectly. The project team in each school will comprise at least 1 school counsellor, 1 English teacher, 1 Arts teacher, 1 Music teacher and 1 PE teacher. Their work will be coordinated and supervised by the contact person and the legal representative of each institution. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES & METHODOLOGY TO BE USED- Project management (ongoing): Design and implementation of methodologies to be applied - selection of participants, communication, reporting; Financial management and acquisitions; Risk management and control; Evaluation of activities and results.- Transnational Meetings: M1-BG Presentation of bullying issues at local levels by each school. Current local measures to combat and prevent bullying; M2-BG The role of teachers in combating bullying. Developing a programme to include victims of discrimination and bullying- LTTAs: C1 - PT Types of discrimination. Forms of bullying //Sports To Stop Violence; C2 - SI Victims and aggressors within discrimination and bullying. Arts&crafts to stop violence; C3- TR Consequences of bullying. Photographs&films to stop violence C4 - BG Neutralising hate speech. Music&dance to stop violence. .- Dissemination of project results and activities (ongoing): Creation of website and updates; Creation of e-twinning space; Design of materials - brochures, CDs, DVDs, flyers, posters, banners; Dissemination meetings; Ellaboration of sustainability plan RESULTS AND IMPACT-booklet which includes outcomes-programme for assistance of bullies and bullied devised and implemented at the end-students, staff, local communities will become aware of the phenomenon and implications of bullying and develop better intercultural relationships-the cases of bullying are reduced-the schools become part of a network and can assist each other in dealing with bullying-values like tolerance and respect are promoted among participants and indirect beneficiaries.LONG-TERM BENEFITS-programme will be implemented according to sustainability plan-booklet will be available online for free use by other schools-number of bullying cases is reduced-synergy among different cultures is established

"<< Objectives >>The project ""SHE CHOOSES STEM"" aims to promote the interest in STEM disciplines and the STEAM approach and to promote inclusion and diversity in society. The project wants to counteract discriminations and gender stereotypes in the STEM field, through: trainings for teachers and trainers, an improved motivation in girls to study STEM subjects and the involvement of families and local communities to fight gender stereotypes in STEM.<< Implementation >>The Project foresees three international mobilities for teachers and trainers, with the aim to create the “Linee-Guida Metodologiche “She Chooses STEM””, an “IT toolkit for students” and a “Multimedia Digital storytelling tool”, for the promotion of STEM among girl students, teachers, families and local communities. Four open days are planned in partner schools (pilot tests) to improve the outputs produced during the project. Finally, some communication and dissemination activities are planned.<< Results >>“Linee-Guida Metodologiche “She Chooses STEM””: an innovative and multidisciplinary teaching material on STEM education, applicable at high school level, involving teachers, students and families. The qualitative result is the improved awareness of the STEM disciplines in girl students, thanks to the production and sharing of the innovative training tools produced during the project such as the ""Multimedia Digital Story-Telling IT Tool"" and the ""Digital Toolkit for students""."

Two of the priorities of the New European Commission are: to deepen the internal market and to ensure that employment rates are increasing: ‘Creating a European market where entrepreneurs can innovate and expand; new business models and services can flourish; and retailers find it easy to establish’ (source: http://ec.europa.eu/)At the same time our schools, due to the contacts with the working field we have, realised that the gap between what students learn in the educational field, and the skills they need in order to be successful on the European job market is still wide. We investigated this thesis further by discussing this with people from the work field and by interviewing ex-students who have recently made their first steps in companies. This inspired us to work together in an international project, with the main and fundamental OBJECTIVE to narrow this gap and thus contribute to strengthening the cooperation between the world of education and the world of work.Our specific objectives are:1. To let students and teachers find out which skills young employees are missing in order to be successful in an internationally oriented workfield, via an on site research in companies.2. To learn in an innovative way, mostly outside the classroom and in companies which are relevant for the different topics during learning/teaching/training activities. We call this 'Interactive 21 century learning'. 3. To prepare effective lesson and workshop plans focusing on those essential skills and competences and which can easily be accessed and implemented in the school practice all over Europe.In order to achieve these objectives, 4 schools from quite different contexts in Europe cooperate, each contributing with specific strengths and experiences. The project will focus on 4 subtopics (areas of skills) which will be worked sequentially: 1. Foreign languages and communication skills; 2. European Entrepreneurship skills; 3. Leadership skills; 4. Skills for working abroad and/or in international companies.Each of these will stand in the centre of a learning/teaching/training activity with students and will be organised by the school who has gained expertise within this subtopic. The subtopics have been chosen as they are linked to the EU commission’s priorities, allow a multi-disciplinary approach and are strongly connected to our schools’ curricula. The METHODOLOGY of this project is what we call “Interactive 21st century learning”, which aims to make the students the owners of their learning process by giving them the opportunity to learn together, in international groups, 'on site': outside the schools and in this case inside the companies, and find the answers to the research questions which they prepared together, within the frame of the subtopics of the project.The European commission says on its website about the top priorities: ‘This investment should be targeted towards education, research and innovation ‘. This will be the centre of our approach. It will be developed in 3 steps and includes the following ACTIVITIES:Step 1- Education: Before each l/t/t activity, students in their own country prepare themselves to become more conscious about the modern day jobs by formulating questions and doing preliminary interviews in local companies. Documented in a multimedia presentation, they will be shared with students and teachers from the other schools during the first day of the l/t/t activity.Step 2- Research: After this, the students combine their findings and, in mixed groups of six, decide on common research questions which they will research in the companies in the host country.Step 3- Innovation: Students will record their experiences in a vlog and report their findings in a presentation, which will be documented on Wordpress. On the basis of the students’ research, the teachers will prepare lesson/workshop plans which suggest creative and useful ways to include the acquisition of these skills into the schools’ teaching. They will use the transnational teachers’ meetings in order complete this task. All results will be published and made accessible via Wordpress.Over two years, 100 students and their teachers from different countries will be actively involved in this project and cooperate with their partners; virtually and during the l/t/t activities, conducting comparative research and practice related to the 4 subtopics. This methodology will produce results and impact not only among the directly involved students and teachers, but also on the participating schools and companies. Furthermore, they will be spread widely, following a multifaceted dissemination plan which, besides the more traditional tools, includes innovative ones like, for example, a chain letter. The progress and the quality of the results will be evaluated progressively, making use of qualitative and quantitative indicators, so the necessary adaptations can be made In order to guarantee the success of the project.