The project focuses on the heart of the European way of life, our shared cultural heritage, which defines who we are. Cultural heritage surrounds us in towns and cities as well as natural landscapes, in stories, music, literature, art, monuments, crafts, food, etc. lt has been passed on by our ancestors and it is our task now to keep it to design our future. Exploring cultural heritage of different countries will help participants recognise that diversity is our richness and strength. It will strengthen our sense of belonging to a common European family, which is important in times of nationalist movements rising all over Europe.The aim of the project is to encourage participants to explore Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, to reflect on its role in our lives, and recognise how our different cultures are interwoven and complement, enrich and strengthen each other.Aim and methodology of the project are clearly stated in it's name: HIKE - Heritage, Identity, Knowledge, Exploration. Exploring and experiencing our shared cultural heritage inside and outside the classroom participants do not only expand their knowledge but also realise how cultural heritage contributes to building our identity. They understand that our various identities can enrich a European identity and thus strengthen social cohesion. The project links experiencing and appreciating biodiversity and natural heritage through a hike, i.e. short-term exchanges of groups of students, with exploring other forms of cultural heritage. Participants will learn about history through monuments and architecture, taste and prepare traditional cuisine, visit museums, dance and enjoy music together.In Reunion - HIKE 1 - participants will hike in Mafate, where slaves lived and visit the caves of the first French settlers and the volcano.In Sweden - HIKE 2 -...In Germany - HIKE 3 - participants will hike on the Rennsteig, a world-famous hiking trail, visit the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Wartburg where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German and the contemporary German language was born. To round up the project and reflect on European identity we will visit Brussels and European institutions during 'HIKE 4'Collaborative work during the hikes and the accompanying eTwinning project, reflection on activities and the creation of products, which can be used for future teaching and learning, help participants to improve several skills, e.g. critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication in native and foreign languages, digital skills. The project is structured in several steps, carried out in national and multinational teams:1) preparing the hikeParticipants reflect in national teams on their cultural heritage, choose topics to work on during hikes. They upload a presentation to eTwinning which will be used by the other partners to create a quiz. 2) hikeParticipants explore the cultural heritage of the host country/region. A combination of outdoor learning and developing digital and foreign language skills to collaboratively document and disseminate shared experience will enhance learning. Visiting European institutions in Brussels will contribute to participants' understanding of European identity.3) learning from the hikeParticipants collaboratively create e-books, magazine, games to document their learning experience and to be used for future teaching and learning.Pupils will be active in planning, implementing and disseminating activities and products, which will foster entrepreneurship. Pupils will also take responsibility for parts of the Twinspace as pupil administrators.Those three steps will repeat for Hike 1-3. Hike 4 will be planned by pupils after thorough research about Brussels and be based on what pupils have learned during the first three exchanges.In addition to short-term exchanges of groups of pupils three short-term staff training activities will help schools to stay innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Each of the participating schools will host a training activity, according to their special expertise, outdoor learning, CLIL, digital learning with eTwinning.

"Covering 72 percent of the Earth and supplying half its oxygen, the ocean supports the greatest abundance of life on our planet. It regulates the climate, absorbs carbon dioxide, holds 97% of Earth’s water, produce half of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere and absorb 25 percent of CO2emissions.However our oceans are under thread from pollution(oil spills or marine litter)and illegal fishing to climate change.To protect our ecosystems and their biodiversity we will follow EU ""Marine Strategy framework Directive"".In accordance with this we want to protect and manage our seas and oceans taking individual responsibility in a sustainable way by 2020.Our title"" LET US SAIL TOGETHER"" refers to the participants of six partner schools, living by the sea, sail on the route of their destinations and explore different coasts of the partner schools, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea,Marmara Sea, Adriatic Sea,Atlantic Ocean and find out solutions to the marine environment problems by doing scientific research and produce concrete resuls and digital outputs by using 21st Century skills and digital competencies. Benchmarking will be our main methodology. Participants will prepare reports and presentations before, during and after the LTTs.They will benchmark the reports and see the weak and strong points of each partner, share their good practices and make a common analysis.Totally 115 students and 65 teachers will be involved in LTTs. 2000 participants will benefit from our project in local basis and not receiving a grant.As per the needs analysis made among our partners we all have ELET,(Early Leavers)and disadvantaged students in common who will be our main target group. In EU 2020 target, ELET ratio is intended to be decreased to 10%.Researches show that people who leave school early and get poor education, decrease life standards in that country,lead unemployment, bring huge public costs.Our main objective is to help our schools decrease the number of ELET and help disadvantaged students from different backgrounds with different learning pace to give them the ""sense of belonging"" to school and get them involved in learning process.As our students' source of income comes from the seas our project will draw their attention, a positive climate will be created and their attachment to school will be maintained.In this direction to open the doors of education to the disadvantage groups and to tackle ELET, we will use digital technologies, too which is one of the 2020 goals of EC 2020 target to prepare them for the digital society.To enhance digital integration in LTTAs we will follow EU Digital Education Action Plan to make better use of digital technology for teaching and learning. We will conduct European Commission Selfie tool to test how digital our schools are. Also Europass platform will be used, where ""Digitally-Signed Qualifications"" can be stored and shared.Our project from beginning to the end includes huge entrepreneurship of the students and teachers team-work. LTTs are the main focus of the project.At the beginning we have planned an online teachers meeting which is a base for the rest of the six short term exchange of pupils where the teachers will have experience on how to; struggle and tacke with ELET;raise key competences and basic skills of pupils in the light of 21st Century skills(listed in World Economic Forum);boost digital competences of pupils and how to protect our oceans. Having taken instructive seminars on the related issues they will try to find out solutions by exchanging good practices and especially will maintain awareness and motivate pupils for the upcoming LTT activities.Thematic workshops and activities that included practical exercises,dramas, public service ads, researches, presentations will raise participants’ awareness on marine environment,promote development of various skills, changed behaviors towards environment and become motivated to share their knowledge with others. Learning by doing, hands-on and cross curricular activities, peer learning stem, trainings in outdoor settings, team workshops, laboratory analysis ,field studies, presentations, invitation of experts, cooperation with universities and GNOs will be among our activities.Final results of the project will be the presentation of common products Augmented Hybrid Book; ""SAVE OUR WATERS SAVE OUR PLANET"" and Public Service Ads; ""TOWARDS THE LIMITLESS BLUE"" during the Final Carnival which will be presented to the local community. Promotion of marine environmental protection in the future will be used as a sustainable resource material for the teachers and it can also be adapted to teachers' lessons as a teaching material about their own subjects.In their life after school our students will be the sensitized citizens of Europe who will fight against ocean pollution and create consciousness for their environment for the healthy, clean and productive seas."