Last year we apllied appropriation for 50 students of our school to give them theopportunity to do an internship abroad. On grounds of personal and organisationalproblems there were just 26students who decided to take this opportunity. In octoberwe sent 20female and 6 male participants aged 18-27 to different partners all overEurope to do an internship lasting 6 weeks. There they should on one hand enhancetheir interdisciplinary and inclusive pedagogical skills and on the other hand learn tocompare different educational systems. Back in Rostock our students took part inthree reflection days at our school. On these days they could compare note with eachother and present their experiences to other students and teachers. Most of thestudents seemed really excited and found the internship enriching and commandable.On the first day the students came together in small groups of three to discuss theirexperiences and to present their institutions. The following two days were filled withgroup presentations shown by the students, where they could tell other students andteachers about their impressions. All in all the presentations were really informativeand showed that the students made great experiences. They even inspired newstudents to take the opportunity next year as well and furthermore gave teachers newideas for further lessons.

The students taking part in work placements within the EU are young women and men who do their first practical training at our training college for educators. Those students chosen who are thought to have the neccessary skills to achieve their training objective and who due to their outstanding committment and responsibility seem suitable. They are highly motivated to broaden their horizons by attending an establishment within the EU and accept additional work and more demanding standards.At the outset the teachers inform the students about the EU work placement. Then the students who have done such a work placement in the past give a presentation on their experience to interested students. These will apply for a EU work placement and are selected at a conference.The selected students will take part in obligatory meetings in which they will be carefully prepared for their EU work placements. They receive folders containing assignments which are designed to help students orientated themselves tin their new environment abroad. The students need to apply at the institution of their choice themselves, take care of accomodation and coverage of insurances, must fill in forms and pass them on to the institution they will be working with. Moreover, a language course is obligatory.Before the departure there will be a special preparation for the students on work placement. Abroad they are required to write weekly emails to their support teacher about their impressions and experiences. Additionally, students will discuss pedagogical matters with their placement advisors once a week. The support teacher of our school will visit the institution abroad for a couple of days and attend as a guest from time to time, will join an activity planned by the student and evaluate it afterwards with the student and placement advisor. Back in Germany, there will be a follow-up giving students the chance to evaluate and document their experiences. Afterwards the students will finish off their presentations, before they are delivered to students in their first year.The students will also publish a text on their experience on our school website and will be available to answer questions concerning an EU work placement should they arise. Finally, they will fill in forms to give some feedback and send it to the lead partner in charge in Bonn.Students doing an EU work placement can benefit greatly in terms of their professional qualifications and on a personal level as well. Students accustomed to the situational approach common in Germany will come across institutions in other EU countries with a tightly organized pre-school routine. In contrast to Germany, the support teachers abroad are usually highly qualified academics. Also the way teachers, parents and children interact is markedly different. Students have the chance to experience how the given cultural and sociopolitical reality of a country influences the values taught to children. Also the learning climate found in institutions as well as existing rules and rituals offen differ from those in Germany.Students can also benefit greatly by learning to cope in an unfamiliar environment, especially in terms of their self-confidence. In most cases the experience also helps them to become more aware of issues like interculturalism, integration and inclusion. In recent years, it has become obvious how the experience also boosted the students‘ motivation for their practical training in general and resulted in more active participation in class.Experiences which trigger a deeper emotional response and are also evaluated tend to have a lasting impact. Positive experiences in which individuals become aware of their competence often enable them to tackle future challenges which will in turn help them to advance even further on a personal level. Furthermore, being better qualified and good language skills will help students find a job of their choice in the future.

Project SummaryFor the past years the management of the child care centres of the church districts in the western part of Hamburg and in the region of Südholstein (Kirchenkreis Hamburg-West/Südholstein) have observed a significant increase of children of migrants. To facilitate a peaceful coexistence of all cultures and establish equal opportunities for all children it is vital that their education and training are both based on a common language and understanding. Especially during the early childhood education it is essential to use language as the lowest common denominator to bridges to all cultural differences and in doing so, to maintain and guarantee the basis for a healthy exchange and communication beyond all cultural barriers. Such an educational agenda requires a reevaluation of the pedagogical acting and thinking of all teachers involved in the early childhood education. The aim of this project is to provide learning experiences to the staff by visiting European cities so that they can understand the diverse cultural and social life in these cities - an aspect that is usually neglected in the conventional work with migrant families. The project wants to encourage the teachers to broaden their horizon in order to gain new impulses for their work within the child care centres in Hamburg. Through the exchange programs they will experience the elements what it means to be foreign in daily life and the stages of familiarization. While feeling alien in the initial stages they should succeed in getting used to the unfamiliar surroundings and consequentially dismantle communication barriers.

Every year, the PKR sends app. 50 students in the framework of European proposals abroad. These first year students on the way to becoming state approved educators are taking advantage of an internship in one of the European partner countries. The six week internship takes place in an early childhood organization (i.e. kindergarten, pre-school etc.) in England, Spain, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, Portugal, Austria et. al. The aim is to develop and strengthen the students intercultural abilities and to incorporate these abilities into the students' vocational training after their return. Therefore, it is part and parcel of PKR'S vocational training. During the internship the students are monitored by their mentors in their kindergartens et.al. . A member of PKR'S Team Abroad visits them in order to deal with questions and problems and also to strengthen the contact between sending and receiving organiziation. After their return, the students take part in an extensive reflexion period. Apart from this program where the PKR functions as the sending partner, we also take part in the program as a receiving partner for Leeds College students who participate in an internship in kindergartens in Rostock.

Students who complete the six semesters of training as a state-recognized educator at the Technical School of the Foundation “Sozialpädagogisches Institut Walter May” at the same time acquire an international profile upon conclusion of the training. It is planned that the optional participation in an internship in a foreign country, which is recognized by the Senate Administration of Berlin within the framework of the training, will last the full 5th semester. This offers the chance for the students to experience working in another culture and, thus, provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of day to day cultural phenomena through working with children and their parents in a theory-based and increasingly methodical way In accordance with the German qualification framework (DQR) full-time students studying to become state-recognized educators gain the competencies of level 6 (DQR/ EQR). This level encompasses, among others, competencies that are characterized by complexity and frequent variation and requires competence in taking action, which can be better trained when educators in training are confronted with challenging situations, develop epistemic interests, and can continually reflect on their actions.Training for the educator profession, where as a matter of course there is contact with children and their families from a various cultural traditions, must focus on the cultural sensitivity and interaction with diversity and biases. Giving young people the opportunity of an internship in a foreign country during their training opens a cultural experience to them that provides a singular opportunity in preparation of their profession. In addition to gaining (inter)cultural competence, foreign language skills, at least that of the country chosen, at the same time are also broadened. Both the cultural knowledge and language abilities as well as the experience in another country increase chances in the labour market and, in addition, the educators interest in increased professional mobility to a foreign country. In total, it is projected that between June 2015 and May 2017 25 full-time students in educator training will participate in the project. All project participants/students within the framework of the Erasmus Plus Mobility Project take part in an internship within the context of early childhood education and care. Generally the institutions involved are kindergartens, but in part also primary schools or the after-school care associated therewith including relevant tasks such as preparation of daily and special activities, project work, early education (including in the language area), observation/documentation, and parent/family work.The cooperation partners of our school, where this practical phase is conducted, are German foreign schools (including day care centres and pre-schools) with multi-cultural bilingual concepts. Continuous cooperation already exists with these or is being sought. Students can choose from a large pool of foreign schools based on their interests and thereafter proceed through a structured application process on the basis of an individually designed application. The internship itself is supported continuously by the organisations in Germany and abroad, flanked by working with a learning platform, and upon return is evaluated and presented during the Welcome Back Weeks. The results are published within the Foundation SPI and the partnership schools.In summary, it is the goal of this Erasmus Plus Mobility Project "Educator Training with an International Profile" to enable participants to gain experience with the unfamiliar. From this they gain insight into the range of possible lifestyles and in the context of their work in a social education environment learn strategies, concepts, and methods for the coexistence of different cultures and nationalities, whereby the acquisition of an orientation geared toward diversity and an attitude conscious of bias is a goal. The project presents the opportunity for sustainably acquiring this competence together with a strengthening of responsibility, independence, and professional confidence through the internship in a foreign country over several months. Ultimately, the goals sought to be achieved particularly in these times of personal shortage in this profession, are to have expert graduates who are ready to meet the challenges of a multi-cultural, ever-changing society and who are able to work with children and youth from all backgrounds as part of the educator profession.