"Cultural heritage - European unity and individuality is a project which aim is to raise among young people the awareness of the importance of their nationality, cultural, historical and language individuality as well as being part of community and feeling united in Europe. The aim of the project is also to gain an ability to connect knowledge from different subjects: History, Geography and Culture with foreign language and interpesonal competences. The project will teach to look at one thing from many different perspectives. Working within international groups will let participants present their knowledge, find common and different elements of our cultures and cultural heritage as well as develop social and interpersonal skills. Contact with peers from other countries will be priceless experience and effective way to fight stereotypes. Another aim of this project is to use the newest communication methods and to learn to create modern multimedia presentations. Young people from schools in Poland, Italy and Romania will take part in the project and this partnership is a result of eTwinning cooperation - creating vision of the project together and setting common priorities. Three groups of ten students and three teachers from each country will be directly involved in the project. The subject, planned activities and participants coming from culturally and historically different countries will create innovative factors of the project. The project will last 24 months and it will start on 1st November 2017. The project with start with an international meeting of teachers from each country in Poland when the detailed timetable and other arrangements will be discussed. There are going to be three international meetings all together - in Poland, Romania and Italy. All of them will be aimed at planning, project management, evaluation and analysis of project work. Four students visits are planned for the time of the project: in Poland, Romania, Italy and again in Poland. During these visits participants will have a chance to get to know each country, take part in sightseeing excursions, culinary workshops, meetings with experts and lectures. Each students visit will have its own unique atmosphere. Spending time together participants will have a chance to improve their English and make new friends. Inbetween the students visits many different kinds of activities are planned which will be held individually in each project country and then participants will share the results of their work, presentations, conclusions and opinions during video conferences. Among these activities there are: video conferences titled ""What I am proud of in my country"", ""Listen to what stereotypes say about you"" and ""A tourist in Italy""; lectures; international groups projects; meetings with experts. More students, teachers and local people will take part in these activities. The project will be very beneficial for participants, teachers and other people in Poland, Romania and Italy that will be involved in the project. However the project will influence the participants themselves the most. They will learn how to combine knowledge from different subjects. They will learn how to shape and express their opinions. They will gain new knowledge and develop certain skills like: speaking English, creating modern multimedia presentations and public speaking. At the end of the project participants will get Europass document which will prove their knowledge, skills and competences. The project will also influence many more people who will have a chance to get to know the results of the project in local media and on different websites. The project will have many long-term results for example: innovative multimedia presentations which will be useful in future lessons of different subjects: History, Geography, Culture and English; new educational materials; videos; posters and a guidebook titled ""With a young tourist's eyes"" which is planned to be created and published during the project in Polish, Romanian, Italian and English."

Our point to start this study is the European Year of Cultural Heritage, we decided to create the project which aims at promoting and raising awareness of Europe's cultural heritage among pupils aged 7-11.“European Cultural Heritage to Develop LITERACY SKILLS” project comprises schools from 5 European Countries –The UK, Romania, Turkey, Italy and Poland.The project is based on the needs which were identified by all the partners. The most important ones include the need to reduce students' tendency to stay withdrawn and introverted as well as the need to overcome aggressive and antisocial behaviour and to increase cultural knowledge and emphasise the meaning of freedom of thought and speech. It is our aim to provide students with the essential knowledge that will enable them to integrate into a multi-ethnic society and we also want to encourage interest for self-development and make the schools' curriculum more international.The project also aims at promoting the European cultural heritage among our students in the form of a link between things that fascinate children and the need to get them to improve their success at school. Stories will stand for a key element by means of which students’ interest in the project topic will be raised in a safe way and that is why they will be motivated to take part in the project activities. It is students’ nature to love stories, fairy tales and myths. Stories have been created to pass universal values and show the world in an enjoyable and memorable way. They will help develop children's creativity, imagination, empathy, respect, tolerance and appreciation for people from different countries and cultures.Our goals include:– developing literacy competencies and creativity of students from 5 European schools– improving awareness of similarities and differences of 5 European cultures– increasing students' willingness to express their thoughts and feelings– encouraging using the storytelling technique in all fields of the curriculumTo attain the project goals, we plan to carry out the following activities which are based on the VARK model and address all types of learners:-visual learners: logo, Erasmus+ corners digital stories, questionnaires, bookmarks and wrist bands-aural learners: group discussions, chat on the Facebook platform and eTwinning Platform, exchanges of emails.-read/write learners: presentations (PowerPoint), scripts for Puppet plays, stories for the magazines, dictionary, brochures, flyers.-kinaesthetic learners: carnival, materials made during the Stories Arts & Crafts workshops.The above-mentioned activities will motivate our students to succeed at school and it will involve students from migrant backgrounds; we also will strengthen the collaboration schools-families and schools-external stakeholders.50 teachers who will increase their awareness of the importance of adjusting teaching materials to different learning styles represent the direct target group. Students, families and local communities tend for the indirect target groups.The tangible results we plan to include:-questionnaires-the project logo-Erasmus+ corners-presentations of the partner schools, cities and countries-presentations of national legends, fairy tales, stories and myths-Five digital stories-One exhibition promoting the materials made at the Stories Arts & Crafts workshops-Five scripts for 5 Puppet plays-One thematic carnival (with the characters from the stories, fairytales, myths, etc.)-dictionary-Two project magazines-10 lesson plans-Three project webpages-promotional materials: bookmarks, flyers, wrist bands-the project e-brochure-the project DVD- the exhibition of all materials during the final mobility in Poland The project methodology aims at producing teaching materials that will increase teachers' motivation to use digital and non-digital innovative practices, enhance their teaching methods promoting literature and help pupils to develop the key competencies useful for living in multicultural societies. Due to the activities, social cohesion will be fostered by developing literacy skills, creativity, innovation, ICT skills, social-cultural competences, civic spirit, intercultural skills and competency-based learning.The project website will include the project results that everybody will be able to access and download for free. The dissemination plan will reach a larger audience and it will make an impact on a local, regional, national and international levels.

During the period 1 September 2018-31 August 2021, five European schools will work together to implement the School Exchange partnership ”Get in Shape for Europe” (GISE). The duration of the project was extended by one year due to the pandemic.THE PARTNER SCHOOLS ARE: -The High School ”Stefan Procopiu” (Vaslui, Romania)-coordinator -Foreign Language School (Pleven, Bulgaria)-partner -5th General Senior High School of Aigaleo (Aigaleo, Greece)-partner -The High School of Economics and Gastronomy (Tarnów, Poland)-partner -I.I.S. E. Majorana-A. Cascino (Piazza Armerina, Enna, Italy)-partner The target groups for the implementation of project activities are the teachers and students aged 14 to 19.PROJECT GOAL: Promote democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion and active citizenship and equip students and teachers with the information and skills needed to become informed and involved European citizens.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: O1-to develop, by August 2021, for pupils in 5 European schools, social, civic and intercultural competences, by promoting democratic values and fundamental rights, inclusion and non-discrimination, active citizenship O2-to develop, by August 2021, for pupils in 5 European schools of critical thinking about the use of the Internet, mass-media and social networks as a weapon against discrimination and manipulation O3-the exchange of experiences, best practices, methods and tools between teachers from 5 European schools on the development of social, civic and intercultural competences and facilitating their integration into schools activity O4–institutional development of partner schools through the exchange of experiences, methods, tools and good practices on the development of social, civic and intercultural competences and the management of European projects by supporting and strengthening European cooperation RESULTS AND IMPACTThe main tangible results of the GISE project are:a) 5 transnational learning, teaching and training activities for teachers and 5 transnational learning, teaching and training activities for students (109 mobilities for teachers and 159 mobilities for students)c) 5 European clubs set up at the level of each partner school with 93 teachers and 296 studentsd) about 500 activities at local level (over 1000 students participated)e) 7 brochures and over 150 materials (presentations, videos, digital resources, reports, questionnaires, etc.)f) dissemination tools: newsletters, articles, posts on social networks, logo, poster, website, leaflet, Twinspace on eTwinning, dissemination activitiesIntangible results of the project:a)Students developed knowledge about democratic values, fundamental rights, active European citizenship, nondiscrimination, hate speech and freedom of expression, fake news and media manipulation and disinformation, European rights, about the EU, about partner countries culture and civilization . Also, students developed Literacy comptences, Personal, social and learning to learn comptences, Citizenship comptences, Cultural awarenses and expression comptences, Multilingual comptences, Digital comptences.b) The teachers improved their knowledge about the approached topics, developed pedagogical skills and enriched skills in designing and implementing learning activities centered on the project’s topics, knowledge and skills regarding the design and implementation of the European project, practical skills (eg planning and organizing, project management, etc.), have developed civic, social and intercultural skills.c)Both teachers and students developed new positive attitudes towards cultural and linguistic diversity, positive attitude toward oneself and others, awareness of one's own attitude towards other ethno-linguistic groups, increasing motivation for new activities and projects, increasing self confidence.d) At each level, a group of teachers with improved skills and competencies has been formed regarding the design and implementation of ERASMUS partnerships, which is an asset for European cooperation and for the design of new projects in the context of the new ERASMUS 2021-2027 program.Our project contributed to the implementation of the European policies mentioned in the documents (such as Europe Strategy 2020, Paris Declaration, Proposal for a Council recommendation-17 January 2018) aiming to promote a fair, democratic and inclusive society. A key factor in achieving this strategy is the social, civic and intercultural competences that foster inclusion. We discovered that here is a need for activities and projects that will make Europeans fall back in love with Europe again. School and education has an important role to play in promoting the common European values enshrined in the EU Treaty, values that are a prerequisite for creating a socially coherent society.

The project will develop the theme of the discovery of a common historical and cultural background, to be traced in still existing castles and fortifications in the regions of each partner school taking part in the project.The idea is to carry out the project in different steps. The first step is aimed at establishing a contact between le scuole dei paesi partecipanti. It is thought of using social networks to favour contact among students and teachers of all partner schools, a virtual place where all participants could introduce themselves, their schools and our areas. In this way they could easily get into contact and lay the basis of their future cooperation.Moving over to following step, each school will choose one(or two)historical buildings (a castle or a fortification) belonging to the year span between the years 1000 and 1500. The students will carry out researches on 1.the life in the castle (who used to live in, how people used to )2.legends and folklore ( discover legendsa, myths and other relevant aspect of folklore related to the castles )3.the historical period (its main events, how did the area look like back then, why was the castlebuilt, by whom, etc) 4.the structure of the castle, its main features, size (and maybe create a glossary of the technical vocabulary concerning castles and fortifications),etcThe students will then have to develop the results of this research in a multimedia file (a simple slide-share will be ok), which will be shared with all partner schools.Once this work is completed and all the schools have received the partner school’s multimedia file. The next phase, which will consist in the study and analysis of the materials shared by means of common grids that will guide each partner school in the comparison and highlighting of any common historical/cultural background.The exchange phase will take place at the end of the reasarch phase, with each school visiting the other partner schools. Each host school will prepare a guided tour for the visitors, during which the students will collect materials (pictures, videos, etc.) that will be useful in the following step.In the last step the students of each school will have to design creatively a 3D model of a “European” castle, which will blend different structures and features typical of the different castles they have visited.

"With regard to an extremely difficult economic situation in Europe (high unemployment rate in particular of youngsters e.g. in Spain) and to the lack of professional orientation in secondary schools (students & employers complain a lack of essential skills required on the labour market, high drop-out rate in apprenticeships & universities), we promoted in this project the sense of entrepreneurship and initiative: we made students the real actors in the framework of a ""Tourism advertising agency"". Tourism is economically the most important sector worldwide (share of the global economic output approx. 9.3 %). As an economic industry tourism creates a multiplier effect and offers about 230 millions jobs world-wide in different fields: mobility, hotel industry, entertainment and other service providers.The number of tourists is nowadays about 1,3 milliard (1950: 50 million) and will increase in the future (thanks to mobility, Internet etc.).But on the other hand tourism is a sector that contributes enormously to the destruction of resources (forests, water),to the increasing emission of CO2 and climate change. The incrusion into unspoiled landscape leads to a threat of biodiversity and cultural identity.Students are an important target group in terms of tourism today and tomorrow. We prepared them to behave as customers aware of environmental/social cognition & behaviour and considering the consequences of their acting. They discovered the natural and cultural richness of their areas and promoted it to young people all over Europe. Our areas were all less known in terms of tourism. Young people developed marketing ideas for peers that play an inferiour role in sustainable, regional tourism. Our project was carried out transnationally because tourism is an international business with a growing demand for international destinations and tourism agencies are often international enterprises. Protecting the environment is a global affair as well. Only international cooperation provided the opportunity to reduce the emission of CO2 and the waste of resources on a world wide scale. During the project term, we established a multinational ""Tourism advertising agency"" that was based on the commitment to the ""three-pillar-system of sustainability"": our products/services were in line with the insight that economic performance, social/cultural responsibility and protection of the natural environment are inseparable. European youngsters developed a sense of active citizenship and entrepreneurial thinking while acting in a ""Tourism advertising agency"". The promotion of entrepreneurship was a great need in all five partner schools in Sweden, Poland, Germany, Spain and Turkey.This project was brought to life through an intensive cooperation with NGO's,tourism management offices and ""green"" entreprises (e.g. in the field of ecological agriculture & forestry) at a local and regional level.Due to their Expertise, our students learnt practically about tourism management and developed the promotional design of the tourism brochures.These leaflets promoted - with the view to youngsters - the treasures of the very different areas in which our partner schools are located: from the north of Europe (Sweden) to the center (Poland, Germany),the southwest (Spain) and the southeast of Europe (Turkey). Our schools have developed environmental and ICT competences which were connected to entrepreneurial thinking in this project. The students created collaboratively a mobile application and web site ""Youngtourism.com"" which are important tools to reach this generation. The mobile application contained general information,services, activities,maps,networks etc. In terms of the current importance of ""e-tourism"" these digital ways of promotion are future-orientated and helped to increase the digital competences of our students.These tools will be in use after the completion of the project. IThe tourism brochures are used in schools during multidisciplinary activities (geography, natural sciences, solcial studies, languages etc.) and in preparation of local school excursions. They were offered to local & regional marketing offices in order to disseminate the impact of regional tourism and to arouse European youngster's interest for the local areas. By promoting regional tourism, competences in foreign languages were promoted.The eTwinning platform played an essential role in our project: During the four learning meetings (exploration of the area and creation of promotional ideas) & the periods in-between, the participants of the project (students, teachers&stakeholders) exchanged their results concerning tourism and the design of the tourism brochures.They used this platform for ICT activities & networking.All in all, the outcomes and results as well as the feedback given by all different participants of the project show the fantastic success of our project. (https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=5kQ9AGP7TLY)"