International Cooperation for European education

Background Our project aimed at increasing the interest of young people in the European integration and European issues. In Poland, due to changes in the curriculum European issues and values were not and are still not considered as very important and meaningful anymore. European topics, usually reduced and not showing the whole picture, are brought up occasionally within just few school subjects. Since European education is limited to youth work the scope of European integration related topics has decreased in recent years. More often than not, school curriculum, not only in Poland, is mostly full of factual knowledge, which prompts young people to focus rather on memorizing data than understanding processes, rules, ideas about the EU institutions or history of European integration. With our partners from Romania and Germany we therefore set on a quest to find a way to catch the interest of young people and encourage them to take up individual effort and further explore European values, take interest in current European issues. Objectives Our objectives: A. to increase awareness and knowledge of young people (mostly students of primary and secondary schools) on EU and their countries as active EU Member States, B. to support educators and youth workers in improving the quality of European education by introducing them to new working methods and tools, transnational cooperation and exchange of good practices, C. to set up discussions on European issues in interesting and comprehensible format for young addressee by showing these issues in a broader context (within different subjects taught at schools, extracurricular activities and out of school youthwork), D. to build the network of local authorities, educators and youth workers to develop European education and thus improve the quality of the formal and non-formal education system in response to the challenges of today, E. to contribute to the development of intercultural dialogue, internalization of European values, better acquaintanceship between Europeans. Implementation Two training courses for educators and youth workers as well as one blended mobility for youth were organized. We have facilitated educators and youth workers exchanging of experience, identify common challenges and create a manual with new material and good practices. Young people were involved as well, sharing their values, view of European Union and pointing out European issues interesting for them. Due to Covid-19 epidemics our schedule was delayed and turned around a bit, cooperation with educators/youth workers as well as young people was often digital. Participants were involved in creating the programme and also led some parts of it. We were mindful to use interactive methods, even more so with online activities. Achievements All activities, along with work of one group of educators in each country coooperating locally, led to creation of a Manual of European education. Our main result is therefore a produce of: - partners cooperating locally with educators, youth workers and young people - three trilateral meetings where results of local work was presented, needs and experiences compared, frame for the manual sketched and new tools tested - compilation of materials in a publication (the manual) Our new resource for European education was disseminated in all three countries, amongst youth workers and teachers. It serves as an inspiration for educators to enhance the understanding of the EU, create new interest of young people, motivate critical approach and therefore also willingness of young people to participate in democratic and civic life of the European community. We have organised multiplier events, not only presenting the manual but evoking discussion on the state of European education, European values and possibilities of bringing the EU closer to young people.