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Description
The basic thought of the project was to get to know another school of a similar type, its educational system and to compare practical education of specialized subjects in gastronomy. The project in Czech Republic is mainly meant for vocational classes of the study branches chef, waiter and confectioner. These branches are often an ignored part of Czech educational system and so it''s important to support students from this environment which is crucial for development of young people. It''s often more important to teach the students some attitude to work and teamwork than to require a huge amount of theoretical knowledge from them. With help of this project we can contribute to broaden young Europeans'' horizons. The Ústí nad Labem region the project promoter comes from is known for its problems (not only) in social field and investment in such regions is a priority.
This project will also help to motivate disadvantaged students and their teachers. Comparing of two different environments which have a common interest - gastronomy - is a pillar of this project. During four reciprocal visits an interregional, intercultural and education programme will be created. Students are going to get acquainted with the cuisine of another country. The teachers are going to visit lessons in Czech and Norwegian school. Because they will mainly be vocational trainers they are going to focus on specialized subject which lead to gain qualification in the study branches chef, waiter and confectioner. In the donor country the students are going to deal with a foreign language and this language barrier can be minimized thanks to good food. Through experiencing a foreign environment and gaining the Europass mobility they will have a better chance to enter the world of work after finishing the project.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to give apprentices in the field of chef, waiter, and confectioner the opportunity to get to know the school of the same focus that they attend. These pupils do not have equal starting conditions, they are socially disadvantaged, they need to be supported and motivated to continue their studies. Fluctuation in these fields is high, and another goal of the project was to reduce the dropout of students from the field. The recipient''s school is from the Ústí Region, which has a long history of very poor educational results, especially in academic fields where children end up with limited opportunities. That is why it is important to support these children, and this has been done without exception. Only the students of the first and second years went out, so that the perseverance and enthusiasm they gained during the project would last them into the next years of study. The project was therefore very necessary in terms of supporting pupils with limited opportunities. So the benefit was enormous. Pupils who had never flown on a plane, never been abroad, never sailed on a ferry, never sailed on a ship, suddenly found themselves in situations they could not imagine before. On the contrary, when working in the school kitchen and practicing manual skills, it turned out that they can quickly get involved in the processes that take place in the workplace. There are the same actions, the same tools everywhere, this helped them integrate quickly and they were happy that their work was going well. The selection of pupils was fair, and from a longer-term point of view it will be good if others try so that they can also go somewhere, learn something somewhere, see a foreign country, etc. Thanks to social networks, we had a daily report of what is happening in Norway, we have well-set stories on IG, which influenced a lot of other students who would not have learned about the opportunity to travel otherwise. Therefore, they are motivated for the future, they know the transparent selection criteria and can try it. At the same time, they will stay in our industry because this experience, when they experience otherness, but at the same time find out that it is not that different, cannot be replaced by anything
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian school was a perfect partner who solved everything with us, wanted to participate during the project and was willing to help with the administration.