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Description
The project "Well, I really want to be an entrepreneur!" is aimed at improving skills of teachers and other educational workers in the field of STEM, ICT, entrepreneurship and working with pupils with difficulties and gifted pupils in Elementary Schools "S.S. Kranjčević ”from Levanjska Varoš,“ Antunovac ”and“ Šećerana ”. Research on educational preferences has found that there is an insufficient level of entrepreneurial skills in partner schools. Therefore, the aim of the project is to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset of teachers and other educational workers and train them to transfer acquired knowledge and skills to colleagues and students in order to reduce poverty, social and economic inequalities of pupils from involved schools.
Summary of project results
In order to understand focus on entrepreneurship, it is necessary to first look at wider picture. Partner schools are located in Osijek-Baranja County (OBC). Project Promoter is located in Municipality of Levanjska Varos, which according to the 2011 Census of the Republic of Croatia has 1,194 inhabitants. In the observed period, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 56 people in municipality have no basic education, 535 of them completed primary school, while 73 inhabitants have incomplete primary school. Economy in municipality is one of the least developed in OBC (development index 88.87, 1st development group), and agriculture is primary activity. It is similar in other two communities, Beli Manastir and Antunovac. According to Strategy for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Republic of Croatia (2014-2020), indicator of persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion for Continental Croatia is 23.9%, which is higher than the average of the Republic of Croatia. Children are at particular risk of poverty.
Report on situation in education and business OBC shows that every year number of pupils in schools is decreasing (from 115 pupils in 2011 to 43 pupils in 2021 in S.S. Kranjcevic school).
A significant issue in the Project Promoter''s area is the high proportion of the population with inadequate educational backgrounds and inactivity in the labor market, leading to a high number of social welfare recipients, a problem that persists across generations. To change the community''s landscape, comprehensive reforms are necessary, and entrepreneurship based on the available resources of the local community has been chosen as the direction for action. This range of activities aims to drive social change. To develop educational systems that become sources of societal change, we must first impact our teachers and educational workers by enhancing their entrepreneurial skills and competencies. By fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among these educators, they can work effectively with the end users—students—and ultimately influence the long-term transformation of the local community.
The purpose of the project was to create conditions for teaching and promoting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking in primary schools. Through various educational activities, including:
1. Entrepreneurship Education: Teaching the basic principles of entrepreneurship.
2. Training for Trainers “See one-Do one-Teach one”: Tailored to the specific needs of local communities, this training enabled teachers to pass on their knowledge.
3. Education on Starting and Managing Student Cooperatives: Providing both theoretical and practical knowledge on organizing and running school cooperatives.
4. Theoretical and Practical Training on School Gardens: Learning about horticulture and sustainable development through practical work in gardens.
5. Education on Adapting Work for Students with Special Educational Needs: Specialized training for working with children who have special educational needs.
Through these activities, teachers increased their competencies, knowledge, and practical skills in the fields of entrepreneurship, community sustainable development, and horticulture.
The project''s results also included enriching the school gardens in the three participating schools. The new content included garden beds serving various educational and practical purposes:
• Producing food for school kitchens
• Testing soil in biology and chemistry classes
• Preparing planting material in nature and society classes
• Learning about the importance and value of local production and short supply chains
A total of 50 teachers from the three partner schools participated in the project activities, and external experts from the fields of entrepreneurship, community work, and work with students with special educational needs were also involved in the educational activities.
The hobIT project was primarily dedicated to enhancing the competencies of teachers and other educational workers in primary schools in the areas of entrepreneurship, STEM, and active citizenship. After more than 170 hours of various educational sessions involving 50 teachers from three participating primary schools, teaching materials were created by the project participants and experts from partner organizations. These new teaching materials will contribute to the sustainability of the project''s results and have a long-term impact by providing a foundation for transferring the acquired knowledge and skills beyond the included schools and the communities in which these schools operate.
Results:
• Three primary schools from rural communities were included in project activities.
• Successful collaboration was established with the partner institution, The College for Green Development from Norway.
• Successful connections with the academic community were achieved through partnerships with the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences in Osijek and cooperation with the Faculty of Economics.
• Through the project''s partnerships and collaborations, the schools also connected with other organizations, institutions, and foundations (CF Slagalica, Croatian Union of Student Cooperatives, Klikeraj Association).
• A total of 50 teachers and other educational workers participated in the educational programmes.
• A total of 173 hours of educational sessions were organized and conducted.
• The Training for Trainers programme was successfully completed by 11 teachers.
• Three school horticultural gardens with raised beds were created and equipped.
• An Extracurricular Activity Curriculum for Entrepreneurship has been developed.
• Nine lesson plans for STEM block classes with integrated entrepreneurial competencies have been developed.
• A handbook on school horticultural gardens has been developed.
• Recommendations for working with students with special educational needs have been created
• A new school cooperative "Antuntun" has been established.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral partnership with The College for Green Development from Norway ensured the transfer of knowledge, skills, and methodologies in the field of innovative entrepreneurship to teachers from the partner schools who participated in the educational activities.The partner was involved in the preparation and implementation of the "See one-Do one-Teach one" Training for Trainers, creating the conditions for the transfer of skills and competencies during and after the project''s completion.The transfer of skills was achieved through the partner''s mentoring support and the Teach one cycle, during which 10 trainers organized and conducted demonstration exercises for other educational teachers, specifically representatives from other primary school institutions. In addition to the results in knowledge transfer, the partner also provided new teaching materials for "See one-Do one-Teach one" which were translated into Croatian and adapted to the national context. These materials can be used even after the project''s conclusion, further contributing to the project''s impact and ensuring additional transfer of knowledge and positive practices from Norway.