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Description
Primary school of Mijat Stojanovic is located in rural area that is ranked in first group of underdevelopment index. Because of the absence of necessary infrastructure such as sports hall, students have limited resources for extracurricular activities. That is why it is important to enable extracurricular activities such as Technical culture club, Young scientists club and Volunteer club. Project „Capabilities of a smart village“ will empower 14 teachers and other school employers in Primary school of Mijat Stojanović. Main goal is to encourage and promote development, to improve education skills and competences in STEM area and develop active citizenship in cooperation with mentoring school of Brundalen from the Kingdom of Norway.
Summary of project results
The Croatian educational system, in its formal elementary education, is rigid and struggles to adapt to the supply and demand of the labor market, particularly regarding the requirements of the digital market and the STEM revolution. The results of Croatian students are below average in reading, mathematics, and science.
The project "Capabilities of a Smart VIllage" enhances capacities and encourages and promotes the development and improvement of skills and competencies in STEM education and active citizenship for the employees of the leading institution, Primary School Mijat Stojanović. Through the project, the school strengthens its institutional cooperation in exchanging knowledge and best practices and improving capacities with its partner, Brundalen Elementary School from the Kingdom of Norway, in the form of mentorship. It has a direct impact on the general population of the Municipality of Babina Greda and the residents of Vukovar-Srijem County through the indirect implementation of activities with 14 employees of Primary School Mijat Stojanović and collaboration with the mentoring institution, Brundalen Elementary School.
The project aimed to improve teachers'' knowledge in the STEM field, broaden their horizons, and introduce new teaching methods. By introducing new extracurricular activities, the project seeks to offer activities for students of Primary School Mijat Stojanović in rural areas to fill their free time, given the lack of content available at the project''s inception. The project is also an opportunity to provide the primary school with additional necessary materials for work and to equip classrooms to offer students the best possible conditions for work, learning, and creativity.
As part of the project "Capabilities of a Smart Village," four educational activities were conducted: Teaching with 3D Models, Educational Robotics and STEM Training, Tinker LABS, and Civic Responsibility and Life Skills. All teachers and other educational staff anticipated by the project participated in these educational activities, and interest was also sparked among some others who joined voluntarily.
Through webinars conducted by the project partner, with lecturers including employees of Brundalen School and their collaborators from other institutions, the staff of Primary School Mijat Stojanović gained insight into the working methods of the partner institution and acquired valuable knowledge that they will be able to apply in their future work.
A visit was arranged for ten educational staff members of Primary School Mijat Stojanović to Brundalen School in Trondheim, lasting five days, during which they were firsthand acquainted with the partner’s practices, the Norwegian educational system, and the cooperation the school has with other city institutions. Additionally, four mentors from Brundalen Elementary School visited for five days to observe the results of their educational efforts and practical application of the knowledge and experiences shared, which included various activities such as class visits, an Open day, lectures, and workshops. Four study trips were conducted in the Republic of Croatia, involving staff from Primary School Mijat Stojanović, where they were introduced to the practical application of STEM knowledge and skills.
Three extracurricular curricula were revised, allowing students of Primary School Mijat Stojanović to participate in them starting from the 2023/2024 school year. Equipment was purchased to facilitate and improve work in regular classes and extracurricular activities.
The entire project implementation was covered by local and foreign media, and the public could follow everything on the project''s website and social media.
Project promoter and the project partner have, through various activities, popularized and introduced STEM and active citizenship into the hard-to-reach and deprived area of rural Croatia. They ensured additional extracurricular activities for the students of Primary School Mijat Stojanović and improved the competencies of teachers in working with gifted students and in the STEM field, particularly robotics.
A portion of the project funds was spent on equipping the school: LEGO robots, equipment for the biology and chemistry classroom, 3D printer supplies (filaments), a laptop and additional equipment, and consumables for classroom and extracurricular activities were purchased. Through three new extracurricular activities (Young Technicians Club, Young Scientists Club, and Volunteer Club), and the existing Robotics activity, but with additional equipment, students will have the opportunity to participate in various workshops, fairs, and competitions that they previously had no chance to engage in.
Through study trips in Croatia and abroad, educational staff from Primary School Mijat Stojanović adopted new working methods and gained ideas on how to improve their own practices by observing examples of good practices.
The primary beneficiaries of the project will be the students of Primary School Mijat Stojanović, who will enjoy better working conditions, more skilled staff, and new activities to engage in. The staff who participated in the project have acquired valuable new knowledge and are motivated to participate in and design future projects when opportunities arise.
Summary of bilateral results
The collaboration between the primary school in Babina Greda, Republic of Croatia, and the school in Trondheim, Kingdom of Norway, has established a bilateral cooperation between these two countries. Through various activities, the transfer and exchange of experiences, knowledge, and skills, both the project promoter and the project partner benefited.Bilateral cooperation was realized through eight webinars organized by the project partner, visits by the staff of Primary School Mijat Stojanović to the partner school and vice versa, Project Team meetings, and informal communication that took place throughout the project''s duration and even after the project was concluded.Through the cooperation with the Norwegian school, the staff of the Croatian school became acquainted with a different system and methods of work, gaining ideas for improving their own practices. The partners also learned a lot from the project promoter. In the end, both sides were very satisfied with the collaboration and left open the possibility for cooperation on potential future projects.