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Description
The project develops institutional cooperation between schools in Levice and Fredrikstad. The need of schools in the post-covid period is IVT innovation linked to "green topics" using new methods and technologies, development of key competencies for the 21st century, sustainable development. The project grant will be used in the partner school to build a wind and water generator and solar panels, in Slovakia to set up a SmartLab powered by solar energy. The project will increase vocational, digital, environmental, social competencies of pupils and teachers and integrate new technologies into education bringing it closer to the real life. Except students and teachers the wider community will also benefit from it. The donor partner will contribute with experience in robotics, 3D printing, health and social care, school management. Both schools have agreed to integrate the principles of gender equality and social inclusion into the planning and implementation of the project at all stages. They will ensure an adequate number of girls and women, pupils with individual educational needs as well as pupils from socially disadvantaged areas in the total number of project participants in accordance with their number in the school community. All students will have equal access to innovations in education to develop their competencies, and equal opportunities in the transparent selection of participants for study visits to Slovakia and Norway. Minorities and pupils with other ethnicities will gain new knowledge and feel included because they will be given opportunities they normally not get. The School is situated in a County with powerty and a low degree of education, and by travelling all the different groups of pupils will gain knowledge that will make them more open minded towards other cultures. There is a need for more gender equality within these proffesions and the project aims to show the girls why these proffesions are atractive also for them.
Summary of project results
We have experienced time delays during the implementation of the project both in our school and in the Norwegian partner. Our school implemented with delays the Eco Days activity in our school (capacity reasons) and the building of the SmartLab (lengthy VO process). The Norwegian partner was delayed in the implementation of the enviro seminars and workshops and the building of the technical components of the project - turbines and solar collectors. The reasons cited were organizational constraints - high and frequent sickness of students and teachers, busyness in completing other projects postponed due to pandemic C-19, changes in school management. In both schools, we have eliminated this risk as far as possible through regular communication and monitoring, continuous evaluation of the project progress during the pupils'' and teachers'' exchange visits, so that by 30.4.2024 we have completed and implemented all planned activities.
Based on the feedback from the project participants, their parents, cooperating companies in both schools, we can say that we are very satisfied with the implementation of the project. It was not easy for us to create a project corresponding to the requirements of the educational component in the SGS 02 call, so we are very happy that we succeeded and received the grant in the full amount requested. Thanks to it, we were able to procure new technologies (Smart Lab, turbines) that will improve the quality of vocational education in both schools, and which we would not have been able to buy from our own resources. We have created many learning materials with an emphasis on green technologies and sustainable development (study texts, worksheets, 3-language vocational dictionary) that will enrich the teaching in different subjects.
What has this project given us? It has enriched all participants both professionally and humanly. We learned more about green technologies and sustainable development principles, we enriched our curriculum thanks to professional study materials. Excursions, seminars, workshops with experts brought us closer to real life. We have improved our digital and foreign language skills. Thanks to study visits we got to know our schools, cities, countries and overall different lifestyles better.
On the human side, we were enriched with new contacts and friendships, we got to know our schools, cities, countries better. Thanks to various activities in mixed teams we developed soft skills - especially tolerance, empathy, self-esteem and assertiveness, presentation skills.
We improved our skills in managing a large international project, teamwork, interpersonal communication, time management, leadership. An important side benefit of our project cooperation is undeniably the improvement of the public image of both schools and the increase of our attractiveness for ninth graders and their parents for further studies.
Summary of bilateral results
Thanks to the project, we found a great Norwegian partner with "the same blood type", with whom we understood each other from the very beginning, shared similar principles and found the same goals. Over time, our professional working contact turned into a friendship and a pleasant collegial relationship. We shared our views and experiences with each other, which created a good basis for future cooperation in future projects.