Blended Mobility for school learners at Scoala Gimnaziala "Ion Creanga" Satu Mare
First students mobility will be organized in Satu Mare, Romania. It involves eTwinning online mobility before and after onsite mobility.
The idea is that before the on-site mobility students get to know each other on eTwinning. After on-site mobility (where students will help with organizing the Living Library), participants will find “books” among peers at their school, young people who have a positive influence on society and are different (according to the factors that the students themselves choose) from the majority of peers.
On mobility in Romania, students will discuss diversity, equality and tolerance in the first two days through different workshops. In the next two days students will prepare the final event, the implementation of the method Living library.
Within the project, students will promote Erasmus + and the project, publish pictures, recordings, impressions from the mobility and the realization of the Living Library.
All mobility participants will receive a Europass certificate.
In the first week of December, Jelena, Mia, Ljubica, Danilo, Lazar, Tara and Strahinja, accompanied by teachers Dragana and Mirjana were the guests of our school. During the 5 days, they participated together with their colleagues from Romania both in the organized workshops and in the organization and development of the central event of the week, Living Library. A big impact has the study visit during which the participants learned about extreme cases in which human rights were not respected. In their free time, students participated in various cultural activities.
We Are Different, but We Feel the Same!
The purpose of this workshop was to prevent discriminatory behavior among students and the development of positive attitudes towards themselves and those of other ethnicities as capable and valuable people, the development of empathy. Goals of the activity: 1. To develop students' social and communication skills; 2. To develop practical strategies for preventing and combating discrimination. After breaking the ice, the students competed to be the best, in the activities carried out: Say "Yes" and "No", Human Silhouettes, Portrait of the Victim and the Aggressor, Solutions for Reducing Bullying, Help Map, etc. As our volunteers are of different ages, 2 workshops were organized, one for juniors and another for middle school students.
Living Library Methodology
The next day, students participated in a new workshop on Living Library. They learned new things about the methodology of organizing the event and shared the experiences gained during the Living Library events in which they previously participated. This method created a bridge between non-formal and traditional learning, which helped the participants to understand the values of tolerance, of compassion towards the categories of vulnerable people. They have learned that discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes can irreparably affect human relationships. Goals of the activity: 1.Implementation of the Living Library method in formal education; 2.Presentation of some aspects regarding the organization of the event; 3.Organizing the Living Library event at the school.
Cultural Activitiy
After two days of work, a moment of relaxation was due. students and teachers involved in project activities participated in a program offered by the most talented students of the host school. The program also contained elements of ethos, to provide guests with an overview of local traditions. Goals of the activity: 1.Presentation of some cultural elements specific to the area where the host school is located; 2.Development of cultural skills; 3.Creating a framework for interrelationships between schoolchildren and students from Serbia.
Living Library
The central event of the week was the Living Library.Since the previous days, our volunteers have carefully prepared the necessary materials: posters, catalogs,panels, reading sheets and various accessories. With the help of the colleagues from Serbia, they prepared the rooms for "books".Everything has been prepared to offer the over 200 readers an unforgettable experience. The 18 "books" shared their stories or expertise. The offer was diversified: emigrant and returning students, volunteers, representatives of local authorities, students and adults passionate about travel, people working in the field of social assistance, people convicted of drug trafficking, career counselors, psychologists, entrepreneurs, they managed to captivate the "readers".Students of the host school, along with guests from other schools as well as representatives of the project partners enjoyed the privilege of "reading". The positive feedback was expressed by the students with a lot of enthusiasm. Goals of the activity: 1.Implementation of the Living Library method in formal education; 2.Educating students in the spirit of tolerance, compassion and respect for the rights of all citizens; 3.Encouraging dialogue between participating students and people representing different segments of society.
Study Visit
The Memorial to the Victims of Communism and the Resistance in Romania is made up of the Sighet Museum and the International Center for Studies on Communism, located in Bucharest. The museum was arranged in the building of a former prison and is the first memorial in the world, dedicated to the victims of communism. In 1950, dignitaries from all over the country, priests, bishops, members of historical parties were transported here by the communist regime from that time, many of them without being tried. Through their study visit, the participating students had the opportunity to see extreme forms of human rights violations, harassment, discrimination, persecution. Along the way, the students visited two important objectives: the famous Merry Cemetery with its colorful crosses and the Barsana Monastery, an architectural ensemble whose components are built of wood and stone, by local craftsmen. Goals of the activity: 1.Students' knowledge of extreme historical realities characterized by human rights violations; 2.Raising students' awareness of the importance of respecting human rights; 3.Presenting an example of peaceful coexistence between citizens of different ethnicities, different religions and different cultures.
These were the main activities in which the students involved in the project participated. It was a demanding week for them, but they will surely enjoy the gained experience and the beautiful memories.