D2.Rationale

Rationale

Participating countries have very different historical and cultural backgrounds. Besides that they have different socio economic conditions and their aspects of life varies from each other. The project will provide through intercultural dialogue an opportunity to learn about other cultures and their heritage, traditions, life styles and other characteristics based on different subjects and to be more tolerant and respectful towards different ones and it is hoped to contribute through school partnership to the development of the European Union as an advanced knowledge-based society. As this year is dedicated to the active ageing and solidarity between generations, we would also like to open our student’s mind into forgotten traditions in their own country and in other European countries appreciating the contribution older people. For this reason we would like to create a web page on which each participating institution will be able to introduce their traditions, where older people will be able to play an active role by giving interviews or instructions. Schools from different European regions are involved in the project in order to give the students the greatest chance to a better understanding via studying different historical, natural and cultural aspects of European countries. We aim to open the door to opertunities for future exchanges and employment prospects for our young students and to leed them the way towards a united and more tolerant Europe.


 * Motto:**

”Educa tion is the most powerful weapon which could change the world ”.

**// Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela //**

Through this project,schools from eight countries went in quest of ** the European culural identity **by acknowledging the national traditions as a starting point in shaping the European identity.

During these two years of project, students will learn to pay respects to older generations and their desire will be to better know them in order to discover national traditions.The scheduled activities will lead to enriching their interest in history,traditions,research, knowing and protecting the environment, in creativity. Thus,they will do research on life realities,whose result would be acquiring information about people and traditions under the circumstances of knowing history,geography and culture of certain places.

Students will have the opportunity to practise their reading and writing skills in English and,also, communicative abilities,using ICT.

Teachers,in their turn,will learn how to use ICT as a communicative and learning device.Tthey will also acquire new linguistic competences by cooperating with their colleagues from the partner countries,through interactive exchanges which will result from research and documentary work.

From an educationl point of view,we wish for the discovery of those features, which are specific to other cultures, to open the mind and soul of teachers,students,parents towards tolerance and respect for others.

It is important to promote and develop educational courses,including presentation and use of information which come from national experience and traditions and,also,nowadays features and new technologies, which could offer an assembly of information,necessary to bring to light and improve social and professional abilities.

Furthermore, by promoting debates,discussions about social issues,such as:unemployment,environment,social exclusion,reintegration in society of some people with special needs(eg. people suffering an handicap), we will help our students to develop themselves.

We refer to the development of an autonomous personality,capable of analyzing,offering solutions,accepting diversity and dialogue,observing and approaching multiple perspectives over the past and,also,the sensitive and controversial matters,making decisions,having responsibilities,practising the attitudes and values of a democratic society.

This partnership wants to stimulate students’,teachers’,parents’ and local community’s curiosity and interest in keeping alive their wish to be well-informed about history and culture within the European dimenssion by presenting some national cultural symbols(songs,dances) and,also,by identifying specific individual features within an intercultural society.

It is also important to acquire an active and responsible ecological attitude which would determine students’correct attitude in accordance with the natural environment.

Accordingly, we took into account the following aspects:

*Students’ involvement in concrete actions which deal with knowledge and positive practical intervention as far as the environment and its protection are concerned with,

*Students’ ecological education,shaping their competences in order to participate in developing activities regarding protection of the environment through acknowledging natural values.

We wish for this project to create a new way to improve the dialogue among students,teachers,parents and local community,thus, we will increase social,artistic and cultural development of the areas that partners come from.This fact will act as a key factor which will give sustainability to our project.