Our involvement in this project proceeds from the beliefs that young people from all cultures face the same fundamental dilemmas in life, that all cultures are valid and worthy of respect and that with more tolerance and sensitivity we could overcome any superficial differences. Differences do exist and are probably wider and deeper than we could imagine, yet our belief is that young people have always succeeded and will continue to succeed in intercultural communication.

 

We see the role of this project as empowering our students to understand and act on the issues that affect their own lives and other people's. The aim is to form a partnership in an informal learning process and so enable them to realise their potential as individuals and teammates. We intend to apply innovation and exchange good practices in diverse learning based on working life needs.

 

Young people today face plenty of problems in society and the school is not an oasis. Many problems are hushed up, though, and here we want to speak openly about all of them - substance abuse, growing up too fast, single parents households, lack of parental control or care, spending free time, unhealthy eating habits and disorders, self-esteem issues, apathy, xenophobia, lack of respect for authority and lack of role models. Some important issues are pertaining of school only - bullying, lack of motivation, lack of concentration, dropout, failure in acquiring basic academic and life skills.  A major problem is that  the school diploma in some cases is becoming a thin defence against incompetence and some students are ill-equipped for the world of work.

 

Our project aims to help our students to become aware of their problems, to see that they are not alone and find the strength to solve their problems, which is necessary both for their personal development and their future life. It would be a great opportunity for the students to share the problems they have, with the students from other countries.  By getting aware of problems young people from other countries have, they will be better equipped to identify and tackle their own.

 

We see the subject of this project of identifying and solving problems in the context of multicultural  Europe. This project is not with a focus on Cultural Studies, but touching on differences is inevitable in an international partnership.  In a situation of increased mobility, both in terms of tourism and and the opportunities provided by higher education and the job market, working towards intercultural competence (which is an integral part of any multilateral partnership no matter what its subject matter is ) will make students more adaptable and will develop their ability to communicate successfully in any social context and increase their sense of dignity and self-respect.

 

They will have the great chance to become more familiar and more open-minded to cultural diversity. We believe it is fundamental to develop knowledge and understanding of different cultures and ways of living, in order to become better aware of what being European citizens means, to promote democratic ideals and to be able to recognize, challenge and fight  prejudices and stereotypes, as well as build up respect for differences.

 

 So this two-year project represents one phase of a long-term goal devoted to to the development of cultural teaching and learning. The ultimate objective is to enable students to develop the kind of intercultural competence which will provide them with the means to interpret culture and communicate more successfully in an intercultural context. This objective involves the acquisition of specific intercultural skills and strategies, which will enable students to make better sense of the world they live in and their place in it.

 

All in all, this partnership is meant to work for open-minded mentality and the necessary skills such as:

• ability to look at and approach problems as a responsible member of a global society.

• ability to work with others in a cooperative way

• ability to take responsibility for one's role/duties within society

• ability to understand, accept and tolerate cultural differences.

• capacity to think in a critical and systematic way

• ability to be sensitive to people's needs and problems

• willingness to change one's lifestyle and habits in order to contribute better to society

• ability to participate actively in social life

• research skills - developing a questionnaire and trialling it

• confidence in problem solving and making decisions about the future

• confidence in self- expression

All these skills will be of use in the chosen profession and they will know how to be a successful team member or an individual entrepreneur.