EuroProjects is a two-year Erasmus+ project (2019-1-ES01-KA229-064175) that started in September 2019 and will continue until August 2021. It revolves around an educational practice common in many schools: secondary and upper secondary (baccalaureate) students are encouraged to elaborate an individual research project as part of their regular curriculum. Interested students choose a research topic at the beginning of the school year, develop their research during the course mentored by a teacher and submit their finished project at the end of the year.
There is a consensus among the four participant schools that inter-school collaborative projects will greatly help to improve the interest and quality of the research done by students.
EuroProjects will strengthen the educational practice currently implemented in three of the four participant schools, increasing the participation among students and also among mentoring teachers. Furthermore, it will increase the awareness and appreciation of research projects among students and families and open schools to cooperation among themselves and with any other European school involved in similar educational practices.
Europrojects goals will be reached by means of a coordinated and collaborative effort among all participants. The process of doing a research project roughly follows three phases: enrollment, development and public presentation and assessment of the work done. This phasing has directed the work-plan: some mobilities will serve to launch new projects at the beginning of each academic year, brainstorming sessions and time for free exchange of ideas among our young researchers will be employed for promoting researching together. Other mobilities will be mainly devoted to teach research skills and will take place at the mid of each academic year. Finally, presentation and oral skills will be key aspects of the meetings coincidental with the presentation of finished projects.
Cultural visits to historic places and museums will reinforce the knowledge and appreciation of European culture and heritage and will give mentors the opportunity to suggest collaborative research topics.
Sharing and collaboration in between mobilities will be possible by using an eTwinning TwinSpace that will run in parallel to EuroProjects
EuroProjects main results include increased participation and quality in the student research projects. Well-defined procedures, clear and concise guidelines, detailed best practices and templates and dissemination and diffusion materials are other tangible results. Less tangible results include the creation of strong bonds between schools, teachers and students. The development of research, collaboration and communication skills on students and mentors, general knowledge and appreciation of the European Union and European cultures are other intangible results. These outcomes will be employed by the participant schools well beyond the temporal scope of the project.
The materials developed (adapted to the specificities of each school educational context and language) may be put into use by other schools interested in implementing or improving similar educational practices.