"This project entitled ""Rotten Shark and Aoili : sharing culinary culture to erase differances"" is a project that will unite students from the South of France and the North of Iceland. After years of cooperating on student work placements in individual mobility programs, the two schools have decided to further their partnership through a student exchange. Culinary food heritage will be used as a means to : - overcome prejudices and apprehensions regarding different cultures. - build self-confidence and develop new social and culinary skills - gain a better understanding of the need for sustainable food production and processing - motivate students through a project based work, thus reaching out to students who do not enjoy being at school- improve the communication skills of the students The use of eTwinning will enable students to exchange online throughout the project and each student will complete a Student Project Booklet that enables them to feel part of the project and record their evolution during the project. A Cookery book based on the culinary exchanges will be created by the students and published. By actively engaging together in this project the schools hope that it will be the beginning of other such collaborations. The project will be dessimated within the schools and also within the local communities thus enabling others to benefit from the discovery of a new culture and widen their horizons."

Three schools will work together on the topics related to how we can assist and empower people in need for help.Verkmenntaskólinn á Akureyri VMA (Akureyri Vocational College) in Iceland, SOSU Randers (Randers Social- and Healthcare (VET) school) Denmark and Morgen College which is a part of the Landstede school group in Harderwiijk Netherlands. VMA will coordinate the project.Students from an academic social science programme in VMA, students in their preparatory phase for a VET programme in Social assistance from SOSU Randers and younger students in their preparatory VET school in Morgen Coellege will form a diverse group of students from all layers of society. 10 - 15 students from each school will meet in each country.The main task of the students and their teachers is to look at their own society and present it to the visitors. This involves identifying groups of people in their own society that are in need for assistance and how they can reach for help. They will also look at the concepts of empathy and sympathy and the danger of fixing a guilt by donating money or offering voluntary work. Students are supposed to learn about how it is possible to assist people to empower them and not make them feel inferior. The idea is that when you present your own society to visitors you will learn about your own situation. When you arrive as a guest to another country you will be able to compare your local surroundings to the place you are visiting.The main goals of the project are to work on concepts related to different situations of people when we can say some of us are in a privileged postition in society. These groups may be identified by economic indicators, language skills in the national language, religion, disabilities or by other means. Those that do not fall into the categories of being in need for assistance may perhaps not be able to identify with them. Empathy means that you can put yourself in someone´s other shoes. Sympathy is something else and perhaps not as likely to be helpful.Underlying the project is also the notion that if we want to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals issued by the UN we must work together, this is the SDG 17. Why not work on this in each school without cooperaton and travel? We feel that this is such a fundamental change in thinking about helping people that we need to compare situations in different countries and learn how things are being done in the way of assisting people and involving the public in this.The three schools have not worked all three together before. VMA and SOSU have a long relationship through student mobilities, Icelandic students in practical nursing doing a part of their workplace training in Randers and Danish students training in Akureyri Home for the elderly. VMA has been working with Morgen College on a strategic partnership project concerned with best practices in the planning and implementing of student training in workplaces. This prior experience and cooperation will benefit the project when we plan and make sure all things are covered on student visits.We hope this project will both benefit the students involved but also future students in the way that the teachers involved will get additional experience and tools to use in the future when discussing and assigning projects to their students about social responsibility and participation. We hope this will both inflitrate social science and the vocational education and training in care related programmes.

Early school leaving causes an increasing level of concern in many countries. Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland and Norway all have well-financed, well-approved and well-structured upper secondary school systems. The proportion of students not completing their upper secondary education is worryingly high in all these countries. Early school leaving is known to be linked to a series of social variables, such as family income, parental educational level and grade of parental/friends support of the importance of learning and performing. The European labour markets are in great need of skilled workers and these needs are supposed to grow in the future. The future creation of values in Europe and our common welfare is dependent on the provision of skilled workers. More young people have to choose vocational studies, they have to perform on a higher stage and complete their education at school. A rising attention is given to what the schools can do in order to increase the proportion of students graduating on time. Formal education is increasingly important to get work, and this is even more important when the job marked is tightening and getting more global. In this project, six similar schools have cooperated to counteract early school leaving. The partners in the CSE-project are combined upper secondary schools, offering both general studies and VET. They are all of a comparable size, and offer many of the same lines of study. The partners in The Erasmus+ Completing Secondary Education project have been Charlottenlund Upper Secondary School in Trondheim (Norway), Verkmenntaskolin in Akureyri (Iceland), Techcollege in Aalborg (Denmark), Axxell Utbildning (Finland), ROC Noorderpoort in Groningen (Holland) and Richard Riemerschmid Berufskolleg in Cologne (Germany).The CSE-partners have made great efforts in reducing the early school- leaving problem, and have valuable experiences and successful measures to increase school completion on vocational studies.We have compared our efforts and measures, shared our practice to find “best practices”, made observations through job shadowing and tested and implemented good ideas and tools into daily praxis at our own learning institutions and communities. Due to cooperation with research environments in learning and behaviour, we can say that our results are developed on research-based knowledge.The partner schools have extensive collaboration with local working life, but practice different models from work based learning that have evolved over a long period of history, the dual model (Germany) and school based learning. We found that work placements and other forms of cooperation between school and working life play a central role in motivating young people to complete.This contact has to be established as early as possible to make the learning relevant and motivating.Through comparing our relationships to working life, visits, workshops and job shadowing, we detected the need to find methods to strengthen the links between theory and practice in general subjects as well as in vocational programmes. Other important factors were the learning environment and the teachers role as teacher, guide and support and the challenge of professional language. If the student do not understand what the teachers are talking about, he or she is likely to quit.We gained a lot of useful knowledge on the statistical methods and models. In view of this new insight we decided – in dialogue with the Norwegian national agency – to focus on disseminating information about the Norwegian and Dutch systems of drop-out and completion statistics as a source of inspiration for the other project partners in their continuous improvement of their practices in this field. The fact that the partner countries use different national statistics, and they are difficult to compare is not something that can be changes at school level within the framework of a project like this. Therefore, we decided to use the statistical tools as they are, and focus on the type of comparisons that they actually do enable us to make.Dissemination has played a central role in the project. We believe that well-working ideas from the CSE-project will prove efficient in other upper secondary schools locally and regionally, as well as on a national and international level. We have brought new ideas to county authorities, higher education and policy makers as well as to partners and leaders in working life. The findings, knowledge and results of the project counteracting early school leaving are spread to the partners’ networks, local networks, in our counties, and at regional, national and international levels as The EFVET networkThe results of the CSE-project and the working methods used in the project to extract best practice have increased the partners’ motivation and ability to find and adapt tools to counteract early school leaving in vocational education and training.

<< Background >>Nowadays there is a growing concern and social awareness about the effects of climate change and the search for actions, at all levels and areas, that contribute to brake the deterioration of the planet. Electricity, electronics and energy sectors are frequently related to the pollution that suffocates our cities. An idea that we must fight with evidence of the benefits that new technologies can bring in these professional sectors. The old electro profile is changing to an innovative worker, involved in new technics focused on minimum electric consumption, energy savings and friendly environment technologies.ELECTRO ECO TEAM project arises from the initiative of a group of vocational schools with electricity and electronics. Aware of the deterioration of the planet as a result of climate change, willing to act from schools to give a sustainable and ecological approach to daily teaching activities, and that the professional activity of our electro students, future electro workers, have a component of efficiency and environmental care, committed people for a green world. On the other hand, we want to know how partner schools work, what educational strategies and organizational models they apply, what samples of good practices they develop and how to apply them in other schools. So, this proposal to Cooperation Partnership arises within the framework of the Erasmus + program, we intend to develop the internationalization strategies of each institution, sharing knowledge and experiences, developing new approaches to our teaching experience more adapted to the current reality, and creating ties with new peer schools that enable future collaborative and exchange actions. In short, giving an open and international dimension to our teaching, which our students are going to soak up.We seek a change in educational strategies, in the approach to daily activities and a change in mentality to become aware of the importance of addressing the care of the environment from all sectors, also from electricity and electronics. In this way we will ensure that our students, the future workers of the facilities and electro devices, apply that green approach to their professional activity, and we will do that from an international dimension. So, we have formed a group of VET schools from different parts of Europe. The Partnership is formed by six public Vocational schools with courses of Electricity and Electronics from different corners of Europe: Verkmenntaskólinn from Akureyri - Iceland as coordinator, IES Santa Lucía from Gran Canaria - Spain, , İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi from Istanbul - Turkey, Solski Center Celje from Celje - Slovenia, BMSZC Egressy Gábor Két Tanítási Nyelvű Technikum from Budapest - Hungary and Niekée Roermond from Roermond - Netherlands. All of them have good experience in collaborative work at an international level, are committed to the environment and in the training of electro ecologists, are open to new experiences and to introduce in their teaching practice the strategies that are addressed in this project and the resources produced .Partners are convinced that ELETRO ECO TEAM will be a story success, commitment and future.<< Objectives >>Convinced to raise awareness in VET electro students as future workers and change traditional teaching methods to include an eco friendly approach, we have set the project objectives. These are goals consistent with the basic idea of the project and commit to all partners for a real change. These are our basic objectives:- To raise awareness among students of the impact of climate change on the planet and the importance of acting also from a professional level.- To develop a set of mini technical projects in an international environment, with a sustainable and environmental approach, which will be transferable to partner schools and other educational environments.- To learn and work together with other EU students as their future colleagues will allow trainers to learn from each other, to be creative, to identify innovative approaches and good practices and transfer them to their everyday practices at work.- To create and share a set of teaching strategies, organizative models and samples of best practices ready to apply in any educational enviroment.- To establish new alliances between peer schools, in the European space, for collaborative work in this project and for future collaborations.- To integrate all students, even those with fewer opportunities, in the different areas in which they participate: educational, professional and social, as a way to integrate them into the society in which they live.- To train good quality trainees/workers with international knowledge, skills and competence-base, relevant to work life. That will increase their employability not only in the national but also in the European labour market. Besides, this will set up the frame for their lifelong learning.- To know the diversity and technological, cultural and social reality of different countries and feel closer Europe.And we are sure that the implementation of this project will see a change in the attitude and mentality of students and teachers, knowing new environments and experiences, and opening minds to new possibilities<< Implementation >>In order to guarantee the correct development of the project and its implementation, it is essential that a deep coordination among all the partners.We will hold two transnational meetings for coordination and monitoring the implementation of the project. The first of these meetings will be the kick off meeting that will officially start the activities of the project. The second coordination meeting will carry out an in-depth analysis of the development of the project in the middle of its implementationWithin the frame of the project we will hold SIX international meetings, one in each of the partner schools, for LTT activities. Each of these meetings will be the implementation laboratory for the main activities of the project, with workshops and mini technical projects with an electro sustainable approach to be developed by students in an international environment (collaborative work and mutual learning), with presentation of organizational models, educational strategies and samples of good practices presented by each host school. We will meet the work culture and the potential of the host city in sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental care. The protagonists of the project will be the teachers and students of the partner institutions, including those participants with fewer opportunities, as a commitment to an inclusive project. Everyone will collaborate fairly in a cooperative work experience to achieve the objectives and results designed in this projectThis international activity will be accompanied by the implementation of different educational activities and strategies at the local level. This action must be perceived in the daily development of teaching activities and in the attitude of teachers and students.We also have designed a plan to ensure smooth communication between participants and project institutions and a comprehensive evaluation plan that monitors the development of activities, detects potential difficulties and proposes appropriate corrective measures to faithfully adjust to the designed project.In addition, what has been learned and experienced in the framework of this project will be disseminated in the widest environment of each school, as well as at the regional, national and international levels.<< Results >>The implementation of the project will produce benefits for participants, for students and staff, and for partner institutions.We expect on students:- Enhancement of their professional qualification, teamwork and social competence,- Improvement of their intercultural competence and European citizenship awareness,- A better understanding of the European labour market,- Improved EU employability by mobility reference (Europass mobility document)- Engaging in Lifelong Learning.- Personal growth.- We expect a general change in the attitude of electro vocational students, showing greater interest for innovation and improvement, caring for the environment also from the professional world of electricity and electronics, and promoting a more sustainable work activity.We expect on staff, trainers and teachers:- Enhancement of their professional, teamwork, project management and social competence,- Knowledge of new implementations of eco strategies such and innovative practices in VET to apply in their school, classroom or workshop.- Improved understanding of EU educational systems and Electrics and Electronics curricula in the EU.- Improvement of their intercultural competence and European citizenship awareness.- Engaging in Lifelong Learning.- Personal growth.- We also expect as a result of this project a general improvement in the quality of teaching practice in our schools by including new strategies that focus on Electricity and electronics with an approach of sustainability and environmental care.- A set of practical activities and mini-projects on sustainable electricity and electronics will be obtained, which are applicable in regular classes and workshops activities of our schools and others of our environment to which it will be spread.- A set of educational and teaching strategies, organizational models and best practices, proposed by each partner school, based on their own experience, which can be applied in other schools and educational environments. We will also get experiences in the organization of internships for students and the relationship between the school and the company.We expect on partner institutions:- Wider and deeper insight and comprehension of the EU VET systems.- Strengthened partnership with stakeholders at the regional, national and international level.- Transfer of innovative/good practice from partners and therefore improvement of the quality of their VET.- Possibility for harmonizing and improving electro curriculum.- New knowledge and extensive experience in project management.- More competent teachers/trainers, involved in Lifelong Learning and a sustainable vision of Electricity and electronics.- New elements for promoting schools and VET.- Increased reputation in the region, nation-wide and in EU.The impact of project actions on schools will be measured from the beginning of the activities, in the medium and long term, with continuous evaluation by partner schools.

The main goal of this project is to improve people’s health – mainly on a local level, but also regionally, nationally and ultimately in Europe. More and more people are experiencing a new set of challenges concerning health issues that seem to go hand in hand with lifestyle changes; we are less active and have a higher rate of obesity. We know why this happens and what should be done to tackle it – yet we still struggle to get more people to become more active and to do so over a longer period of time. How can we make a difference?We have decided to call our project «Win-Win» because there are so many situations in which winning will play a key role in our planned activities. Our main goal is that of improving people’s health, but there will be many subsidiary goals. First, we would like to make a difference on a local scale. We plan to improve cooperation and levels of activity in our local community and we would like the upper-secondary school and the subject of sports and physical education to play a much greater role within this area. To achieve better personal health is a common social task in which voluntary and public organisations bear the brunt of the work. By linking the school and the subject of sports and physical education closely with the activities, an immediate and eventually long-term effect will be achieved. When the youth see, learn and experience their own and others’ efforts, further and continued effort will be encouraged. That is win-win. By integrating these social tasks into schoolwork, the pupils’ school day and subjects will become more sought after and comprehensible. Understanding one’s learning is motivational and encourages further learning both for the individual and for others. That is win-win. A more motivated and inspiring school is more attractive, having the knock-on effect of inspiring even more pupils to apply to the school, thereby creating more choice in activities for the subject of sports and physical education. All schools aspire to this. This, in turn, can ensure applications to further education, which is important in increasing the awareness of public health issues. Yet another win-win.The project consists of three partner countries: Norway, Iceland and Denmark. Each of these countries will select an upper-secondary school that specializes in the subject of sports and physical education, as well as a local partner. There will be two sports clubs and one council from each country. We will thus learn from each other’s cooperation. Everyone has his or her own particular talent, yet also the ability to improve within some area. Everybody is interested in cooperating more closely and becoming more active – can we help and learn from each other in this work? Norway is good at outdoor activities but has the potential for improved cooperation within the fields of sports clubs and football. Pupils need training, sports clubs need better equipment/conditions. How can we solve this in the best way? By creating a win-win situation? Iceland is good at cooperation between schools and sports clubs – but they are not so good at developing their potential within outdoor activities. How can we solve this in the best way? What can be learned from Norway and Denmark here? Denmark, like Norway, has many well-adapted opportunities within outdoor activities, but has not been that successful in linking such activities to existing activities within schools. How could this be improved upon? Can they learn from Norway and Iceland here? Sharing and exchanging experiences is a win-win situation.Surveys will be made of the present situation, its strengths and weaknesses. Needs and desires will be revealed in a structured and adaptive way and a tool will then be developed – a type of instruction manual – which will ease cooperation within the framework and plan that all partners, especially the schools, have agreed upon and will be able to depend upon. This tool will be digital and user-friendly.We will also disseminate our experiences and results digitally, via the media and through presentations and seminars. Each country will arrange a themed seminar in which the focus will be on improved health. We realize that measures must be taken and the reason for this – but what is the best way to do it? The project is ambitious in its scope – not just locally, but also regionally, nationally and on a European scale. The final subsidiary goal is therefore to create as many win-win situations as possible.