"“Welcome to my Family” is an innovative inter-cultural project that involved participants from Estonia, Turkey, Romania and Italy. The project idea is based on the understanding that the more diverse the society gets the more complex the relationships between different cultures will get. All schools in this project had faced the problems of cultural misunderstanding, stereotypical attitudes, exclusion based on culture, religion or nationality before this project. Therefore, knowing and understanding that cultural differences are an asset rather than an obstacle, and showing how culture influences intercultural communication was a crucial lesson for our children to teach. We chose the cultural phenomena – the wedding – to teach the aforementioned values in cross-curricular and learner-centred way to reach the goals of our primary priorities: 1.acquisition of skills and competencies (reading literacy, critical thinking, ethical reasoning and independent, impartial judgment) 2. social inclusion, cultural awareness and developing intercultural, social and civic competencies among our communities. According to main priorities, we set the project objectives: 1. promoting intercultural dialogue, social inclusion, equity, respect, care and concern for others and solidarity through increased learning mobilities, international collaboration;2. developing, implementing and evaluating new approaches to address social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity;3. activities to create unity, sense of belonging and inclusion;4. using project-based learning (PBL) and teaching to know our wedding traditions for exposing students to a variety of 21st-century skills; 5. increasing reading literacy and critical thinking skills through specifically designed lessons about wedding tradition and family values;6. exposing diverse learners to teaching strategies;7. encouraging participation in after lessons activities, cultural events, research;8. creating a base for communication skills improvement;9. improving the understanding of cultural variety as an asset for breaking the ethnic, religious and gender stereotypes, discrimination and exclusion by introducing the wedding and family traditions; 10. encouraging use of learner-centred approaches: personalization and differentiation;11.including families into the learning process;12.improving teachers’ competencies, increasing their knowledge in intercultural dialogue; 13.develop digital skills and language competence by using innovative tools for cooperation This project built valuable cultural learning and teaching resource for learners to develop understandings of the interrelated nature of cultural differences and communication. The resource contains activity books for cooking, handicraft, games, myths, wedding customs, comprehensive reading handbook and a book for teaching values through literature and movies. The methodology for creating this resource, was circular project-based learning module (from research to creation and publishing) where the students and teachers implemented and participated in non-formal education activities: project-based learning group works during lessons; variety of topical workshops on music and dance, cooking, games and handicraft; international lessons; public performances; presentations; collaborative item creating sessions; parent-teacher-student events; competitions; exhibitions; staged weddings in every mobility; filming the documentaries. All that to promote learner-centred approaches, innovative ways to address learners' needs.Outcomes:Wedding Fashion MagazineWedding Game BrochuresWedding Cookery BooksComprehensive Reading HandbookValues Matter the Most (lesson activity book)Song and Dance FestivalProject DiaryBooks of Myths and LegendsAll in all, over 110 students and teachers from 4 countries participated in LTTAs (funded 100, exceeding participants were not funded by EU). The selection was made according to projects' goals. Concentrating on wedding traditions gave students an opportunity to get close to our own and partner countries’ oldest layer of cultural heritage. The participants with deep motivation will share the projects' results after its completion.During the project, students improved their collaborative, problem solving, communication, literacy, ICT and language skills. PBL work helped them to become creative, self-led learners, develop different items and experience international communication and collaboration. They learned about other cultures, their way of life. We managed to create a base for respect, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence. Other languages, religions, traditions became part of students' everyday life. Learning in the classroom where there are no restrictions, created a feeling of success and belonging. The project activities brought together different generations and lived up the school life. Many activities are now ""organic"" part of our school life."

"Project „Save the life on our planet"" is designed for students aged 11 -15 years, who at this time form the opinions and attitudes towards everything.5 countries are involved in this project: Slovakia - the coordinator and partners - Italy - Sicily, Greece, Spain and Turkey. The project is focused on the recognition and protection of the life, our planet, the human relationship to the nature and life. Students are engaged in the project fundamental global problems and learn how their own effort can contribute to saving the life on the Earth via 5 main topics: the Universe, Global problems, Protection of environment, Relationships and Life in the past. Our goal is to affect students, teachers, parents and local community and show to all how important it is to protect our planet and contribute to the protection with different activities such as to separate waste, save energy, help to the poor, to respect older people with their experiences, to communicate properly in families, to have good relationship to animals, nature, people, etc. One important aim of the project is to motivate students to better outcomes in education, we focus mainly on the science subjects.During international meetings teachers and students were involved into educational process at hosting schools and directly observed and learnt the use of various innovative teaching methods practical examples using information technology. As the lessons were held in English and maybe some words in native languages and discussion of the impact was maintained in English, we noticed participants improvement in English communication and also in other foreign languages. This attractive activity had a positive impact on pupils of participating schools as well as schools in other regions.Project activities were realized at local and international level, they all were published on project website: http://savethelifeonourplanet.blogspot.sk/. Some of them were realized and published in eTwinning program: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/4712/homeWe created a lot of international results: ""Brochure of innovative teaching methods of Scientific subjects in European countries"" and DVD, e - book documented all activities, international cookery book of healthy meals, international collage and international programs during meetings in Slovakia and in Sicily, in which students showed to parents and local community their relationship to our planet and traditions in short dramas, songs, dances. Each school organized a lot of local activities to all topics such as separation of waste, collection of material - paper, battery, planting trees, cleaning seasides, talks with experts, Sport Days, Vegetable and Fruit days, charity activities, meeting with older people,...Important part of our cooperation were dissemination activities - Project Days, Erasmus Days, exhibitions at schools and public places to publicize all project results. Each school realized 5 Project Days, 2 Erasmus Days, exhibitions and bulletin boards, created promotional material - posters, brochure, invitation cards , which had positive impact to wide community. This project was very useful for students, teachers and parents because we all got great experiences, students improved the attitude to education, to foreign languages, they obtained better relationship to the life and our planet. Teachers knew better school system and exchanged teaching methods. Students knew better the natural treasure, protected areas, the cultural heritage, history and traditions of their own countries and partnership countries. National awareness of students and their self-esteem increased especially those with special needs and from poorer social backgrounds. Project had positive impact also in regions, influenced parents and wide community, many of them found the importance of protection of our environment and took part in local and international activities. Relationships in schools and families are better now, also between schools in regions. Pupils and teachers created good relationships with partnership schools, what more, students made great relationships with parents of pupils from European countries. Pupils have learnt to work in an international team and respect the cultures and lifestyles in other European countries. We all understood what the European identity means and students knew now the importance of the inter-cultural education for them and their future."

"Starting from the idea that one of the key competencies of the 21st century are the STEM skills competences, the 5 European schools considered necessary to refresh the teaching methods and open doors to educational innovation by taking learning outside the classroom. About 70% of students from all the partner schools find traditional learning boring. In all partner schools there is a need to increase interest, curiosity and knowledge in cross-curricular approach, improve the teaching methods and generate new materials in teaching.Through ""STARS"" we intend to raise students’ awareness and interest in learning and applying knowledge to real life. Specific Objectives:-support directly 128 students and 30 teachers to develop innovative cross-curricular materials during 5 international exchanges until 01.09.2021;-develop cross-curricular competences for 80% students from 5 European countries until 01.09.2021;-stimulate curiosity and creativity among students from 5 European schools by connecting knowledge to real life;-increase interpersonal and intercultural communication competence among 80% of participating students from 5 European schools until 01.09.2021;-improve assessment and learning using project-based learning.The ""STARS” project is addressed to students coming from 5 European countries and the direct target are students from lower secondary schools, in particular students who are 11-14 years old.There are 5 short term exchanges of pupils (Italy,Romania,Bulgaria, Poland and Greece) planned and 1Transnational meeting in Romania in the project. The total number of participants who will attend the mobilities is of 128 students and 30 teachers .The project promotes an innovative approach that will aim at increasing students’ interest and motivation in learning and applying knowledge to real life. The activities are designed to encourage learning by doing, by discovering, thinking skills, creativity, imagination, as well as, English and ICT skills.The implementation of the project is designed to achieve the project aims using the project-based learning method.Five different topics will be approached during the 5 exchanges of groups of pupils: ""THE STARS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES"", 'THE UNIVERSE"", ''EXPERTS OF THE OUTER SPACE"", ''TRAVELLING IN THE UNIVERSE'', 'THE EARTH-SOS"". Students’ skills, curiosity and creativity will be developed using a cross-curricular approach. Students will be encouraged to see the connection among all the school subjects like Art, Music, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Physics,Technology, PE and ICT. Using games, team building activities, surveys, Erasmus+ day events will contribute to motivate students to learn in an international context. All the project products will be created by students during the mobilities. During the hosting meetings the partners will attend lessons, will observe and exchange good practices and get more familiarized with European educational systems.The cross-curricular approach and the international exchange will help create innovative materials that can lead to the development of the school curricula in 5 European countries, in accordance with the feedback and methods exchanged during the meetings. By using the project-based learning method the students will become aware of the practical applications in everyday life. The following tangible results are expected during the project and on its completion: logo of the project, presentations, a book containing poems , a common song, a calendar of the project, photos/ drawings, surveys about stars, planets, galaxies and the healthy lifestyle guide of an astronaut, videos, models, leaflets, questionnaires, a booklet of the project, a scientific digital dictionary, a digital album ''The Book of Friendship'' and useful materials for creating an optional subject in the all the schools participating in the project to be taught in the next two years after ending the project.""STARS"" project will present a validated model of innovative and creative interventions for the development and improvement of teaching and learning in a cross-curricular manner. This Erasmus+ project offers a wide range of opportunities for self-development for teachers by giving them the opportunity to enrich their experience with the trendiest teaching strategies used in the European Union."