21-27/02/2016,Escola Secundária Fernão Mendes Pinto,Almada
BEFORE THE MEETING
- Our students ant teachers interviewed people who have dropped out and wrote their stories
- Greece prepared a brief report about the progress of our project, in order to make an intermediate evaluation at the meeting in Almada
- Each country prepared lyrics for our project song
All the partners were represented: Greece through two teachers and two students; Italy through two teachers and two students; Poland through two teachers and two students and Turkey through three teachers and one student
21st February
Portuguese partners met Edu-Living & Edu-Leaving’s partners at the airport.
(1st day)
22nd February
The group was greeted at Fernão Mendes Pinto School by the project coordinator and her team. After a getting-to-know-you icebreaker to warm up the atmosphere, the partners were invited to visit the school. A short comfort break followed. Then the official welcome session led by the director of the school took place and immediately afterwards the partners were shown a presentation about Almada. After a brief explanation of the meeting programme the group broke up for lunch.
In the afternoon the group was divided: students participated in a peddy-paper through Almada and teachers stayed at school where they were offered a training session led by Wim Simoens from the Eekhoutcentrum Kortrijk training center (Belgium). This session covered the following topics: well-being and motivation; short theoretical input on motivation; self determination theory; monitoring an educational process.
(2nd day)
23rd February
On this day there was a guided tour throughout emblematic areas of Lisbon, either due to their landscape beauty or their historical and cultural heritage (Belém – Mosteiro dos Jerónimos,Torre de Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos; Parque Eduardo VII; Baixa de Lisboa; Parque das Nações; Oceanário).
Besides the information provided, verbally or in written format, students were given some activities.
(3rd day)
24th February
In the morning the partners were given detailed information on the Portuguese educational system, on student dropout and failure rates at school and on specific dynamics mainly the ones associated with the implementation of national/ international projects.
Then they were shown examples of innovative and successful experiences as effective strategies for dropout and failure prevention. A representative of “Benfica Foundation”, invited to come to school during the transnational meeting, explained how sports practice can be used as a strategy promoting enthusiasm, accountability, assumption and respect for established commitments and thus contribute to better results at school – which has been proved within their partnerships with schools.
In the afternoon all the partners shared their experiences concerning the implementation of the project in their home countries. Portuguese teachers and students playing the role of peer-counsellors showed a PPP about the development of their work and strategies which have been used in order to improve the school atmosphere, strengthen students’ sense of belonging and raise the level of satisfaction at school, which may lead to higher motivation and reduction of early school leaving and failure.
Afterwards teachers exchanged ideas about the last meeting in Greece and the final products of the project. The general coordinator made some suggestions and presented some proposals which were analysed and discussed.
Meanwhile students prepared a work inspired on the meeting experience.
(4th day)
25th February
In the morning, and thanks to the collaboration with the Almada Town Hall, teachers were given the opportunity to have a guided visit to some key tourist places (Cristo Rei; Costa da Caparica; Convento dos Capuchos).
A reception organized by the Almada Town Hall in Convento dos Capuchos ended this visit. The group of teachers was welcomed by representatives of the Almada Town Hall and after having given information on the main objectives of the project and the background situation in their own schools, they were made aware of the efforts made by the municipality of Almada to find solutions to prevent early school leaving and failure. Before leaving the group was gifted some souvenirs.
At school all the students, with the help of a dramatist, were involved in the preparation of an improvisation on the topic “Early School Leaving”, putting in evidence reasons leading to this decision.
In the afternoon took place a round-table conference whose guests were the Carlos Gargaté School Grouping and representatives of the Municipality of Almada and of the Ministry of Education. Partners were this way given the opportunity to get in touch with a school having carried out a project with similar goals to “Edu-Living & Edu-Leaving” and with very positive results as far as dropout and failure are concerned.
On the other hand the representatives of the Municipality of Almada and of the Ministry of Education afforded a comprehensive view of the problem of failure and dropout at various levels both in the region of Almada and in Portugal.
Before the session came to a close all the teachers and guests could watch the improvisation shown by the students and exchange ideas about its meaning.
(5th day)
26th February
The students presented the work they had prepared showcasing the activities that had made part of the programme.
Similar to what happened in the other project meetings, questionnaires were handed out to evaluate the transnational meeting in Almada. The Portuguese team was left in charge of managing them and sending its results to the Greek coordinator.
After a short comfort break the certificates of attendance were delivered by the director.
The project meeting ended with a farewell dance activity and a lunch prepared by students’ parents. All the partners socialized and strengthened their partnership bonds.
27th February
The partners returned to their home countries.