Students of the International Education and Resource Network project.
15.08.2017 eaea grundtvig award 2017

Sensitising teachers to the importance of cultural exchange

EAEA GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2017. Even though new technologies are key to social integration in the modern world, few students have the opportunity to use them in their full potential in Tunisia. This project helps teachers support the active citizenship skills of their students.

The International Education and Resource Network stems from a need to make young people understand and use – in a conscious way – new technologies. Even though new technologies are key to social integration in the modern world, few students have the opportunity to use them in their full potential in Tunisia. Therefore, the aim of the project is to sensitise teachers of students aged from 12 to 20 to the importance of cultural exchange using new technologies.

For this purpose, teachers trained their students in developing projects with their peers around the world. Numerous themes such as environmental or citizenship issues or the empowerment of women were addressed.

From this initiative, the most successful project was the one called “The Future Citizen”, during which students from Tunisia had the opportunity to exchange with a class in Florida, USA, about the revolution that took place in their country and how they are learning to become active citizens. A lively and passionate exchange resulted, with American students reacting and asking questions, leading to a large Skype conference with debate, poetry, songs and paintings.

Insipiring new initiatives

The project was so successful that other projects were initiated: students in other schools organised similar events concerning the same theme; they invited speakers to talk about peace, made presentations, showed films.

Other Skype conferences are now being organised more frequently about various issues, and students are taking their projects in their communities where they organise events closely related to citizenship issues, such as elections where they sensitise the elderly to the importance of voting, or workshops where older students (16) help children with disabilities in an exhibition.

Thanks to the project, young people can become active citizens in a global world where reality is often made of conflicts.

The project: International Education and Resource Network
  • Award category: International projects (Tunisia)
  • Learner target group: Teachers and students
  • Innovative practice: Students developing projects with their peers around the world

Project coordinator

Resources

Text: Lou-Andréa PinsonPhotos: Tunisian Education and Resource Network

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