Name of the project: Young People Matter

Our school is delighted to participate in another Erasmus project. In the next two school years, we will be partners in the Erasmus KA220 SCH project called Young People Matter (Ref. no: 2024-1-RO01-KA220-SCH-000254436). The project coordinator is Colegiul National, Iaşi (Romania), and the partners are OXFORD ENGLAND-TRI DOOEL Skopje (North Macedonia), CEIP Marina de Cudeyo, Rubayo (Spain), Agrupamento de Escolas do Bom Sucesso, Alverca do Ribatejo (Portugal) and „Matija Gubec" Elementary School, Tavankut (Serbia).
Our project aims to familiarize young people aged 11-15 with key European competencies: 1. Raising the awareness of the target groups about common European values - civic competence; 2. Improve inclusive attitudes of target groups towards vulnerable minorities - social competence; 3. Increase the acquisition of debating skills, active attitudes and assertive behavior through the innovative method of the public forum - learning competence and 4. increase the knowledge of the English language and ICT skills of the participants - communication and digital competence.
During the 2024/2025 school year, the following mobilities of students and teachers are planned:
- November 2024 - Colegiul National, Iaş (Romania),
- February 2025 - „Matija Gubec" Elementary School, Tavankut (Serbia) and
- April 2025 - Agrupamento de Escolas do Bom Sucesso, Alverca do Ribatejo (Portugal).
You can see more about our project in a short presentation and also follow the project activities on social media:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Z0oc2krllVN7Okd1YJpjQ
https://www.instagram.com/erasmus.youngpeoplematter/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Erasmus-Young-People-Matter-School-Debate/61566440414889/
https://x.com/ErasmusUMatter

Text: Miiroslav Rauš

Mobility in Portugal

The representatives of our school, six students and two teachers, were in Portugal as part of the third mobility of the Erasmus+ project entitled Young People Matter.
This time, elementary school students from Spain, Portugal, Romania, North Macedonia and Serbia debated whether young people should choose the school curriculum themselves. In three rounds of debates, students presented their PRO and CON arguments and at the final ceremony, the best teams and the best individuals were awarded diplomas. The teams of our students, Anđela Iršević and Teodora Vujković, won 3rd place. We are especially proud that Teodora Vujković won 2nd place as the best speaker.
In addition, the hosts have prepared a rich program for all the participants. On the first day, we visited the Lisbon Aquarium - Oceanário de Lisboa where we were amazed by the richness of flora and fauna. After this visit, all the students presented their typical school day and their ideal class schedule in the Casa do Povo de Arcena in Alverca do Ribatejo.
On the second day, our hosts organised workshops, a tour of the school and various games which the students enjoyed. On the third day, we visited the former prison in Peniche, which is now the Museum of Freedom and Resistance. Afterwards, we visited the medieval town of Óbidos, and finally we saw the biggest waves in the world in Nazaré.
The fourth day was a competitive day for debaters. The students who did not debate participated in the journalism workshop, and within the eTwinning activity, they created an audio book. On the last day, at the Ethnographic Museum, we learned how to make chorizo, a Portuguese specialty made from dough and sausage. We shaped them ourselves, baked them, and then tasted them. This was followed by the closing ceremony where all the participants were awarded certificates, as well as Arraial, a traditional Portuguese-style party. We enjoyed the specialties of this region, folk dances and spending time with friends from different parts of Europe.
We are grateful to our partners from the Erasmus+ project for the opportunity to meet new people and cultures, to develop empathy and critical thinking. The next meeting will be held in Skopje in October this year. You look at the picture gallery.

Translation: Miroslav Rauš

Mobility in Tavankut (Serbia)

Monday
The representatives of our school welcomed the partners, now already friends, from Romania, North Macedonia, Portugal and Spain within the scope of Erasmus+ project entitled "Young People Matter". We spent the day visiting the sights of Subotica. We visited the City Hall together, where we were received and greeted by Nenad Ostojić, the member of the City Council in charge of Education. Since the emphasis of the project is on mutual respect and respect for diversity, we visited the Cathedral of Saint Teresa of Avila, the Paulinum, the Muhajir Mosque, the Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascension and the Franciscan Church. After lunch at the Gurinović Inn, we headed for our school in Tavankut.
After the arrival of the guests in Tavankut, we headed to the bust of Matija Gubec, where our students introduced the guests to the figure and significance of Matija Gubec. Then we showed them the school atrium, a clone of the Gubec linden tree, straw-work art paintings that decorate the school corridors.We talked about numerous collaborations both in the country and abroad. Then the students presented rolling - the old way of ironing, Bunjevac folk costumes and the school museum. After the school tour, our school psychologists held a workshop, whose aim was to show project participants methods and strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking.

Tuesday
On the second day of mobility within the Erasmus+ project "Young People Matter", we visited Novi Sad with our guests from Portugal, Spain, Romania and North Macedonia.
At Radio-television Vojvodina, we were hosted by the acting editor-in-chief of the Second Program, Andrea Juhas, who, together with her colleagues, introduced us to the news desks of national minorities. We visited television and radio studios and learned how shows, news and other programs are created. The guests were presented with how rich Vojvodina is in languages, cultures and nations that live and work in the same region together with the majority population.
The aim of the visit was to encourage young people to think about whether the languages and traditions of national minorities should be taught in schools, and they will present their views (for or against) during the upcoming debate.
On that day, we also visited Petrovaradin and introduced the guests to the main tourist attractions of Novi Sad.

Wednesday
The first part of the third day within the Erasmus+ project "Young People Matter" was dedicated to the languages of national minorities, as well as traditions and customs, specifically focused on Easter.
On this occasion, the Croatian Home - Matica opened its doors to the representatives of our school and our partners from the Erasmus+ project. Nataša Francuz, the President of the Education Board, welcomed all the guests, presenting the work of the Croatian National Council. After this activity, we visited the Subotica Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Europe.
In the second part of the day, it was extremely dynamic in our school. The first round of debates was held on the topic "Should the languages and traditions of national minorities be taught in schools?" The contestants were highly motivated to defend their positions, so the judges did not have an easy task to declare the best speakers of the first round of the competition.
Guests and hosts also tried their hand at village games that required agiliity, precision, and team spirit. At the very end of the gathering, with the help of HKPD "Matija Gubec", we danced traditional dances.

Thursday
On the fourth day of the Erasmus+ project, our partners from Romania, North Macedonia, Spain and Portugal visited the sights of Tavankut: the Gallery of the First Naive Colony in Straw Technique, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the "Balažević" Ethno homestead.
After the village tour, the second and third round of debates were organized in the school. At the same time, students who did not participate in the debates attended two workshops: straw-work art and journalism. After learning about the straw-work art process, the workshop participants made unique pendants using straw details. At the journalism workshop, students wrote articles looking back on the previous days.
After the debates and workshops, the students took the guests to their homes where they hosted them and presented the traditional dishes of our region.

Friday
Our school celebrated School Day at the Community Centre in Tavankut. On this occasion, the closing ceremony of the second mobility of the Erasmus+ project was also held.
The program began with the song "Tavankutu, moje selo malo", which was performed by the school choir led by teacher Bela Anišić. Vedran Tikvicki and Sanela Szabo performed a song in Romanian, and then the school choir sang one Spanish, one Portuguese and one Macedonian song, which delighted our guests.
As this international project is dedicated to debates, diplomas were presented to the best teams and best individuals – speakers and all the participants were awarded certificates.
After the event, guests and hosts attended the Valentine's Day celebration in the school gym. With mutual tears due to parting, but also the delight that some of them are seeing snow live for the first time, we waved goodbye to our guests in the hope that they will remember their stay in Tavankut for a long time.

You can see the photos here.

Translation: Miroslav Rauš

Mobility in Romania

Representatives of schools from Portugal, Spain, Romania, North Macedonia and Serbia gathered in Iași, Romania, for the project Young People Matter. This was the first meeting of the partner schools, while the next one is scheduled for February 2025 in Tavankut. Students Teodora Evetović, Anja Gadžur, Simona Davčik, Staša Stanković, Marijana Skenderović, Dušan Urukalo and Andrej Davčik, principal Stanislava Stantić Prćić and teachers Miroslav Rauš, Ivana Horvat and Nevena Ivić represented our school.
On the way to our destination, we visited Bucharest and the largest parliament in Europe. In Iași, we participated in various activities and workshops dedicated to debating, watching and learning from experienced debaters. Our students participated in the debate competition with the topic „The voting age should be lowered to 16". We presented our culture and products characteristic of our region, and had the opportunity to taste Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian and Macedonian specialties. On the way back, we visited Alba Julia, and met up with friends we made in the last Erasmus project. In addition to new knowledge, students made new acquaintances, improved their communication skills and got to know the culture and history of the host country.
During the project, the aforementioned schools will establish their own debate clubs, hold debate competitions for students aged 11 to 15 and workshops for training teachers to use debate in all schools, as well as promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups. You look at the picture gallery.

Translation: Miroslav Rauš

International Meeting GO-CAR-GO PLUS 2023.

Name of the project: Keychain

As part of the last mobility within the Erasmus+ KEYCHAIN project, representatives of our school visited „Curt Nicolin" High School in Finspång, Sweden, together with other partner schools - from Romania and Latvia. Unfortunately, the partners from Turkey could not attend this meeting.
Our school was represented by: principal - Stanislava Stantić Prćić and teachers - Miroslav Rauš, Slavko Benčik, Bela Anišić. Slavica Kovačević and Aleksandar Planić. The goal of the KEYCHAIN project is to increase students' competencies in STEM subjects (mathematics, science, technology) and to show the connection of all these subjects with everyday life, thus making them more accessible and interesting to students.
During the visit, we learned more about the host school, which, as some of our high schools, fosters dual education. With modern equipment, students acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge. Local companies are the majority owner of the school and offer employment after graduation.
During the visit, we also visited the city of Norrköping, which was once the center of the textile industry in Sweden. Many industrial buildings were converted into museums and thus show the former way of life. We also visited the nearby Reijmyre glass factory, where we got to know how art objects are made from glass, and right next to it, we could also see the workshops of old crafts such as blacksmithing and fur-making.
Before returning, we managed to briefly visit the Swedish capital - Stockholm. We visited the old city center and the museums within the Royal Palace, which amazed us with their exquisite settings.
With this activity, a project that lasted for three years, has come to an end. During these three years, students and teachers exchanged experiences and acquired new knowledge, and above all, made new friends all over Europe. You look at the picture gallery.

Text: Miroslav Rauš

Representatives of our school, within the Erasmus+ KEYCHAIN project, visited Gaigalava Elementary School in Latvia, together with other participating schools - from Romania and Sweden. Unfortunately, the partners from Turkey could not attend this meeting. Our school was represented by: school principal - Stanislava Stantić Prćić, teachers - Miroslav Rauš and Biljana Vojnić Hajduk and students - Nemanja Saulić, Maja Matić, Ana Serenče, Nemanja Vojnić Hajduk and Nikolina Jurić.
The goal of the KEYCHAIN project is to increase students' competencies in STEM subjects (mathematics, science, technology). Therefore, during these transnational meetings, a great emphasis is placed on visits to schools and institutions whose field of work is related to STEM subjects. The hosts organized a rich program that fulfilled the goals of our project - the application of subjects in the field of STEM in everyday life, as well as examples of good practice in the host school.
Interactive workshops were organized at the school using modern technology such as microbit devices and Scottie Go!, and we also visited the Technical High School and the Technological Academy in the town of Rezekne. We got to know the marsh ecosystem by walking along the Teirumnīki bog trail, and we also visited the Lūznava Manor, which contains an interactive museum. We saw original works of art made from mechanical parts and old vehicles in the Art Gallery Nester Custom, visited the Basilica of the Assumption in Aglona, played ancient musical instruments in the village museum dedicated to them. We also had a one-day trip to the Latvian capital - Riga, which enchanted us with its diverse architecture and rich history. We walked through the old city center and visited the Motor Museum, where we could see excellently preserved old vehicles.
In addition to new knowledge, students made new acquaintances, improved their communication skills and got to know the culture and history of the host country. We thank the hosts and look forward to the next meeting. You look at the picture gallery.

Text: Miroslav Rauš

Representatives of our school, within the Erasmus+ KEYCHAIN project, visited the school "Kahramanmaraş Sosyal Bilimler Lisesi" in the city of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey, together with other participating schools - from Romania and Latvia. Unfortunately, partners from Sweden could not attend this meeting. Our school was represented by: principal - Stanislava Stantic Prćić, teachers - Miroslav Rauš and Ivana Vuković and students - Jelena Ivanić, Dušan Ištvanov, Darijan Janečić, Lara Prćić and Lara Šegina.
The KEYCHAIN project aims to increase students' competencies in STEM subjects (mathematics, science, technology), therefore, during the visits, a great emphasis is placed on visiting schools and companies related to various STEM subjects. The hosts organized a rich program that fulfilled the goals of our project - the application of subjects in the field of STEM in everyday life, as well as examples of good practice in school related to the teaching of mathematics. We visited 'Şehit İdari Ataşe Galip Özmen Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School' and 'Mükrime Hatun Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School', where we learned about the application of science in textile processing, catering, hairstyling and the production of didactic materials. We visited the Altın Bilgi School, which has a planetarium, as well as the Kipaş Textile Factory. At the host school, the students participated in interesting math workshops where they learned the Turkish game Mangala and arranged geometric shapes in teams using Soma cubes. There wasa reception at the office of the mayor of Kahramanmaras, who presented us with the city's incredible project for EXPO 2023. We also visited the Roman archaeological site of Germanicea, where there are preserved Roman floor mosaics.
One of the main goals of all such meetings is not only to learn new information, but also to learn how to cooperate in multinational groups, to do joint tasks and thus not only acquire new skills, but also break down stereotypes and overcome communication barriers. The students enjoyed their time in Turkey creating new friendships, which we believe will last beyond this project. We are extremely grateful to our hosts in Turkey and are looking forward to meeting again with all partners scheduled for April in Latvia. You can see the photos here.

Contribution of local television on the project.

Text: Miroslav Rauš

Representatives of our school, within the Erasmus+ Keychain project, visited the "Constantin Brâncuși" school in the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania together with other participating schools - from Turkey, Sweden and Latvia. Our school was represented by: principal- Stanislava Stantic Prćić, teachers - Miroslav Rauš and Ivana Vuković and students - Ivana Moravčić, Matea Balaž, Teolinda Glavaš, Marko Balažević and Jonatan Sijanta. Through numerous activities and meetings, as well as workshops, students and teachers fulfilled the intended goals of the project.
During our stay, we visited numerous institutions whose activities are within the area of STEM, which forms the backbone of our project. We visited the company Accenture Software Industrial Solutions, which deals with programming and development of robotics, the Astronomic Observatory of the University "Babes - Bolyai". We also visited the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Geography and Technical University, where students could learn about the application of science in everyday life, such as making medicines and meteorology. We also visited the University Library, the Zoologic Museum and the Botanical Garden, which are also an integral part of the "Babes - Bolyai" University.

The students enjoyed their time in Romania creating new friendships, which we believe will last beyond this project. Apart from socializing with peers from other countries, they also had certain tasks. They were divided into 4 groups and the task of each group was to make a vlog that would show what they saw and experienced during their visit. Many thanks to our hosts in Romania and we look forward to meeting again with all partners, scheduled for November in Turkey. You look at the picture gallery.

Translation: Miroslav Rauš

Name of the project: Keychain

U nastavku aktivnosti Erazmus+ projekta KEYCHAIN ugostili smo partnere iz Švedske, Letonije, Turske i Rumunije.
Učenici i nastavnici su kroz brojne aktivnosti i sastanke, kao i radionice, ispunili predviđene ciljeve projekta.
U sklopu aktivnosti, učesnici su posetili: Tehničku školu „Ivan Sarić” u Subotici i prisustvovali otvarenju Projektne nedelje, Visoku tehničku školu strukovnih studija, gde ih je dočekao direktor ove ustanove Igor Fürstner, te Hemijsku školu u Subotici. Kroz primere dobre prakse razmenjivali su iskustva u sferi prirodnih nauka, tehnike i tehnologije, kao i IT veština i u našoj školi. Pored toga upoznali su i tradiciju i kulturu naše zemlje i upoznali Suboticu i Tavankut.
Posetili su i kompaniju „Flender” i prisustvovali radionicama u našoj školi. Naredna aktivnost će se sprovoditi u Rumuniji, u septembru ove godine. Do tada nastavljamo sa ostalim aktivnostima u sprovođenju projekta i pripremamo se za posetu.
Stvorena su mnoga nova poznanstva, iskustva i želje i potrebe za izgradnjom novih, sličnih projekata. You look at the picture gallery.

Putevima Erasmus-a

Predstavnici naše škole su, u okviru projekta Erazmus+ Keychain, posetili školu „Curt Nicolin” u Finspongu u Švedskoj zajedno sa drugim školama učesnicima - iz Turske, Rumunije i Letonije. Našu školu su predstavljali: direktorica škole - Stanislava Stantić Prćić, nastavnik - Nikola Balažević i učiteljica - Josipa Kojić.
Dogovorene su aktivnosti predviđene projektom, te naredna aktivnost koja će se sprovoditi u maju, u našoj školi. Učitelji i deca iz škola partnera posetiće našu školu od 10. do 14. maja.
Sprovođenjem ovog projekta poboljšaće se kompetencije učenika u STEM-u, povećaće se znanje i svest učesnika o sopstvenim mogućnostima u kontekstu potreba tržišta rada, te će se proširiti njihova sposobnost primene naučnih saznanja u industriji, tehnologiji i upravljanju prirodnim resursima i digitalnoj tehnologiji.
Projekat je namenjen učenicima uzrasta od 12 do 19 godina, koji su suočeni sa izborom daljnjeg obrazovanja. Projektne aktivnosti se zasnivaju na iskorišćavanju industrijskog i naučnog potencijala partnerskih školskih regiona kako bi se učesnicima demonstrirala praktična primena znanja stečenog u školi. U tu svrhu biće organizovana nastava u industrijskim objektima, naučnim centrima, biološkoj laboratoriji, astronomskom opservatorijumu, muzeju tehnike i dr. You look at the picture gallery.