Going ahead with Euro-Med

The project, led by the City of Munich Department of Education, Teacher Development Centre (Paedagogisches Institut), aimed at promoting intercultural awareness and competence for teachers who are actively involved in international youth exchange between schools in the Euro – Mediterranean region. Exchanges of this nature require a very special sensitivity as to the individual cultures, religious.
backgrounds and ways of interaction. They are a challenge both to teachers and students faced with different, often unknown ways of life and in most cases very different family structures.
Teachers who are involved in school exchanges are generally required to be familiar with various intercultural aspects. However, a busy schedule at school and the extra time needed to make sure the logistics of an exchange are working, often neglect the fact that very careful preparation and thought also needs to be given to all the aspects of intercultural communication and learning.
The training seminar was based on experience with teacher development seminars for Munich teachers on intercultural learning but focused on a very direct and immediate interaction between teachers from Germany, Jordan, Catalonia and Croatia and Israel. Knowledge about tools and methods to secure a successful youth exchange were the main content of the seminar. Moreover, a seminar between educators of these countries created an atmosphere of mutual respect, tolerance, new forms of cooperation and last not least a vision of a dialogue between cultures that needs to be promoted continuously in our educational institutions.
Irenia was one of the partners and its team was in charge of part of the training program and four Catalan teachers form different High schools could participate. The project was funded by Anna Lindh Foundation.

A complete report of the seminar can be downloaded here