The NA of Flanders chose the Athenaeum van Brakel as laureate for the EITA 2021 based on its innovative approach and EU projects.
In 2015, the school started the Future Classroom LAB project in which new didactic tools, self-regulated education, international projects and collaboration, blended learning, innovative teaching methods and learning spaces were created. In a European strategic partnership with schools from 5 countries, the school continues to innovate.
After a well-deserved vacation, Flemish schools start the new school year from September 1. Here’s what changes on September 1, 2021:
Also, from 1 September 2021 onwards, other corona measures apply than in the previous school year. You can find a complete overview here.
The school calendar dates in Italy are determined by the respective regions. There are small regional differences, with the school term starting earlier in the Northern regions, and later in the South, but it is usually just a matter of days. As more autonomy has been recently given to individual schools, it might also be the case that a school decides to make some minor changes to the yearly calendar.
For example in the province of Bolzano (very close to the Austrian border) students already went back to school on 6 September while the main other ones were from the 13th of September.
The primary objective is to guarantee a reopening in attendance for everyone, or at least for the ones that already have the green pass, according to the Minister of Education Patrizio Bianchi declared.
Among the resources allocated, said the minister, there are 800 million for the school transport issue, invested to increase the supply during peak hours by 20%. The use of masks by students over the age of six has also been confirmed, while with regard to the immunisation of children, „I trust them,“ said the minister, „as demonstrated by the extraordinary response they are giving: between the ages of 16 and 19 we are already at a high level, with over 60% vaccination„.
After more than one year of a forced break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ITKAM – Italian Chamber of Commerce for Germany – is pleased to announce the restart of the Erasmus+ mobility in Germany!
Participation in the mobility projects will allow Italian students aged 17 to 19 years old to experience first-hand the world of work abroad. In addition, participants will be able to test their language skills and experience different cultures and traditions.
In Leipzig 9 students, aged 18-19 years old from Veneto will carry out their internship in the fields of ICT, electrical engineering, mechanics and mechatronics.
In Berlin, ITKAM will host several groups:
– 8 students from Veneto and 16 students from Emilia Romagna, who will do internships in IT, electronics and mechatronics companies.
– 16 students coming from Apulia, who will do an internship in consulting, tourism, marketing companies and in German-Italian kindergartens.
ITKAM is delighted to be able to welcome students again as part of the VET Erasmus+ mobility programme and wishes all the students the best of luck for the start of their adventure abroad!
The educational system was among the most affected by the pandemic. The confinements and distance learning have brought consequences to the learning and well-being of the students. With the aim of recovering and making sure that no one is “left behind”, the Portuguese government approved a “set of measures that are based on educational policies with proven effectiveness in terms of strengthening the autonomy of schools and differentiated educational strategies aimed at promoting school success and, above all, fighting inequalities through education.”
The ”Plano 21|23 Escola+” establishes a set of goals for the next two school years:
The plan is structured in three axes and foresees the implementation of a set of measures to intervene with students in terms of learning recovery, socialization, and their physical and mental well-being, focusing on curricular aspects, school organization, resources of support and community dimensions. The three axes can be described as:
The specific intervention of the plan in the vocational education and training falls under axis 2) Support the educational communities. The plan refers that “vocational education and training has proven to be one of the main instruments for the inclusion of all students. It is probably one of the most fruitful ways for the cooperation between education and economic development.” Thus, it announces that in addition to all of the measures that will be applied to the educational system, VET will have Centres of Technological Specialization for the modernization of Professional Education, in areas of high technological intensity and with potential to induce with potential to induce a high value-added economy; and the provision of resources to improve the students‘ vocational orientation processes of the students.
With this, we know that the start of this school year will bring some news to the schools but also hope that it will be possible to return to school in a safe and normal way. The vaccination of young people in Portugal is proceeding at a good pace, which will simplify the access to many activities. The focus now is to recover what has somehow been lost, choose the best teaching/learning strategies and take care of the well-being of every student.
In the centre of Italy, you can visit the Umbria Region, which is called and well known as “The Green Heart of Italy”. The region is famous for being surrounded by green nature, with small towns and villages and excellent quality of life.
The economy is based on agriculture, farming activities, production of typical products such as truffles, pork products, pulses and cereals.
In the Foligno area, we find an economy with a market vocation and focused on mechanical engineering with numerous companies linked to the aeronautical sector.
Perugia is famous for being the region’s university town and is also home to the University for Foreigners, where students from all over the world come to study. Not far from Perugia you can enjoy and discover the beautiful landscape of Trasimeno Lake with its three very small islands.
Assisi, another small town at the foot of Mount Subasio, is famous for its religious atmosphere, linked to the figure of St. Francis.
Norcia, a small town in the Valnerina area, famous for its pork production, is not far from Castelluccio, a small village in the Apennine Mountains well known for the Flowering that is possible admiring in May and June.
Spello, a small village not far from Assisi, is famous for „Infiorate di Spello„, a manifestation that takes place every year on the occasion of the Corpus Domini feast. Thousand people work incessantly to create carpets and pictures made of flowers along the town’s narrow streets. Floral creations cover streets throughout the historical centre in preparation for the passage of the Blessed Sacrament carried in procession by the bishop on Sunday morning.
Todi, a small city located in the west of the Region, is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.
You can visit the official website to discover all activities, other amazing towns you can visit for your!
www.umbriatourism.it
Portugal may be small in size, but it certainly has a lot to see and offer thanks to its magnificent diversity of landscapes, a rich cultural heritage, delicious cuisine and unique combination of tradition and contemporaneity.
The VET schools from the Portuguese National Network are in many parts of the country, including the islands and all of these locations have fantastic things to see and are great destinations to visit.
THE NORTH
Caminha is a charming town in the north of Portugal, located at the mouth of the Minho River and the border with Spain. This region is blessed by nature and it can surprise any tourist. The region offers itineraries for those who want mountains, maritime and fluvial beaches, as well as historical and cultural attractions. Around Caminha, there are still traces of civilizations from pre and proto-historic times, such as rock carvings, dolmens and fortified settlements. There are many leisure areas, historical monuments and viewpoints to discover with beautiful landscapes.
Fafe, a rural town in the northwest of Portugal, is a short distance from the city of Guimarães. Known as the Room of Visits of Minho, Fafe is located between the rivers of Vizela and Ferro and is recognized for its gastronomy, cultural heritage and natural beauty. To the surprise of many, this city hides more than one might expect, from stone-built houses to green areas.
Guimarães is the cradle city of Portugal, where D. Afonos Henriques, first king of Portugal, was born. The historic centre, an area within the city walls, is associated to the formation and identity of the country. It was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, based on the values of originality and authenticity with which it was restored. Even today, the city has a harmonious and preserved patrimonial set that shows in the graceful iron balconies, granite balconies and porches, manor houses, arches that connect narrow streets, floor slabs, smoothed by time, towers and cloisters. For a moment, you can imagine yourself in a medieval setting!
Less than an hour away from the city of Porto, Felgueiras has endless reasons to be visited, from its gastronomy, cultural heritage to its traditions. You can explore a bit more of the countryside of Portugal through the monuments of the Romanesque Route, the traditional embroidery, the famous” Pão de Ló de Margaride” and the green wines.
Lixa is located right next to Felgueiras and it is popularly called “Terra Verde” (Green Land). Similarly to Felgueiras, this city has a cultural and gastronomic heritage truly rich and diverse. Is an obligatory stop on this itinerary and certainly enriching and delicious!
Matosinhos, one of the largest cities in the district of Porto, has a large area bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and is a city with a great industrial development, which seeks to maintain its popular traditions at the same time. From the sea to the table, the architecture and the monuments, Matosinhos is an unavoidably delightful city.
The already famous city of Porto is a fascinating city, situated on the slopes of the Douro River. It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its beautiful monuments and historic buildings, such as the imposing “Sé” or the “Torre dos Clérigos”. Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and has superb views of the world-famous Port Wine Cellars on the opposite bank of the river in Vila Nova de Gaia. Although largely industrialized, Porto offers a harmonious synthesis of ancient and contemporary attractions.
CENTER
Many people have never heard of it, but Espinho is a very interesting Portuguese city. It has about 8 kilometers of beach, a must for those who like surfing and beach weather, but it is also a cosmopolitan city with an interesting heritage and a booming tourist industry. Visiting Espinho is really a wonderful experience – have lunch (try fresh fish!), go for a swim or surf, relax at the beach or go for a walk and enjoy the view!
Arrifana is a Portuguese village in the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira. It is a historic and secular land, proud of its historical past. It is highly industrialized, where traditional footwear and leather goods factories prevail, but where the metalworking industry also occupies a prominent place, particularly in the manufacture of machinery for the footwear industry.
ALENTEJO
Elvas, the „Queen of the Border“ is one of the hidden treasures in Alentejo. Its strategic position, near the border with Spain, contributed to its military history. It was classified by UNESCO, in 2012, as World Heritage Site for being a border and garrison city and for its many fortifications. In fact, the city houses the largest fortification in the world, has a religious heritage with about 40 churches and convents and more than 20 military buildings!
ISLANDS
Ponta Delgada started out as a simple fishing village, but soon began to play the role of the main port of the island of São Miguel. Today, Ponta Delgada is a cosmopolitan, outward-looking city with an active economic and cultural life. With a history of more than five centuries and precious testimonies of the past, Ponta Delgada is a multifaceted city where tradition coexists with the present day and with the tranquillity of an Azorean life.
Funchal is unique for its diversity, from the sea to the mountains, from fruits to flowers and from embroidery to basket cars. Located in the south of Madeira Island, the city can be easily visited on foot in one or two days. Funchal is a city with a history of more than 500 years, which gives it a very engaging and charming historical context, dominated by a powerful landscape between the sea and the majestic mountains.
Caring Authentic Progressive Education, with this project, gives 6 chemistry students the opportunity to do an internship abroad.
They work together with partners in Istanbul, where two students do an internship in a company linked to the school, and Lleida, Spain where students do internships in chemical companies nearby. The preparation is done through an eTwinning project with the partners. Participation in the Erasmus+ program fits in the continuous improvement of the internationalization policy within our educational project.
At the end of this school year, which has been strongly characterised by the difficulties linked to the situation we are all experiencing, we can nevertheless highlight some positive aspects.
A novelty with respect to last year was the experimentation of workshops in presence during the period of confinement: workshops in ceramics, drawing and painting, music, photography, cinema, motor skills, English, civic education, computer science and robotics for BES pupils. This was an initiative which, through the methodology of Cooperative Learning and practical activities, enabled our children not to lose their sense of belonging to the school community, thus counteracting the isolation imposed by the pandemic.
Moreover, some of the activities that could not be carried out in person were replaced by online events. One of the most significant and engaging events was the international Virtual Debate, in which pupils from our school met American, Japanese, French, Spanish and German students to discuss ‚Youth Activism‘.
Another initiative that kept pupils and teachers in touch and enriched the Institute’s cultural offer was the ‚Parole e Bit‘ event: a series of weekly online meetings on various topics (History, Physics, Art, Tourism…).
In spite of the resources deployed, distance has severely penalised the laboratories and Erasmus mobilities that characterise our Technical Institute. In order to „resist“ the heavy situation, teachers and students continued to work online: physical mobilities were replaced by remote meetings and activities on the e-twinning platform were strengthened, both by increasing the number of e-twinning projects and by using the platform to support the various ongoing European projects.
The traditional Europe Day, which our school, as a European Parliament Ambassador School, has been organising for a few years now, also took place online. With the help of our students, guided by teachers, school technicians and external experts, a special day was organised with 19 schools in the network and speeches by experts and personalities from the European Union.
To conclude this brief review, it can be said that more and better could certainly be done, but the effort of the whole school community to lighten the burden of distance and find opportunities even in this difficult time must also be stressed.
The Pertini Institute of Afragola in the province of Naples continues to persevere in its MISSION, setting itself the goal of ensuring that its students achieve educational success, even more so during this difficult period in history.
For this reason, using part of the resources provided by the State to implement the „School Plan for Summer 2021“ and those of the Institute Fund, thanks to the passion and tenacity of its teachers, has given rise to a new project for the Professional Institute of Social and Health Care articulation dental technician. This project, called DENTAL-CAD and intended for classes III and IV, is aimed at developing the students‘ digital skills as well as methodologies and laboratory activities.
The project aims to promote the development of disciplinary skills but also, and above all, of relational skills, which have been particularly affected by the restrictive measures to which schools have had to adhere as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, by means of specific measures to be carried out entirely in the dental technician’s laboratory at the NS Institute, including the purchase of consumables and equipment suitable for carrying out these activities. Its aim is in fact to give students laboratory experiences that can strengthen and increase the skills they have already acquired and bridge the training gap related to distance learning.
The students work in small heterogeneous groups in cooperative-learning and tutoring mode through the realisation of reality tasks to be carried out by means of both digital and analogue practical exercises closely interconnected.
Laptops, scanner and 3D printer and the CAD software Meshmixer are used for digital activities. The project aims at the modelling of the upper posterior teeth and the design and wax modelling of an upper and lower skeletal structure.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
Agreement number: Nr 608964-EPP-1-2019-1-IT-EPPKA3-VET-NETPAR