This project supports our Erasmus+ project.
The project focuses on the heart of the European way of life, our shared cultural heritage, which defines who we are.
Cultural heritage surrounds us in towns and cities as well as natural landscapes, in stories, music, literature, art, monuments, crafts, food, etc. lt has been passed on by our ancestors and it is our task now to keep it to design our future.
Exploring cultural heritage of different countries will help participants recognise that diversity is our richness and strength. It will strengthen our sense of belonging to a common European family, which is important in times of nationalist movements rising all over Europe.
The aim of the project is to encourage participants to explore Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, to reflect on its role in our lives, and recognise how our different cultures are interwoven and complement, enrich and strengthen each other.
Aim and methodology of the project are clearly stated in it's name: HIKE - Heritage, Identity, Knowledge, Exploration. Exploring and experiencing our shared cultural heritage inside and outside the classroom participants do not only expand their knowledge but also realise how cultural heritage contributes to building our identity. They understand that our various identities can enrich a European identity and thus strengthen social cohesion.
The project links experiencing and appreciating biodiversity and natural heritage through a hike, i.e. short-term exchanges of groups of students, with exploring other forms of cultural heritage. Participants will learn about history through monuments and architecture, taste and prepare traditional cuisine, visit museums, dance and enjoy music together.
In Reunion - HIKE 1 - participants will hike in Mafate, where slaves lived and visit the caves of the first French settlers and the volcano.
In Sweden - HIKE 2 -participants will hike in the county of Lapland and experience outdoor learning and living.
In Germany - HIKE 3 - participants will hike on the Rennsteig, a world-famous hiking trail, visit the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Wartburg where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German and the contemporary German language was born.
To round up the project and reflect on European identity we will visit Brussels and European institutions during 'HIKE 4'
Collaborative work during the hikes and the accompanying eTwinning project, reflection on activities and the creation of products, which can be used for future teaching and learning, help participants to improve several skills, e.g. critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication in native and foreign languages, digital skills.
The project is structured in several steps, carried out in national and multinational teams:
1) preparing the hike
Participants reflect in national teams on their cultural heritage, choose topics to work on during hikes. They upload a presentation to eTwinning which will be used by the other partners to create a quiz.
2) hike
Participants explore the cultural heritage of the host country/region. A combination of outdoor learning and developing digital and foreign language skills to collaboratively document and disseminate shared experience will enhance learning. Visiting European institutions in Brussels will contribute to participants' understanding of European identity.
3) learning from the hike
Participants collaboratively create e-books, magazine, games to document their learning experience and to be used for future teaching and learning.
Pupils will be active in planning, implementing and disseminating activities and products, which will foster entrepreneurship. Pupils will also take responsibility for parts of the Twinspace as pupil administrators. Those three steps will repeat for Hike 1-3. Hike 4 will be planned by pupils after thorough research about Brussels and be based on what pupils have learned during the first three exchanges.
In addition to short-term exchanges of groups of pupils three short-term staff training activities will help schools to stay innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Each of the participating schools will host a training activity, according to their special expertise, outdoor learning, CLIL, digital learning with eTwinning