1. Project Meeting in Jakobstads 22nd – 26th November 2012
P r o p o s a l
for
COMENIUS Multilateral School Partnerships

2. Title: The World within Arm`s Reach You must be the change you wish to see in the world Mahatma Gandhi
Background
Individual European countries – no matter what the level of development they have achieved – need to meet their contemporary challenges both locally and globally. While solutions to many problems can be found on the global stage (e.g., best practices in education, diplomacy, economic, and social programming), these problems can only truly be addressed at the country- and even community-level. Such a dynamic demands educated and capable community and civic leaders who can motivate and inspire others to action. Countries in transition need civic and community leaders who not only possess a vision for change, but also have the practical skills and networks that can help move their local societies forward. Daniel Libeskind

3. Project Goals:
The World within Arm`s Reach Project is for European partner school leaders to improve their capacity for local community intervention and problem-solving and be ambassadors for increased mutual understanding.
Project Objectives:
Making students familiar with civic responsibilities, cultures, traditions, shaping tolerance and understanding within European partner schools` countries
Developing the ability to communicate, respecting the diversities and finding common values by getting the students involved in a wide range of interactive activities in order to enable them to gain greater awarness of their own cultural values and national heritage.
Project participants/School leaders:
Build and strengthen sustainable networks with European colleagues and institutions,
Increase their sense of civic responsibility, commitment to European understanding and cooperation, and develops young leaders best practices, models, and strategies to address challenges in their school community,
Strengthen their management, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

4. Project Activities:
The students prepare presentations to study the following cultural aspects:
(so as to create a cultural profiling for each partner school, which will be shown to the European counterparts).
Topics (they are subject to change) 1. National Leaders 2. Stereotypes 3. Respect for authorities 4. Geography and History 5. Festivals and Celebrations 6. Customs 9. The Europe of values.
Preparing maps, collages and information on each country civic and diplomatic institutions and their role in the community.
Staging series of lessons devoted to the life of great national and European leaders/diplomats.
Visiting partners` civic institutions (for example: US Consulate General in Kraków for Diplomacy Lessons), cultural places: connected with covered topics: 1.National Leaders 2. Stereotypes 3. Respect for authorities 4. Geography and History 5. Festivals and Celebrations 6. Customs 9. The Europe of values).
Organising the savoir vivre workshops: savoir vivre at school, savoir vivre in public places, savoir vivre in diplomacy, savoir vivre at the table, savoir vivre in business (conducting each one in one partner school).
Organising the meetings with local leaders/diplomats to answer the question: What makes a good leader?

5. Project activities:
Organising the Oxford debate between partner schools on the following thesis (they are subject to change):
I A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.
Harry S. Truman
II. Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot. Clarence Thomas
III. A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
IV. In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. Bill Cosby
Organising trips and sightseeing in the European Parliament and other counterpartners` institutions that support civic programmes, diplomacy and national and European leaders.
Organising the workshop on learnt values for school students by project participants=leaders

6. Project outcomes
The two-year project will let schools to study some cultural aspects and civic duties – existing in partner countries - so as to create their own cultural profiling. At fixed deadlines, the multimedia presentations, organised workshops, civic meetings, local visits, and conducted debates produced on particluar cultural and civic aspects will be exchanged and used by each school to develop a greater awarness of the target cultures and give the base to the students to become great European leaders with good manners and open minds.

7. Thank you for your attention.
Anna Krzemińska-Kaczyńska
Kraków, Poland