Liceul Teoretic "Aurel Lazar"

"Aurel Lazar" Secondary School is a relatively new educational institution (founded in 1990) located in the center of Oradea - a town in the western part of Romania. The 457 students (aged 10-18) are organized in 20 classes disposed on two levels: lower secondary and upper secondary with theoretic branches: Mathematics - I T, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. On both levels there are classes with special English orientation very popular with students and parents. 

The school provides good learning facilities  for the students (e. g. three foreign languages: English, French, German, visual arts and music classes, dancing and theatre club, etc.) and organizes a range of extra-curricular activities: sports, cultural, volunteering, free time, etc. The educational process is performed in 20 classrooms, 3 IT labs, 1 Chemistry lab,  1 Physics lab, 1 Biology lab, 3 Language labs, 2 small gymnasiums, 1 fitness room with multi-trainer, stationary bike and stepper. More than 15,000 volumes are displayed on the shelves of the school library.

The school has a hostel and a canteen (it is a boarding-school); 29 % of the students belong to families residing in rural areas.

The school is staffed by 43 teachers who prepare the students for the upper-secondary admission exams, for the final national exam and for further studies in higher education. 

Liceul Teoretic Aurel Lazar

Some of the missions of our institution are: to shape cooperative, understanding, active students and staff with a first-hand knowledge of European realities (social, cultural, territorial, etc.) and to make them notice differences and similarities between them; to provide students with abilities to be competitive and sustainable in a permanent changing Europe and to motivate them so as to uncover their capacity to manage great works of self and team; to involve the staff in activities directed towards knowing other educational systems, exchanging of experience, sharing of good practice. 

The school is open to the realities of the region and it aims at trying to make the students aware of the European dimension of everyday reality and to prepare them to be active European citizens who live and will work in a multicultural and multilingual  European environment.

The school board, the students' council and the parents' association strongly support the European activity of the school (the motto of international cooperation in our school is "Teaching for knowing the world and meeting the world for understanding its complexity") as our town is situated on the western border of the country and contacts with foreigners are very frequent, consequently by strengthening the European dimension via European educational projects the institution can more easily and actively equip students with social, civic, language competences and a proper behaviour so necessary to understand the codes of conduct and customs in different cultural environments, to show tolerance, respect and appreciation of difference, rejection of violence, a sense of belonging to Europe.

As our town is situated a few kilometers from the state border, the flow of foreign tourists and foreign investors is increasing as Oradea and its surroundings display a wide range of sights worth visiting. In the last few years many graduates have chosen to attend the courses of the Tourism Faculty with the hope to find a job in the field. So, it is vital for our students: to have good knowledge of the area with everything it displays and a clear perspective of what it offers with special attention towards the natural environment; to be proficient users of foreign languages and to be confident when using English in out-of-school milieu; to have European behaviour when in touch with foreigners.  The students' active involvement in the project activities will help them: enrich knowledge about partner countries and their natural beauties and values; develop  good command of English (communication skills) and to acquire the basics of the languages of the partners; travel to other countries; exchange ideas and experience with foreigners - students, teachers, students' parents, other people; widen their cultural horizon; have first-hand contacts with the European reality; feel Europeans.

Our school has been working on European projects for many years so we have gained some experience in the field - both within multi- and bilateral Comenius partnerships.  The  teachers have participated in Socrates/Lifelong Learning Programme conferences, contact seminars and training courses. At institutional level there is a team of teachers who have already worked on European projects and who speak English, have project management skills and are eager to participate in European projects. Some other teachers would  like to join the team as they are willing to contribute to the strengthening of the European dimension of the school.

More precisely, the team will include teachers of English, IT, Arts, PE, Geography and heads.

Istituto di Istruzione Superiore "Caminiti - Trimarchi"

Our school institution is made up of four different study specializations – scientific, classical, professional and language secondary school, with a total student population of about 1000 pupils.

The school operates in a territory which includes several towns in the province of Messina, with different cultural, social and economic features. The area spans from the sea to the valleys of Nisi, Agrò and Alcantara.

In this context, the school institution has been representing for years a cultural reference of major importance, whose primary purpose is educational. The school is also engaged in a broader mission, though, bound to the labour market, which is, today more than ever, competitive and prospected towards internationalization, information technology and globalization.

Our Liceo Scientifico and Linguistico situated in Giardini Naxos has about 200 students and is particularly devoted to cultural and international events, according to the tourist vocation and to the culturtal, historical and literary liveliness of the area.

Caminiti - Trimarchi

 

Our school cooperates with several foundations and organizations for the management and implementation of cultural, literary and environmental activities both at school and outside the institution. The study of  our classical tradition and history, being Giardini Naxos the first Greek colony in Sicily, enriches our students' awareness thanks to the direct contact with archaeological sites such as the Ancient Greek Theatre in Taormina and the Archaeological Park in Naxos.

The natural surroundings of our area also offers our students the opportunity to deal both with marine and mountainous environments, in order to carry out curricular studies and extra-curricular projects.

The persons involved in the project have the right skills and expertise for the planned activities. The cross curricular dimension is given by the participation in the project of teachers of several school subjects, such as foreign languages, natural science, physics and humanities.

Senior High School of Thesprotiko

The senior high school of Thesprotiko is located in Thesprotiko, Preveza. There are 90 students and 15 educators working in it. Students are 15-18 years old and they attend humanitarian subjects, maths and science. A special characteristic of the school is that it "hosts" students that come from mountainous villages of the area and as result they have great difficulty in both transportation from and to the school and in having access in outdoor activities. Specifically, a rather big amount of students shows a great educational need due to their living conditions. This means that our students live in remote villages with few residents without particular access to new technologies and outdoor activities. The only way out of this limited living is our school and the opportunities it provides to them. What satisfies us is the fact that these students are always willing to participate in school activities. A second characteristic of the school is the high percentage of immigrant students. These children have socialized to a great degree but there have been incidents of marginal behavior, too.      

 

Senior High School of Thesprotiko

Our school has organized a great deal of activities related to environmental and humanitarian issues. Specifically it is a partner of the European paths E4 & E6 net of the Educational Environmental Center in Maronia Greece. Also, it cooperates with the local cultural and environmental associations as well as the hiking clubs of Preveza in order to explore the local paths. Through projects students study the local paths from ancient to modern times. The school organizes hiking trips and generally involves students in activities in nature. 

The European Path E6 in Maronia Greece

Also, the High school of Thesprotiko organizes seminars and semi seminars about the environment in relation to humanitarian values. Indeed our school promotes critical thinking by showing all aspects, religious, scientific, humanitarian, of different issues.
Also the school organizes nature labs in the sea, rivers, lakes of the region. So, teachers try to expand the cognitive skills and work towards experiential learning. In this direction, students organize exhibitions and bazaars where they show their business skills and create things from recycled objects or land art, and thus promote the local products.
As far as the humanitarian values are concerned, the school opens up in society through a collaboration with series of social organizations where students offer their services and show charity to children in need.
The persons involved have the right skills and expertise. Specifically, an economics teacher, a literature teacher, a science teacher and an English language teacher take part in the program giving it a cross curricular dimension.