Gemeinsame Zukunft in Europa

Common future in Europe
Gemeinsame Zukunft in Europa_ Skupna Prihodnost v Evropi

The idea of the project

For six years now the WI’MO has been offering a course for asylum seekers with the aim to help them participate in the Austrian educational system. A major motivation for this project was our daily experience with these refugees. As migration is also a current topic in Slovenia we quickly found a partner. The high school “Slovenske Konjice” with 15 students (fifth and sixth grade with lessons in German) and two teachers, as well as the WI’MO with 14 students of the “Culture and Media Lab Studies” of the third year and 10 students of the course for asylum seekers (aged 15 to 20) as well as 6 teachers took part in the project.
We expected to develop more respect for each other through the intensive discussion of the topic of migration in Europe, but also through the direct contact with the refugees. We worked with creative means to diminish fear of contact and to strengthened the European idea with the adolescents. In addition, it was our aim to create a deeper understanding of cultural and national differences as well as to develop openness and tolerance.
Another aim was to strengthen foreign language skills. The working languages during the project were German (important for the Slovene students and the migrants) and English. By using digital media (photo, film, webpage, Augmented Reality, etc.) the competences of the students were fostered in these fields.

Before the start of the project the students were introduced to the topic of the project. In the following six workshop units – to be held alternately in Austria and Slovenia – material for a big exhibition at the end of the project was developed in cooperation with artists. Due to Covid19, the sixth workshop and the exhibition had to be canceled and changed to an online presentation.
The intensive cooperation of all project partners was expected to improve the respective school climate as well as the exchange between the students in a sustainable way. By way of analysis of the topic of migration in Europe, but also the involvement of asylum seekers in European projects like this one, we started a sustainable integration process and fostered a deeper understanding of the adolescents for each other. The work on cultural and national differences and characteristics enabled to develop openness and tolerance for the other. The creative means that were used in the project diminished fear of contact and strengthened the European idea with the adolescents.

Erste Teamsitzung in Sowenien
Prvi sestanek ekipe v Sloveniji
First teammeeting in Slovenia

Fact Finding
Mission
Februar 2018

Im Februar trafen sich die österreichischen und slowenischen Professorinnen zur Besprechung und Organisation der fünf gemeinsam geplanten Treffen, die in den darauffolgenden zwei Jahren stattfinden sollten.

Februarja 2018 so se avstrijski in slovenski profesorji sestali, da bi razpravljali in organizirali pet skupno načrtovanih srečanj, ki naj bi potekala v naslednjih dveh letih.

In February 2018, the Austrian and Slovenian teachers met to discuss and organize the six planned meetings that should take place over the following two years.

Beim ersten Treffen stand die soziale Komponente und das emotionale Eintauchen in das Thema "Zuzug in den europäischen Raum" im Vordergrund.
Am Anreisetag begrüßten wir die slowenischen Schüler*innen mit Kaffee und Keksen am Hauptbahnhof Klagenfurt. Gemeinsam gingen wir zu unserer Schule, wo sie vom Direktor mit herzlichen Worten empfangen wurden. In unserer Betriebsküche war im Anschluss an das offizielle Willkommen ein Mittagessen für die Gäste vorbereitet.

Na prvem srečanju smo v ospredje postavili socialno komponento in čustveni »vstop« na temo »Dostop v Evropski prostor«.
Prvi dan smo pričakali dijake in dijakinje iz Slovenije in jih pozdravili s kavico in piškoti na glavni železniški postaji v Celovcu.
Skupaj smo odšli do šole, kjer nas je prisrčno pozdravil in sprejel direktor šole WI'MO.
V šolski kuhinji so nam pripravili uradno dobrodošlico in pripravili kosilo za vse goste.

At the first meeting, the social component and the emotional immersion in the topic “The Move to the European Area” were in the foreground.
On the day of arrival, the slovenian group was welcomed with coffee and cake at the train station in Klagenfurt.
We went to school together, where the director welcomed them with warm words
After the official welcome, a meal was prepared for the guests in our school restaurant.

Danach zeigten wir ihnen unsere Schule und führten sie durch unsere Heimatstadt. Die wichtigsten Ereignisse und Sehenswürdigkeiten von Klagenfurt wurden von uns Schülern präsentiert. Auch das Stadttheater stand am Programm. Zum Abschluss begleiteten wir unsere Gäste in ihr Hotel und freuten uns auf den nächsten Tag.

Potem smo jim pokazali našo šolo in jih popeljali po domačem mestu. Dijaki so predstavili znamenitosti in pomembnejše dogodke. Obiskali smo tudi mestno gledališče. Goste smo pospremili do hotela in se veselili naslednjega skupnega dne.

Then we showed them our school and took them through our hometown. There our students presented the most important events and sights of Klagenfurt.
The city theater was also part of the program. Finally, we accompanied our guests to their hotel and looked forward to the next day.