As time passed, and with the meeting getting closer day by day, our excitement was more than obvious. Not only were we about to discuss and plan on such an interesting topic, as cultural heritage is, but also be a part of a multi-dimensional team. So, on the 12th of May, with our mood at its best from Nicosia’s breezy morning, we met at last; 12 people from 6 different organizations, coming from 4 different countries. Dr. Stylianos Mavromoustakos, Director of ‘IDEP Life Long Learning’ (European Project Management Institution – Life Long Learning, Cyprus) honored our meeting, making an introduction on the importance of Erasmus+ Projects, and in particular for the i-School project. The venue was the ecstatic Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, a museum exhibiting treasures of the country. After the first minutes of formalities, the ice was shred to pieces, and we all felt as if we knew each other from long ago! Team spirit and collaboration set the tone of i-School’s Kick – Off Meeting. Professionalism and high quality standards by all, took care of the rest.
The i-School Project
The i-School Project comes at a time where the need for transformation and redefinition of Education is more obvious than ever. And it is not only about Covid. We are standing in front of a new age of educational practices, with the utilization of innovative methods and digital tools, offering education a gateway to the future. The i-School project carves the road towards that direction, and the 2-day long Kick – Off Meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus could not have been a better start. The main focus of the meeting was of course the introduction and implementation of Cultural Heritage in primary and secondary schools’ everyday practices, by creating a concrete network between schools and Cultural Institutions and Organizations (museums, national parks, historic monuments, and sites etc.), as well as empower educators on engaging students on the subject. Training courses, an e-learning platform, and an educational video-game, are just a few of the project’s main points.
The Meeting
12th of May, 2022
At the beginning of the meeting’s 1st day, each partner made a short introduction of their organization. A broad and diverse team, the meeting of which was opened with a welcoming speech by the Director of ‘IDEP Life Long Learning’ (European Project Management Institution – Life Long Learning, Cyprus) Dr. Stylianos Mavromoustakos. The main focus of ‘IDEP Life Long Learning’ is the management of funds granted to Cyprus through the Erasmus+ Initiative, by the European Commission, for the participation of Cypriot beneficiaries in EU funded Projects of Innovation, Education and Training. The rest of the team included ‘Eurosuccess’ from Cyprus, the ‘Bank Of Cyprus Cultural Foundation’ from Cyprus, ‘p-consulting.gr’ from Greece, the ‘Antalya Provincial Directorate for National Education’ from Turkey, the ‘Patrizio Paoletti Foundation’ from Italy, and the ‘Olympion’ school from Cyprus. A rather interesting discussion was built, regarding the project’s results, the dissemination of the project to the target groups (students, teachers, schools, etc.), as well as questions that needed to be examined.
13th of May, 2022
On the 2nd and last day of the meeting, we dived into deeper waters, examining possible risks and dangers that might come up, creating at the same time a fully-fledged Risk Management Plan, on how to tackle such issues. Quality control, monitoring and evaluation of the project was also thoroughly discussed, in order to secure the high-quality of the deliverables. We took the last hour of the meeting in order to review everything, make sure that the steps and procedures are clear to everyone, and define the upcoming activities and meetings. After certainty was drawn on everybody’s face, we could finally relax (for a bit). And that was it. We summed everything up, had a quick coffee to relax, enjoyed the tour through the beautiful Old Town of Nicosia, and took our way home.
We are at the beginning of an amazing journey. Its name is i-School, and it is going to deliver:
- Online Course for Primary and Secondary School Teachers
- Cultural Heritage Toolkit
- E-Learning Platform
- Digital Game “Cultural Warriors”
Visit i-School’s website for more!
Stay tuned, more is coming!
