Comenius project

The Comenius programme is a programme of the European Union aimed at bringing students in different European countries together. The target group is young people aged 14-19. It is named after the educationist Comenius.

Funding is given one-year projects aimed at bringing European students, from different countries, together and to help European students have a better understanding of their own country as well as the other countries involved in the project.

Students aged between 14 and 19 are welcome to join the project. In England, the project is more commonly available to sixth formers. Every year, a new project begins, and every year there are two meetings.

Examples

Some previous projects have included making board games AbOUT the various different countries, or a newspaper on moving across borders between countries.

Application process

Funding applications are usually successful. Flights, accommodation, meals, living costs, tourist visits, and transport can be paid for. The countries involved in the project must all submit a project proposal and three of those proposals must be accepted in order to get funding. Without funding, many issues arise, mainly because teachers and students have to pay for everything by themselves, which can result in some countries not being able to attend the meetings.

Meetings

The first meeting is specified for co Ordinators - two or three students chosen from each country - are sent to the designated country of the meeting - of which the location varies every year, and usually occurs in the winter/autumn seasons of the year. This meeting allows for the confident or experienced students to meet and discuss a blueprint for the project together. The idea of this meeting is to signify the beginning of a new project and allows the co ordinators to then return home and feedback to the other students about the project and the people.

The second meeting is open for as many people as possible and is also known as the final meeting. The final meeting - like the co ordinators' meeting - varies in location each year and occurs in the spring season - March or April. In the final meetings students are able to co operate with other cultures on a large scale. This meeting usually involves the co ordinators discussing what has already happened in terms of the project and the other students work together to help get the project complete.

Similar programmes

The EU also runs schemes to encourage the European dimension of the curriculum for students on vocational courses (apprentices mobility) and for students in higher education.