School exchange programme between France and Italy

Countries: France, Italy
Border(s): France-Italy-Monaco,
Territories:
Alps-Mediterranean Euroregion,
European programme(s):
Interreg IIIA - France-Italy (ALCOTRA)
Topic(s):
- Education, training and languages
- Société civile

Lead partner: Comunita Montana Valli Chisone e Germanasca

Partners

In Italy:

• La Comunità Montana Alta Val Susa (the High Val Susa Mountain Community)
• La Comunità Montana Bassa Val Susa (the Low Val Susa Mountain Community)
• La Comunità Montana Val Sangone (the Val Sangone Mountain Community)

In France:

• La Communauté de Communes du Briançonnais (the Briançon Municipal Community)
• La Communauté de Communes du Pays des Ecrins (the Pays des Ecrins Municipal Community)
• La Communauté de Communes du Queyras (the Queyras Municipal Community)
• La Communauté de Communes de Haute-Maurienne Vanoise (the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise Municipal Community)
• Le SIVOM de Modane (the Modane SIVOM)
• La Communauté de Communes du Guillestrois (the Guillestrois Municipal Community)

Project goals

The main objectives of this project are:

• to improve knowledge of the French and Italian languages in the Hautes Vallées area,
• to strengthen the sense of belonging to the cross-border area,
• to improve the training system through the exchange of knowledge and experience between French and Italian teachers,
• to eventually set up a network of cross-border schools, the starting point of which would be regular exchanges between Italian and French schools.

Multimedia resources and communication systems are employed to achieve these objectives.

Target group(s)

Primary school children in the area concerned.

Project activities

The project mainly consists of exchanges of the following types:

• Exchanges on particular themes: An annual meeting on a theme chosen at the beginning of the school year. The theme for the first year will be: ´"La montagne et l´eau" (Mountains and water). 300 Italian children and 200 French children will take part.
• Sporting exchanges (athletics, team sports and cycling): Two annual meetings in specially equipped sports centres. 200 Italian children and 150 French children will take part in these meetings.
• Cultural exchanges:

- School activities (further development and specific research on various themes; e-mail correspondence between the participating schools, in Italian and French; Internet exchanges: a small newspaper published on the Internet).
- Activities in the Hautes Vallées area: Two annual school outings, which will take place in museums and the area´s heritage sites and will consist of targeted educational visits and activities. 200 Italian children and 150 French children will take part.- Activities and exchanges between the two countries: Two days per year, organised on the theme of culture, and which will consist of visits to heritage sites and exchanges on the Italian and French language. The following groups will take part in these meetings: 200 Italian children and 150 French children.
- Exchanges and training activities for teachers from both countries: Six exchanges per year are planned for the French contingent and twenty for the Italian contingent, each lasting one week. During the week´s exchange, the Italian teacher will work in France and vice versa. The aim is to understand and apply the various programmes and methods of teaching used in the neighbouring country.

• Exchanges focused on the environment: One annual school outing to parks in the area, dedicated to educational activities and focused on an environmental and ecological theme. 200 Italian children and 150 French children will take part.

Project duration

09/2003 - 06/2006

Total cost

260 956 €

EU funding

117 325 €