Erasmus+ Schools-Only Partnerships have changed to School Exchange Partnerships for 2018. If your school wants to expand its international outlook, improve language learning through real life experience, visit eTwinning partners or start a new partnership with a European school, it’s now even easier to arrange exchanges of pupils and staff, through a streamlined application process. Here are some details:
- Eligible schools, plus colleges involved in secondary education, can send groups of pupils on short-term exchanges, accompanied by staff, lasting from three days to two months excluding travel days, instead of the minimum five day period offered before. For long-lasting partnerships and bigger life experiences, schools can also offer long-term exchanges of between two months and a year for pupils aged over 14.
- Schools can send staff on short-term joint training events of three days to two months, excluding travel days, and long-term teaching or training assignments of between two months and one year.
- Partnerships must involve a minimum of two and a maximum of six schools, from at least two programme countries.
- Funding is limited to €16,500 per school per year of the project.
- Projects will last between 12 and 24 months, except projects organising long-term exchanges of pupils, which may last up to three years, depending on the project and the applicant’s request.
- Projects should start between 1 September and 31 December 2018.
- Schools can choose to be the lead organisation or a partner in a project led by an organisation from another participating programme country. The lead organisation applies to the Erasmus+ National Agency in their country for funding on behalf of the project as a whole.
- The deadline for applications is Wednesday 21 March at 11am (UK time)
Aims
The main goal of School Exchange Partnerships is to strengthen the European dimension in the participating schools, to build up their capacity for cross-border cooperation and their ability to cope with new challenges. By organising mobility activities for pupils, these partnerships will also promote the values of inclusion and tolerance as underlined in the Paris Declaration.
Benefits
Pupils: The short-term exchange activities are designed to offer international learning experiences to pupils, to develop their understanding of the diversity of European cultures and languages, and to help them acquire social, civic and intercultural competences necessary for their personal development
Teaching and non-teaching staff: A short period abroad enables staff to work together to exchange experience and know-how, or receive joint training. A longer posting in a partner school can allow staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of other countries' education and training systems, and helps them share and acquire professional competences, methods and practices.
eTwinning
Participating schools in all projects are strongly encouraged to use the eTwinning online platform to work together on the project before, during and after the mobility activities. See www.eTwinning.net
Summary of funding available:
The maximum funding available for School Exchange Partnerships is €16 500 per year and per participating school, excluding Special Needs Support and Exceptional costs for expensive travel. This can be made up of:
Project management and implementation – A contribution to the activities of the co-ordinating school of €500 per month, and €250 per month for partner schools (up to a maximum of €2750 per month per project). This is intended as a contribution towards the following eligible costs:
- Project management (e.g. planning, finances, coordination and communication between partners, etc.)
- Small scale learning/teaching/training materials, tools, approaches etc.
- Virtual cooperation and local project activities (e.g. class-room project work with learners, organisation and mentoring of embedded learning/training activities, etc.)
- Information, promotion and dissemination (e.g. brochures, leaflets, online dissemination platforms, etc.).
- Costs linked to the implementation of the partnerships.
Travel costs – A contribution to the travel costs of participants, including accompanying persons, from their place of origin to the venue of the activity. Travel distances are calculated using the distance calculator supported by the European Commission. Amounts vary from €20 per participant for short distances between 10 and 99km, €275 pp for distances between 500 and 1999km, €360 pp for distances of 2000 to 3000km, to €1500 per participant for travel distances of 8000km or more. Please check the Programme Guide for more detailed information on the rates applicable to each distance band. Applicants will have to justify that mobility activities are necessary to achieve the objectives and results of the project.
Individual support - Unit costs per day are provided to contribute to the subsistence of participants, including accompanying persons, during the activity. These vary, depending on the participant, and duration of the activity. For example short term pupil mobility is €58 per person per day up to 14 days and €42 pp per day for 15 – 60 days. Short term joint staff training or teaching costs are €106 pp per day up to 14 days and €74 pp per day for 15 to 60 days.
Linguistic support - Contributions can be sought for linguistic support offered to participants in order to improve their knowledge of the language for activities lasting between 2 and 12 months of up to €150 per person.
Exceptional costs and special needs support - Funding is also available to cover exceptional costs and additional costs related to participants with disabilities. Requests for additional funding must be outlined within the application and will be considered by the National Agency on a case by case basis.
For full details of eligible funding please see the Erasmus Plus Programme Guide.
For detailed guides for applicants by sector and Key Action, and info on application support webinars, go to www.erasmusplus.org.uk