Vratsa, Bulgaria

In observing our students from different parts of Europe, we concluded the following negative increasing features among them.
Due to the number of immigrants and refugees, most of our schools encounter a multicultural reality in everyday
life. Students get in touch with several cultures without really knowing them. Often they are influenced by stereotypes or prejudices without being aware of it. In everyday’s school life, in the public and social media we notice increasing intolerance and multi-ethnic conflicts. Working and going to school together does not automatically include intercultural understanding.
Our objective is to foster better understanding between people and cultures, to show the profits of diversity and finally to help solve and prevent intercultural conflicts. What we want to do is making students be aware of the world's cultural diversities through traditions - who are we? where do we come from? what can we learn from the wisdom of traditions?
As our students are looking for identity and orientation, we want to arouse their curiousity about diverse lifestyles and traditions. Reflecting and therefore developing an awareness for one’s own culture is a condition to face and respect different ways of living. Respect and tolerance is what we need to grow in a diverse Europe.
Because of gender inequality in the society, our female students haven't had the chance to take part in an international project, travel in Europe or get in touch with any other European friends through any platforms.
Students will learn the stories behind folk songs and dances, understand the events of those times, share them with their European peers, learn theirs, sing and dance together, communicate by means of PC and be at the  center of mutual interactions during international visits. This project will unite them not only with their peers and families in their own country but also in other European countries and they will interiorise a European citizenship conception and learn how to enjoy, appreciate and care for it. Transnational activities, face to face meetings and being hosted in foreign families allow for experiences with other socio-cultural backgrounds improving empathy and change of perspective.
They will recognize the differences and respect them while enjoying the similarities between themselves and all other cultures. They will communicate with European peers in English which will encourage them to notice the  importance of English as a worldwide language. Students from other ethnics and local students will comprehend each other better when working together. Students often get to know different cultures through the media. These, however, usually focus on negative aspects of immigration, refugees or foreigners. They are like slaves in a technologically dominated world. They lose their productivity, self-esteem and real social connections with the rest of the world. They not only forget today's real world, but also their bonds with their history