Erasmus+ Cogito ergo sum. Stereotypes, „fake news“ and verbal violence as threats in education. Learning of conscious citizenship in Europe (2019-2022)

A long project has come to an end!

In December 2019, five students of 6ek were lucky enough to experience the Christmas season in Poland. It was the first student mobility of our Erasmus+ project „Cogito Ergo Sum“, in which students and teachers learn more about fake news and media manipulation. People from six different countries, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Turkey, meet online and in person to work together, exchange their findings and get to know each other.

The trip to Poland was very exciting for everyone. After a long journey by bus we were welcomed by our wonderful hosts who really went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. Our partner school in Sosnowiec had also prepared a very interesting program about differences in cultures and traditions and included interviews with politicians, journalists and a hacker, and workshops on how to spot fake news and verify information. The program also included trips to Krakow, the Tarnowskie Góry silver mine, and Auschwitz so that we could find out more about the region’s industrial and historical background and how media manipulation and propaganda can affect us in all areas of our lives.

In addition to all the hard work, we could also make new friends and broaden our horizons. The Polish students organised a Christmas ball, we had a wonderful trip to the Christmas market in Katowice and many more fun activities.

Due to the pandemic our mobilities had to be rescheduled and we managed to go to Skopje in October 2021 before the next “Lockdown” was announced. The trip to Skopje was overshadowed by “Covid” as well and our group could not see the famous “Lake Ohrid”. Otherwise, all students could enjoy the program. Not only is Skopje a city that commemorates the history of Alexander the Great, but is also a very remarkably artistic location. The program covered a critical analysis of literary works that are manipulative and have influenced our lives over the past 50 years, such as the novel 1984. Students also had a chance to engage in group activities and experience life in a modern post-communist und multicultural city and were therefore able to experience life in a country that has been denied access to the European Union for years.

Portugal was next and we could witness the influence of modern technology on education. In Moncao in the north of Portugal, very close to the Spanish border, we were guests in a school that offers a variety of courses, which are very special. One of them being Mechatronics and watching young people developing cars and engines was amazing for us. Even more popular with our students were the cooking and beauty courses. We teachers enjoyed being looked after by future nurses. Eprami is heavily sponsored by Microsoft and is therefore able to offer prestige education to their students. In the course of our week in Portugal attended a workshop on Internet Security which was really enlightening, because we realized how easily we can be tricked by criminals who are after our personal data. We were also able to see how the school runs their own TV-channel, called TV Altominho, which serves Portuguese emigrants abroad.

All our partners came to Leibnitz in April and we spent an unforgettable week together. Our school succeeded in showing what musical talent we have and our school band was able to have a live performance after long two years of not being able to perform in public. On the final evening in Leibnitz all partners had to sing a version of „Edelweiß“, taken from the „Sound of Music“ musical, which portrays Austria in very traditional way and is full of national stereotypes, one of our project topics. Dancing a Waltz was also on the agenda. In addition, we also spent some time in Graz finding out about Graz during war times and what it was like under British occupation. In the course of this week, we also visited an alternative chicken farm, the meat company “Krainer”, the “Lager Wagna” and “the Römersteinbruch in Aflenz”.

Next came Turkey – this was the highlight of the project. After some lectures at Firat university, for example about digital picture processing, our partners from the school in Elazig were proud to show us the well-known Keban Dam, the first large-scale dam to be built on the Euphrates, and the heart of Turkey, Mesopotamia, Mardin and other fascinating places. Students visited mosques and churches alike to see that in Turkey – contrary to some stereotypes – there is a variety of denominations. In addition, students were able to experience that Turkey is a surprisingly relaxed and very hospitable country, where family values are cherished. Our students and teachers had a lot of fun dancing during boat trips and bus journeys. Something quite impossible in Austria!

Our last trip has taken us – some of the students in “Lederhosen” – to Vratsa in Bulgaria, a well-kept town close to the impressive Balkan Mountains. After workshops with a journalist some traditional folk dancing and a visit to Ledenika Cave, the partners were able to exchange information about their own cultures in a “cultural fair” and discuss the impact the project has had on the individual schools and their students. Not to forget the end-of-the-project-party where all participants finally had to say good bye to their new friends. On their last day in Bulgaria, students enjoyed a trip to the sights and museums of Sofia.

The topic has, unfortunately, not lost any of its topicality and I hope that all participants have drawn their own conclusions and have made friends for life at the same time. Thank you all for being part of this project.