Setting up the project
Please find below the steps we took to set up our project.
Information about setting up the project
When setting up a new ERASMUS+ project or work experience project, it could be useful to consider the following points:
1. Identify and contact partner organisations - This could be already existing links you may have or you can set up new contacts; portals such as ETwinning or ERASMUS+ can be useful tools
2. Identify project aims - Be very clear about what you want to achieve and communicate regularly with all partners. You will also need to come up with a project name.
3. Identify necessary resources needed (budget, staffing, time scale and timings of project) - Again, be very clear from the outset about the desired outcomes, so you can plan and budget for your project. It is really important to have a team of staff in each country so you can share the number of tasks and the experiences. You will also need to get approval by the head teacher before the project. It would be beneficial to think about approximate timings and, if you are planning to have a reciprocal student visit, ensure you have available dates in each country. It can become very difficult to find suitable dates for all involved countries. In addition, you will need to decide on one school being the coordinator for the project. This would be the organisation that will submit the application, organise the transnational meetings, complete the final report and liaise between all the partners. This task is very time-consuming and requires good organisational skills and dedication.
4. Apply for Key Action 2 (KA2) through ERASMUS+ in March for the following school year - It is really important to allow enough time for writing the application as it is very detailed and thorough, requiring input from all partner organisations. You will need to think about the outcomes, impact, management and dissemination of the project.
5. Once your project has been approved (congratulations!), you need to organise your first transnational meeting during which you will be able to meet all partners, decide on the project timeline and clarify each partner's tasks as well as the budget and any implications. You may get less money than you originally wanted, but, with good budgeting, you might still be able to achieve everything you had planned.
You can see our timeline below:
2. Identify project aims - Be very clear about what you want to achieve and communicate regularly with all partners. You will also need to come up with a project name.
3. Identify necessary resources needed (budget, staffing, time scale and timings of project) - Again, be very clear from the outset about the desired outcomes, so you can plan and budget for your project. It is really important to have a team of staff in each country so you can share the number of tasks and the experiences. You will also need to get approval by the head teacher before the project. It would be beneficial to think about approximate timings and, if you are planning to have a reciprocal student visit, ensure you have available dates in each country. It can become very difficult to find suitable dates for all involved countries. In addition, you will need to decide on one school being the coordinator for the project. This would be the organisation that will submit the application, organise the transnational meetings, complete the final report and liaise between all the partners. This task is very time-consuming and requires good organisational skills and dedication.
4. Apply for Key Action 2 (KA2) through ERASMUS+ in March for the following school year - It is really important to allow enough time for writing the application as it is very detailed and thorough, requiring input from all partner organisations. You will need to think about the outcomes, impact, management and dissemination of the project.
5. Once your project has been approved (congratulations!), you need to organise your first transnational meeting during which you will be able to meet all partners, decide on the project timeline and clarify each partner's tasks as well as the budget and any implications. You may get less money than you originally wanted, but, with good budgeting, you might still be able to achieve everything you had planned.
You can see our timeline below: