#ErasmusDays 2025 – “Live our values, inspire our future!” Promoting European Values through Education, Collaboration, and Community Engagement

 

On October 14, 2025, as part of the #ErasmusDays 2025 celebration, Liceul Teoretic Radu Vlădescu  (Pătârlagele) hosted a large-scale local campaign dedicated to promoting European values and exploring how these principles can help build a more inclusive, cohesive, and democratic school community.

The six-hour event brought together a diverse audience of approximately 120 high school students, teachers involved in eTwinning and Erasmus+ projects, and other members of the school community. The initiative was coordinated by Mrs. Claudia Emilia Frînculeasă, Mrs. Emilia Băjan, Mrs. Adelaida Loredana Iorga, Mrs. Mihaela Neacșu, and Mr. Daniel Sorin Neacșu, a team with extensive experience in the implementation of European educational projects.

The campaign aimed at promoting the core values of the European Union - respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights - and to explore how these principles can positively shape both the school environment and the wider community.

From a pedagogical standpoint, the activity sought to:

• help students identify and understand the relevance of European values in everyday and school life;

• cultivate attitudes of tolerance, empathy, and solidarity, essential to inclusive education;

• highlight the impact of the Erasmus+ Programme on personal growth, intercultural learning, and civic engagement;

• foster a sense of European identity and belonging through collaboration, reflection, and shared creativity.

In a dynamic and supportive atmosphere, the students worked in interdisciplinary teams to design collaborative posters illustrating the six fundamental European values. Equipped with laptops, graphic materials, EU flags, and promotional resources, the participants transformed the abstract ideals of  freedom, equality, dignity, and diversity into compelling visual and verbal messages.

This hands-on, project-based approach provided meaningful opportunities for experiential learning, teamwork, and critical thinking, reinforcing some valuable key-competences promoted by the Erasmus+ framework.

A central component of the event was a guided reflection session, during which the students discussed how they could personally contribute to building a value-driven school culture. Former Erasmus+ mobility participants were also invited to share their experiences, emphasizing how such programmes foster personal development, intercultural awareness, and community transformation.

The campaign culminated in a poster exhibition entitled #ErasmusDays2025: Live our values, inspire our future!, displayed within the school premises. In addition, a dissemination brochure presenting the achievements of the Erasmus+ project No. 2024-1-RO01-KA121-SCH-000206543, funded by the European Union and implemented by Liceul Teoretic Radu Vlădescu during the 2024–2025 school year, was distributed among the participants and partners.

This initiative served not only as a celebration of European identity, but also as a powerful pedagogical experience, demonstrating that European education is lived through values, not just through international mobilities. Both the students and the teachers reaffirmed their commitment to fostering a school culture based on respect, cooperation, and democratic engagement.

The #ErasmusDays 2025 campaign was a living lesson in unity, responsibility, and diversity, illustrating how European values can serve as genuine foundations for coexistence, inclusion, and lifelong learning when embraced and practised by the entire school community.

Happy Erasmus Days 2025, dear Europeans!!!

Curricular integration of the eTwinning project "EcoDigital Explorers for Sustainability" (2025-2026)

The eTwinning project EcoDigital Explorers for Sustainability  is designed to foster creativity, international collaboration, and ecological awareness through interdisciplinary and learner-centered activities. Built upon the Romanian National Curriculum for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, the project blends language learning with digital education and sustainable development.

Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, our students will engage in a rich variety of activities that include exploring online safety, discovering national symbols, experimenting with programming, creating digital art, and observing nature using mobile applications. They will also investigate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), encouraging them to think globally while acting locally.

Through collaborative tasks, digital storytelling, and international contests, the students will enhance essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and communication. The integration of ICT tools and project-based learning not only strengthens their digital, artistic, scientific, and civic competences but also promotes responsible and ethical online behaviour.

Furthermore, the project nurtures European values such as respect, cooperation, and inclusion while cultivating the students’ sense of environmental responsibility. By connecting ecological education with digital literacy, the learners are empowered to become innovative and engaged digital citizens capable of contributing to a more sustainable future.

Ultimately, EcoDigital Explorers for Sustainability transforms traditional learning into an interactive and meaningful educational journey, where technology, language, and sustainability merge to inspire the next generation of thoughtful, eco-conscious Europeans.

Curricular integration of the eTwinning project "A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World" (2025-2026)

🎶 A Song for Our Souls: Where Curriculum Meets Creativity in an English-Speaking World

In today’s classrooms, learning is no longer confined to textbooks and tests. It’s about connection, creativity, and real-world skills. The eTwinning project “A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World” (2025–2026) brings all of these together, turning the school curriculum into a living, breathing experience where students find their voices - literally and figuratively - through music, language, and technology.

Led by a passionate team of European educators, this project harmoniously blends the goals of the Romanian National Curriculum with 21st-century education and European quality standards.

🎤 English Language Learning with Rhythm and Meaning

At its core, the project is anchored in the general competences for teaching English as a foreign language. But this isn’t about drilling grammar rules. Through songwriting, musical expression, and storytelling, students engage with the language in meaningful, emotional, and practical ways. They learn to understand and produce spoken and written messages, participate in real conversations, and explore language as a bridge to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas with the world.

💻 ICT Skills: Turning Technology into a Creative Tool

Music and language come to life thanks to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The students don’t just learn about technology, they use it to research, collaborate, create, and share. Whether they’re documenting lyrics, recording performances, or making digital presentations, they apply what they learn to complete real projects that matter to them.

The ICT competences from the Romanian curriculum are fully integrated into the learning process: the students will develop research skills, use tech tools for communication, and apply knowledge in practical, creative ways. In the process, they discover that tech is more than a tool, it’s a powerful medium for expression.

🌟 21st Century Skills in Action

This project is a playground for 21st-century skills. The students have the chance to practise critical thinking by analyzing lyrics and social issues, show creativity, and collaborate across borders and cultures. They learn to communicate clearly, solve problems, and lead with empathy and confidence. Their musical journey also encourages digital literacy, global awareness, and adaptability as they navigate new technologies, reflect on cultural diversity, and share their voices with international peers, building not only knowledge, but also resilience and open-mindedness.

🧠 Lifelong Learning and Personal Growth

Alongside language and digital skills, the project supports the development of key competences for lifelong learning. The project participants will grow in areas like multilingualism, civic responsibility, and cultural expression. They will learn to think for themselves, work in teams, manage their learning, and appreciate both their own culture and those of others. Through music and collaborative project tasks, they will discover their own values, build confidence, and feel the joy of creating something meaningful with others. These are lessons that last far beyond the classroom.

💡 Values That Resonate

"A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World" promotes strong values and attitudes - the very heart of modern education. The students are encouraged to think critically about technology, explore the ethical impact of computer use, and show initiative in both their learning and their projects. They will develop a creative mindset, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to evaluate their work honestly and constructively. Most importantly, they will learn that their voices matter and that they can use those voices to build a better, more understanding world.

🎼 Final Note: Learning in Harmony

With its rich mix of curriculum goals, technology, creativity, and international collaboration, A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World will become a celebration of what education can be when it speaks to the mind and the soul.

After all, it was created to remind us all that, when students learn through their passions, they remember more, feel more, and grow more. And that’s a song worth singing in every classroom across Europe and beyond.

Curricular integration of the eTwinning project "Bookfest 2026" (2025-2026)

📚 Bookfest 2026: Where Language, Literature, and Life Skills Meet

In a world where education must prepare students not just for exams, but for life, projects like Bookfest 2026 shine as powerful models of innovation, engagement, and real-world learning. Developed under the eTwinning framework, this cross-border initiative brings together students from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, empowering them to explore the world of books while building essential skills for the 21st century.

Bookfest 2026 is a learning journey that blends language, literature, technology, and collaboration, and provides students with meaningful, hands-on experiences that reflect the goals of the Romanian national curriculum, while also opening doors to creativity, communication, and cultural understanding.

🌍 English in Action: Communication with Purpose

At the heart of the project lies the English language, not just as a school subject, but as a living, breathing means of communication. Through collaborative activities, creative writing, and literary discussions, the students will use English in real-life contexts, developing their ability to understand, respond to, and produce both written and spoken messages.

They will also practise taking part in conversations, exchanging ideas, and mediating meaning in diverse situations. In this way, English will turn into a gateway to global connection and self-expression.

📖 Building Lifelong Skills Through Literature

Bookfest 2026 goes far beyond language learning. Through the lens of literature, the students will develop key competences that are essential for lifelong learning. They will enhance their literacy, multilingualism, and digital fluency, while also growing in areas such as social awareness, civic responsibility, and cultural expression.

As they explore books and share their reflections with peers, they will learn to think critically, solve problems, and appreciate the richness of different cultural perspectives. These are skills that extend well beyond the classroom, preparing students for the complexities of modern life and future careers.

💻 Technology with Purpose: ICT as a Creative Tool

Technology plays a central role within the project, not as an add-on, but as an integral part of the learning process. The students will use a variety of ICT tools to conduct research, collaborate with classmates, and create engaging digital content. From designing presentations to producing multimedia responses to literature, they will learn to use technology not just efficiently, but creatively and meaningfully.

This project will definitely support the students to move from passive consumers of information to active digital creators, capable of expressing their ideas and collaborating in virtual environments. As we all know, these experiences lay the foundation for digital citizenship and innovation.

💡 Growing Values and Attitudes that Matter

Beyond skills and knowledge, Bookfest 2026 nurtures a deeper layer of learning: values and attitudes. Through teamwork and reflection, our students can learn to listen to others, appreciate diversity, and communicate with empathy and respect. They can also develop a sense of responsibility and understand the social and cultural impact of both literature and technology.

Moreover, the project encourages critical thinking, tolerance, and self-evaluation, helping students to become not only better learners, but also more thoughtful, open-minded individuals.

🎓 A Vision for Future-Ready Education

In a time when education must be as dynamic as the world our students are growing into, Bookfest 2026 offers a model of how curriculum can be alive, interactive, and deeply human. By connecting language learning with real-world tasks, and by integrating literature with digital creativity, this project shows how schools can inspire not just academic success, but personal growth, curiosity, and global citizenship. After all, when we bring together the power of books, the beauty of expression, and the tools of technology, we give our students not only lessons, we inspire and empower them to become the best versions of themselves.

Bookfest 2026 - The first online meeting of the eTwinning project team

The first virtual meeting of the eTwinning bilateral project “Bookfest 2026” was held on 09 October 2025, marking the official launch of the third edition of this inspiring educational partnership.

The session aimed at revitalizing the collaboration between the two partner schools and building on the achievements of the previous editions, turning the 2026 project into an even more dynamic and creative learning experience for both the students and teachers.

During the meeting, the project coordinators outlined the project roadmap, discussed new collaborative activities, and decided on the digital platforms that will facilitate ongoing communication and teamwork. Special attention was given to increasing student engagement on European School Education Platform through interactive sessions, literary challenges, and joint creative workshops.

The project founder Mrs. Adelaida Iorga (Romania) and co-founder Mrs. Alina Răilean (the Republic of Moldova) expressed their shared vision for this year’s edition, emphasizing the project’s growing role in promoting reading culture, intercultural dialogue, and 21st-century skills among younger learners.

An important part of the discussion focused on identifying the participants’ interests and learning needs through initial questionnaires, ensuring that all the upcoming activities reflect both the students’ motivations and the teachers’ professional goals.

In conclusion, the meeting successfully set the tone for Bookfest 2026 - a new school year of collaboration, creativity, and cultural connection. All the participants showed great enthusiasm and commitment to making this edition an even more memorable and enriching experience within the eTwinning community.