Bridging Cultures through Education: An Erasmus+ Experience in Romania

https://youtu.be/RPd9pnOvkGo?si=WZPu7eTsD0tF9hUO

In April 2026, a meaningful international educational exchange brought together students and educators from Turkey and Romania under the Erasmus+ project “I Have Time to Share with You” (Seninle Paylaşacak Vaktim Var). This initiative, coordinated by the Ankara Provincial Directorate of National Education and implemented by Etimesgut Şehit Kaymakam Muhammed Fatih Safitürk Anadolu İmam Hatip Lisesi, took place between April 20–23, 2026, at Liceul Teoretic “Radu Vlădescu” in Pătârlagele, Buzău, Romania.

A Dynamic Start: Building Connections

The mobility began with interactive ice-breaking sessions and team-building activities designed to foster communication and friendship between the Romanian and Turkish students. These early moments laid the foundation for collaboration, mutual respect, and cultural exchange.

Learning Beyond Borders

The project participants were actively involved in a variety of classroom activities, attending lessons in English, Romanian language and literature, mathematics, physics, IT, and geography. This immersive experience allowed the Turkish students to observe different teaching styles and educational systems while improving their language and academic skills.

Interactive Workshops and Thought-Provoking Discussions

A central component of the mobility was the series of collaborative educational workshops. These sessions focused on:

• Student-centered pedagogy, emphasizing interactive and participatory learning methods
• Lateral thinking, encouraging creative approaches to problem-solving
• A round-table discussion on “The Ethics of Social Media Use”, where the students reflected on digital responsibility
• Digital safety topics, including cyberbullying, online rights, and responsibilities

These activities not only enhanced critical thinking but also addressed relevant challenges faced by today’s digital generation.

Sharing Best Practices and Innovation

The teachers and students engaged in valuable exchanges of experience and educational practices. Key themes included:

• International collaboration and inclusion through projects such as eTwinning Bookfest 2026 and A Song for Our Souls in an English-Speaking World
• The integration of modern technology in education, showcased through the school’s Smart Lab
• Insights into the host school’s Erasmus accreditation achievements, including the previous international mobility in Bulgaria
• Modern teaching methods like project-based learning and ICT integration
• The impact of group mobility for students and the importance of job shadowing for educators

Lasting Impact and Future Collaboration

The mobility concluded with the certification of participants, recognizing their involvement in this international Erasmus+ experience. More importantly, it ensured the sustainability of the partnership between the institutions, opening doors for future collaborations and shared educational innovation.

A Shared Vision for Education

This Erasmus+ mobility demonstrated how education can transcend borders, bringing together diverse perspectives and fostering a spirit of cooperation. By sharing time, knowledge, and experiences, both students and teachers gained valuable insights that will continue to influence their personal and academic journeys.

Ultimately, “I Have Time to Share with You” was more than a project mobility, it was a powerful reminder that meaningful connections and collaborative learning can shape a more inclusive and forward-thinking educational landscape.

The contents of this publication reflects only the views of the author, and the National Agency and Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The Results of the Participants in the English Language Section – “Dor de Eminescu / Missing Our National Poet” Competition 2026

Within the inter-county literature competition “Dor de Eminescu / Missing Our National Poet”, the 2026 edition, the English language section brought together talented students from several educational institutions, who demonstrated strong linguistic skills, creativity, and literary sensitivity. The high quality of their works confirmed the growing interest of the Romanian students in promoting Mihai Eminescu's legacy through artistic expression in an international language.

The First Prize in the English Language section was awarded to the following students:

• Andronescu Mihai Alexandru (8th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Radu Vlădescu” Pătârlagele)
• Anghel Maria-Teodora (11th grade, Colegiul Național „Mihai Eminescu” Buzău)
• Badea Daria Ana Maria (8th grade, Școala Gimnazială Puchenii Mari, Prahova)
• Chideșa Claudia (12th grade, Colegiul de Artă „Ciprian Porumbescu” Suceava)
• Dedu Izabela Maria (10th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” Nehoiu)
• Diaconu Teodor Andrei (8th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Radu Vlădescu” Pătârlagele)
• Lungu Gruia (7th grade, Colegiul de Artă „Ciprian Porumbescu”, Suceava)
• Neacșu Mihnea Petruț (7th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Radu Vlădescu” Pătârlagele)
• Străjer Maria (9th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” Nehoiu)

The Second Prize was awarded to the following students:

• Bunea Izabela-Gabriela (11th grade, Colegiul Național „Mihai Eminescu” Buzău)
• Ioniță Diana Andreea (8th grade, Școala Gimnazială Puchenii Mari, Prahova)
• Păsăroiu Ioana Diana (10th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” Nehoiu)
• Stoica Ioana Roxana (9th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Nicolae Iorga” Nehoiu)
• Ursache Sebastian Luca (11th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Radu Vlădescu” Pătârlagele)

The Third Prize was awarded to the student:

• Baciu Ioana Alexandra (11th grade, Liceul Teoretic „Radu Vlădescu” Pătârlagele)

The results highlight a balanced distribution of performance between middle school and high school levels, as well as valuable contributions from educational institutions in Buzău, Prahova and Suceava counties. The involvement of the seven coordinating teachers is noteworthy, as they contributed to the students’ preparation and the achievement of these remarkable results.

Integrated Pedagogical Approaches to Sustainability Education: Outcomes of the Erasmus+ Project 2025-1-RO01-KA121-SCH-000321135

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb_3FqycwgE

The activities carried out within the mobility of the Erasmus project 2025-1-RO01-KA121-SCH-000321135, implemented by Liceul Teoretic “Radu Vlădescu” and hosted by Varnenska Morska Gimnazia "Sv. Nikolai Chudotvorec", Varna, were designed in an integrated manner, aiming to correlate the cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioural dimensions of learning, in accordance with the objectives established in the Learning Agreement. From a methodological and scientific perspective, these activities capitalized on a variety of modern teaching strategies, such as experiential, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and student-centred learning, contributing to the development of key European competences and to the strengthening of ecological awareness.

A primary dimension of the activities focused on the students’ participation in formal STEM-based learning contexts, materialized through attendance at a demonstration lesson on an ecological topic (“Ships and Pollution in the Black Sea”). This instructional intervention facilitated the understanding of causal relationships between anthropogenic activities and the degradation of marine ecosystems by integrating content from fields such as geography, biology, and environmental sciences. The approach was both applied and inquiry-based, stimulating critical thinking, cause-effect analysis, and the ability to transfer knowledge to real-life contexts.

The civic and participatory dimension of ecological education was reinforced through direct interaction with a representative of the Greenpeace organization, within an informative session with strong formative value. This activity enabled the participants to become familiar with the mechanisms of environmental activism, the role of non-governmental organizations in promoting sustainable policies, and concrete ways of civic engagement. From a pedagogical standpoint, the activity contributed to the development of civic awareness and to the internalization of values related to social and environmental responsibility.

In parallel, digitally mediated collaborative learning activities were implemented, aimed at facilitating the exchange of best practices in the field of education for sustainable development. The transnational digital workshop involved the creation, in mixed teams, of visual products conveying ecological messages, using specific ICT tools. This approach stimulated digital competences, creativity, and multimodal communication skills, while also fostering cooperation abilities in intercultural contexts.

Experiential learning activities played an essential role within the mobility, being operationalized through cultural and documentation visits. These provided students with the opportunity to directly observe examples of sustainable practices embedded in real socio-cultural contexts, thus promoting contextualized learning and the development of critical thinking. From an educational perspective, these activities contributed to strengthening comparative analysis skills and to understanding the interdependence between the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

The creative-reflective component of the educational process was supported through writing workshops and educational content production activities. The students were engaged in developing narrative and argumentative materials on ecological topics, using digital platforms for dissemination. These activities aimed to develop written communication skills, critical thinking, and discourse structuring abilities, while also facilitating the internalization of sustainability concepts through personal reflection and creative expression.

A fundamental component of the mobility consisted of practical, application-oriented activities, particularly the clean-up action carried out in a public space. This represented a form of direct engagement learning (learning by doing), with a significant impact on shaping pro-environmental behaviours. Active participation in this activity contributed to the development of civic responsibility, initiative, and teamwork skills, while also reinforcing the connection between knowledge and action.

The intercultural dimension of the mobility was supported through informal and non-formal activities, such as social interactions and cultural exchanges, including the organization of a picnic featuring traditional products. These contexts facilitated the development of social and intercultural competences, promoting tolerance, respect for diversity, and group cohesion. From a pedagogical perspective, these experiences contributed to the creation of a positive educational climate, conducive to collaborative learning and personal development.

Regarding evaluation, the educational process was supported by an integrated system of initial, formative, and final assessment. The use of digital tools for feedback collection and reflection on the learning experience enabled the monitoring of students’ progress and the adjustment of instructional approaches. Assessment was predominantly formative, focusing on the development of metacognitive competences and self-evaluation capacity.

Overall, the main activities carried out during the mobility highlighted a coherent and innovative pedagogical approach, centred on the learner and oriented towards the development of 21st-century competences. The integration of active methods, digital technologies, and experiential learning enabled the achievement of the proposed objectives, contributing to the formation of autonomous, responsible, and civically engaged students, capable of adopting and promoting sustainable practices in their daily lives.