This article documents the Erasmus+ KA121 short-term mobility carried out by students of „Sfântul Nicolae” Lower Secondary School (Târgu Jiu, Romania) at Collège Boris Vian in Coudekerque-Branche, France, between 20 and 25 March 2026. The mobility brought together three priority areas – environmental education, social inclusion, and digital competence development – implemented through non-formal and experiential learning methods. Working with the Tara Ocean Foundation’s protocols, the Climate Fresk methodology, and gamified platforms such as Goosechase and Kahoot, students engaged with authentic scientific and social challenges in real-world settings. Using English as a working language rather than a school subject, participants developed communication skills, intercultural awareness, and a sense of shared European identity. The article reflects on the pedagogical design of the mobility, its key outcomes, and the broader significance of placing students in the role of active, engaged citizens rather than passive recipients of classroom instruction.
Project Code: 2025-1-RO01-KA121-SCH-000327073
Host Institution: Collège Boris Vian, Coudekerque-Branche / Dunkerque
Accompanying Teachers: Ms. Florela Hermina UDRESCU & Ms. Adriana PETCU
Location: Dunkerque / Coudekerque-Branche, France
Between March 20th and 25th, 2026, the traditional boundaries of the classroom were replaced by the French coastline, research labs, and social innovation workshops. A group of lower secondary students from „Sfântul Nicolae” School (Târgu Jiu, Romania) participated in a high-impact Erasmus+ mobility, proving that the education of the future is sustainable, digital, and borderless.
The Core Mission: Shaping Adaptable European Citizens
The primary goal of this mobility was to move beyond formal education and place students in real-world contexts. In an increasingly interconnected world, the project sought to transform students from „passive observers” into active citizens capable of communicating effectively in English and navigating the social dynamics of the European Union.
The activities were precisely calibrated across three priority areas:
Environmental Consciousness (Green Skills):
Objective: Developing scientific thinking through the analysis of plastic pollution.
Implementation: Using Tara Ocean Foundation protocols and the Climate Fresk methodology, students moved from theory to lab practice, understanding the causality of the climate crisis through IPCC data.
Social Inclusion & European Values:
Objective: Raising awareness about inequality and promoting equity.
Implementation: The „Inequality in Sport” workshop served as a reflection tool on privilege, while the UE flag redesign workshop symbolized unity, friendship, and collective identity.
Digital & Transversal Competencies:
Objective: Using technology as a research and orientation tool.
Implementation: Through the Goosechase and Kahoot platforms, students engaged in „gamified learning” in non-formal settings such as Dunkerque and Cap Blanc-Nez, thereby validating their high level of digital literacy.
Outcomes: Metamorphosis and Performance Indicators
The success of the mobility was defined by the students’ visible „metamorphosis”. By utilizing English (B1 level) as a functional tool rather than an academic requirement, they overcame communication barriers and formed solid interpersonal bonds with their French peers.
Key Deliverables:
- Immersive Classroom Concept: the successful transformation of the city of Dunkerque and protected natural sites into „living laboratories.”
- Systems Thinking: through the Climate Fresk, students transformed rigid scientific data into a visual map of climate action.
- Social Cohesion: the creation of a collective „Masterpiece” (the UE flag redesign) demonstrated emotional maturity and social awareness that exceeded initial curricular expectations.
Conclusion
The Dunkerque mobility illustrates what becomes possible when a school chooses to treat European funding not as an administrative exercise but as a genuine instrument of pedagogical transformation. The competences that students carried home – scientific reasoning, intercultural communication, systems thinking, and social empathy – are not easily measured by end-of-term grades, yet they are precisely the competences that European education policy frameworks identify as essential for 21st-century learners. For the institution, this project marks a deliberate step toward embedding European values and transversal skills into the lived experience of its students, beyond the confines of the formal curriculum.
For the teachers involved, the shift from „transmitter of information” to „facilitator of experiences” represents a form of professional growth that is as significant as the students’ own development. Designing and accompanying a mobility of this complexity requires pedagogical judgment, intercultural sensitivity, and the capacity to turn an unexpected moment – a tide, a stranger’s question, a collective art piece – into a learning opportunity. In this sense, the project’s legacy extends beyond the participating group: it builds school capacity, strengthens the institution’s connection to the wider European educational community, and offers a replicable model for colleagues who wish to anchor their teaching in authentic, meaningful contexts.
The mobility in Dunkerque represents a total pedagogical success. The finality of this project is not just a folder of certificates, but a generation of students who have learned that they can influence the future of Europe through science, empathy, and digital collaboration. „Sfântul Nicolae” School reaffirms its commitment to providing an education aligned with European standards of excellence.
„Innovation resided in shifting the teacher’s role from a ‘transmitter of information’ to a ‘facilitator of experiences.’ We witnessed students using English not as a school subject, but as a vital tool to debate complex concepts like privilege and inclusion.” – The Pedagogical Team.