As a new member of the network, we had the honor of organizing the 2023 annual conference in Postojna and welcomed delegations from 16 partner schools of Education Without Frontiers.
The conference was entitled “Linking Opportunity, Variety & Equality”. The theme of the conference is finding and linking various opportunities in the local environment and implementing them into European space, promoting equal opportunity for everyone as well as respecting cultural diversity.
Since Slovenia is a small country and often insufficiently recognized among the larger EU members, we thought it important to present our nation and immigrants to Slovenia in a different way – by presenting various opportunities how to be innovative, to develop and succeed as equal and valued members of society, entitled to a successful and quality life, not only in Slovenia, but among other EU members.
For the students we prepared four workshops:
- Upcycling workshop,
- Invasive plant species – can they also be useful?
- Fire up your public speaking skills,
- Company’s graphic design.
For the teachers we organized:
- a visit to DINA Park Pivka – an interactive sustainable exhibition of the conservation of large carnivores and their ecosystem of the Dinaric-Karst region, raising awareness of the importance of conserving large carnivores, presenting examples of good practices and didactic material, sharing innovative ideas and best practices,
- different lectures on sharing ideas and examples of good practices in entrepreneurship,
- annual network meeting and meetings with partner schools, discussing past activities and planning new projects and exchanges, discussing innovative ideas and the European dimension in schools, establishing new contacts and electing new members of the Steering Committee.
With these activities, we wanted to emphasize the fundamental values described in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which focus on the following principles:
- to promote European dimensions in education and training,
- to promote tolerance and acceptance of the diversity of partner schools with respect for religious and philosophical identities, cultures and traditions, languages and school systems,
- to offer equal opportunities for internationalization,
- to respect and consider the students’ views to their best interest,
- to enhance the quality and efficiency of education,
- to preserve our environment, to promote sustainability with respect for the planet we live on.
During the opening ceremony the headteacher of our school signed the Charter, with which our school became an equal member of the organization Education Without Frontiers.
