F.A.S.T.E.S.T – Food and Agroindustrial Schools Toward Entrepreneurship by Storytelling & Digital Technology is an EU-funded Erasmus + project which has started in November 2015, bringing together a robust partnership comprised by ten organizations and schools from five different European countries in order to improve the agroindustrial and VET education.
What is F.A.S.T.ES.T EU project?
The project leads to put into effect the recommendations of the European Council in the „Conclusions on entrepreneurship in education and training“ (02.17.15), because entrepreneurship in education and training can promote employability, self-employment and active citizenship, as well as the development of adaptable and outward-oriented VET institutions; teachers should be encouraged to promote entrepreneurial spirit and skills, while institutions must offer creative learning environments and promote an active involvement of the community in general.
What are the aims of the project?
The F.A.S.T.E.S.T project aims to help teachers adopt a more innovative approach to education through various creative ways and to encourage them to take advantage of the modern technological means to better the educational methods. Subsequently, the teachers will be able to help their students develop entrepreneurial skills, both general and specific of the agribusiness sector. It also aims to develop and implement the ability of VET teachers to adopt an innovative teaching approach at European level, which matches the practice of „Storytelling“ to the digital skills of hypervideos creation and the topic of entrepreneurship.
What results are expected to be achieved with this project?
F.A.S.T.E.S.T project will have an impact on teachers and trainers of secondary education, providing them with the necessary tools to adopt a more innovative teaching method, based on storytelling and digital competences, and aiming at the development of entrepreneurial skills. The students will cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit and gain knowledge regarding digital storytelling both general and particular of the agribusiness sector. The main project products that will contribute to the achievement of these results are 8 hyper-videos (interactive videos with links) that will serve as OER and a methodological handbook/guidelines for the efficient use of digital storytelling for the students to develop their entrepreneurial skills.
The project partnership
The partnership, which is comprised by Eurosuccess Consulting (Cyprus), S.P.E.L.L. srl (Italy), ISSIS GALILEI BOCCHIALINI SOLARI (Italy), Centrul de Incubare Creativ Innovativ de Afaceri – CICIA (Romania), Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – BCCI (Bulgaria), Professional High School of Food Technology – PHSFT (Bulgaria), Confederação Nacional de Jovens Agricultores e Desenvolvimento Rural – CNJ (Portugal), Liceul Technologic Aurel Rainu (Romania), Escola Profissional Agricola Quinta da Lageosa – EPAQL (Portugal) and coordinated by Cisita Parma (Italy), brings together a robust combination of partners, with professional and technical schools, schools in the agribusiness sector, a chamber of commerce, business consulting companies and organisations with a vast experience in European projects. Thus, a complementarity of the project partners and a geographic coverage for the maximal dissemination and exploitation in the EU is achieved.
Kick-off meeting in Parma, Italy
On the 10th and 11th of December 2015, the kick-off meeting of the F.A.S.T.E.S.T project took place in Parma, Italy, hosted by the coordinating organization Cisita Parma. The ten partners met and each presented their organization/school, and there was a constructive discussion regarding the most immediate steps to be taken at the beginning of the project. The partners discussed their tasks and responsibilities and the project in general, having in mind the EU standards as well as the project’s content, and decided about the second transnational meeting of the project.
Project aspirations
Throughout the project implementation until October 2017, but even after the project cycle, F.A.S.T.E.S.T project is expected to have an impact on its target groups (teachers, trainers, students – particularly those of Early School Leaving ESL) and relevant stakeholders, first and foremost in the partner countries (Cyprus, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal) as well as on an EU level, providing the necessary tools and materials for further transfer of the project outcomes in the EU countries and their institutions. Furthermore, it is expected to have a growing impact on the agribusiness sector.
If you would like to find out more about F.A.S.T.E.S.T project and other European projects, please contact Eurosuccess Consulting at 22 420 110 or visit their website at www.eurosc.eu