Embracing Opportunities: The New
Erasmus+ 2021-2027 Programme
Expanding Horizons with Enhanced
Funding and Inclusivity
Over 4 million educators and school staff members embarked on journeys across Europe between 2014 and 2020. During their travels, they had the opportunity to meet colleagues and peers from various nations and partake in international endeavors, all supported by the Erasmus+ program.
Are you interested in joining this educational adventure?
In this article, we have compiled all the essential information about the newly revamped Erasmus+ program.
Why not begin outlining your next mobility project today?
Explore the article, and keep in mind that if you require assistance with your Erasmus+ project, the Phoenix Training Center is here to support you!
What is Erasmus+?
Are you already acquainted with Erasmus+?
If so, feel free to skip to the next section.
For those unfamiliar, Erasmus+ stands as a pivotal initiative by the European Union, aimed at fostering the globalization and modernization of educational institutions.
Educators have seized this opportunity to partake in training programs abroad, acquire innovative teaching methods, develop cutting-edge teaching resources, interact with individuals of diverse nationalities and cultures, and even gain proficiency in foreign languages.
In addition, teachers have created school exchange programs through their participation in Erasmus+.
Under the Erasmus+ umbrella, school networks have also launched international projects to foster innovation and share best practices across various educational levels.
For some educators, Erasmus+ has enabled their first-ever visit to another European country, inspiring schools to embark on comprehensive, long-term planning with a distinct European mission in mind.
The Erasmus+ Program
Each year, typically in November, the European Commission publishes the updated Erasmus+ guide for the following year. Initial deadlines often fall at the close of February, so remember to consult our Erasmus+ funding deadlines to stay well-informed.
On a broader scale, the European Commission enacts changes every seven years, determining priorities and budgets for the upcoming cycle. In 2021, the program expanded to facilitate the inclusion of marginalized groups.
To facilitate the inclusion of new organizations in Erasmus+, the program extends its support to schools with limited organizational resources. First-time participants gain access to more straightforward projects that are easier to implement.
The 2021-2027 objective is to fund 10 million mobility projects, encompassing not only higher education institutions, VET, primary and secondary schools but also preschools and kindergartens.
Since its inception in 1987, the program has enjoyed immense success and now aspires to nurture the European identity of each educational institution and organization.
The majority of funding will be directed toward schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing their international capacity and sustained involvement in European projects.
Recognizing inclusion as a top priority, the program allocates budgetary provisions to cater to the needs of students requiring additional support, such as mobility funding for accompanying individuals or specialized transportation rental.
In terms of long-term mobility, some organizations may dedicate a portion of their grant funds to linguistic preparation for participants.
Furthermore, schools have the opportunity to organize blended mobility through a diverse range of activities, enhancing the flexibility, appeal, and engagement of these projects.
Certainly, here’s the paraphrased version of the content on Erasmus+ and its key actions for your “Phoenix Training Center” website:
Understanding Erasmus+
The Erasmus+ program encompasses four Key Actions (KA) tailored to various educational sectors, including formal, non-formal, and informal settings.
Curious about the key distinctions between them? Let us clarify…
Key Action 1 – Individual Mobility
This funding opportunity is designed for individual schools and organizations. Schools can also establish a consortium to collaboratively manage projects and foster new synergies.
Should your school miss the initial funding application deadline, fret not! You can still engage in projects by joining a pre-approved national consortium.
Within this category, teachers and students from funded schools have the chance to travel abroad for various purposes, including:
- Professional Training: Participate in face-to-face courses for professional development abroad, offering a refreshing break from routine work alongside colleagues from across the Union.
- Sharing Teaching Practices: Travel abroad to teach your subject in another school or assist foreign educators with their daily tasks. Ideal for language teachers and early-career educators looking to benefit from job shadowing opportunities.
- Student Mobility: Enable student groups to explore Europe and visit foreign schools. No need to establish an international partnership (KA2) for these school exchange activities, reducing the risk of funding loss due to partner withdrawals. Moreover, plan school exchanges regularly over a five-year period, capitalizing on Erasmus Accreditation. Learn more about Erasmus+ KA1
Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnerships
This funding opportunity targets transnational networks of schools and organizations known as “partnerships.” To qualify, schools must first establish an international network and then apply with guidance from the coordinating school.
These actions have three primary objectives:
- Cooperation and Good Practice Exchange: Create international networks, participate in project meetings, and strengthen participant organizations by sharing best practices in specific areas.
- Innovation: Foster innovation by sharing expertise among participating schools and organizations. Explore opportunities to create new teaching activities, guidelines, assessment tools, and more.
- Research Projects: Collaborate with universities and higher education institutions to engage in groundbreaking research initiatives.
Key Action 3 – Support for Policy Reform
This action pertains to centralized Erasmus+ activities with significant funding, making it less crucial for educational institutions. National Agencies typically don’t handle these activities; instead, the Executive Agency (EACEA) manages them through specific project application calls.
Jean Monnet Actions
Jean Monnet Actions aim to promote excellence in teaching and research within the European Union’s domain. Traditionally focused on higher education, these actions have expanded to include schools since 2021, fostering active participation in the Union’s democratic life for all EU citizens.
Jean Monnet Networks in Other Fields of Education and Training This initiative aims to enhance and share teaching practices related to European Union subjects while providing international insights for educators.
Educators can engage in mobility experiences in other Program countries, organizing and delivering co-teaching or co-tutoring sessions. They can also collaborate on teaching methodologies for EU-related curricular and extracurricular activities through physical and online meetings and disseminate best practices by producing informative documents and guidelines.
Erasmus Accreditation for KA1 Projects
Erasmus Accreditation operates much like a loyalty program, similar to those offered by major retail chains or supermarkets. However, in this context, it is tailor-made for educational institutions of all types and levels.
An educational institution needs to secure accreditation once every seven years within the program duration. This single accreditation solidifies its status as an organization actively engaged in international mobility, eliminating the need for reapplication during the 2021-2027 Program period.
To obtain Erasmus Accreditation, educational institutions must present a European Development Plan (EDP) and an Erasmus+ Plan, outlining their strategy for medium- and long-term internationalization and modernization. They must also commit to meeting Erasmus+ quality standards, which detail how the school will orchestrate international activities.
The benefits of achieving Erasmus Accreditation are abundant. Accredited schools gain access to a stable funding source throughout the Program’s duration, simplified application procedures in response to Erasmus+ calls, and expedited evaluation processes.
How to Engage in the Erasmus+ Program
The deadline for Erasmus Accreditation typically falls in October. However, if you’ve missed this deadline, there are still numerous avenues for your school to participate in the Erasmus Program.
Firstly, Key Action 1 offers short-term projects specifically tailored to non-accredited organizations. These projects allow a smaller group of participants to engage in shorter international mobility experiences. While they come with certain limitations, these projects provide an ideal entry point for schools with limited prior experience.
Secondly, you can consider joining a consortium that has already achieved accreditation. Alternatively, your school can act as a hosting organization for another accredited foreign school.
Lastly, keep in mind that the accreditation call reopens annually!
If you’re interested in exploring the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ Program, here are some quick tips to maximize your chances of success:
- Thoroughly Plan Your Application: Preparing an application requires careful planning. Assign a small group to handle technical aspects and involve your institution’s governing bodies and school community. Their support is crucial for project approval.
- Align Financing Requests with School Needs: Ensure that your funding requests align with your school’s current requirements. European funding increasingly emphasizes whole-school projects that address participating institutions’ needs, outlined in the European Development Plan (EDP).
- Create a School Internationalization Strategy: The EDP should reflect your school’s general internationalization strategy, connecting with other school planning documents. This plan fosters a cohesive vision for European strategy, focusing on school internationalization in the medium and long term.
- Identify Partners & Establish Partnerships: With a project idea in hand, identify an Erasmus+ call that aligns with your objectives and find partner organizations to facilitate the application process. While not mandatory, partnerships are essential for more complex calls like Key Action 2.
- Draft Your Erasmus+ Project: With a working group and partner organization in place, you’re well-positioned to write a project proposal. While not overly complex, a grasp of specific vocabulary and project management principles will make the process smoother.
- Apply Online: Once your partnership approves the project, upload it to the European digital platform. Ensure your school is accredited and registered on the platform to obtain its OID code (Organization Identification Code, formerly known as PIC code). Thoughtful planning in earlier phases will simplify this step, allowing you to copy and paste project sections you’ve already prepared.
Embarking on an Erasmus+ journey requires careful planning and commitment, but the rewards are undoubtedly worth the effort.
