Creative Skills 21 Project: second learning week in St. Gallen
From Arganzuela to Roter Platz, from Chueca to Vadianplatz, from Lavapiés to Marktplatz and so on, the names of the teams change – as do some of their members – and the second training week of the CS-21 project – Creative Skills 21 – Improving teaching and learning of 21st century skills for the creative industry for the year 2021/2022 can begin.
The week, initially scheduled for February and then postponed once again due to COVID, took place from 16 to 20 May in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and, as planned, saw the groups finalise the project idea developed last November in Madrid.
The activities kicked off on Monday morning at GBS Saint Gallen, a training and professional development centre located at the top of the hill in the town of the same name. For ENAC, the group of students remained unchanged, with four fourth-year students from CFP Canossa in Magenta, while the technical teacher changed. The students rejoined their groups and immediately set to work to re-discuss what had been decided previously and to refocus the objective: to develop a communication campaign to raise awareness among a specific target audience on the issues of inequality. The teachers, on the other hand, after meeting with their groups again, were invited to a workshop on Critical Thinking, the skill of this second learning week.
The second day proceeds in much the same way, with the groups working on their projects and some reflection among teachers and coordinators on their role in the groups and how to apply what they learned the previous day within their teams. Tuesday ends with a social dinner and a walk in the hills surrounding the city.
Wednesday morning is again devoted to project development, while in the afternoon, participants recharge their batteries with a guided tour of the city and the Abbey Library of St. Gallen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, ending with another walk in Appenzell.
On Thursday, the students are asked to complete their work and put together a presentation for the following day: they will have to present their message, their chosen target audience, the process they followed, their idea and how each member of the group contributed to its realisation. The teachers accompany them in the exercises and also attend the presentation of some good practices on blended learning, app and video creation, as well as an exhibition on augmented reality.
Finally, Friday arrives, and the groups take turns on stage to present their work to the jury: seven projects that bring together the students’ many creative skills, all aimed at promoting sustainable development goals 4, 5 and 10, namely quality education, gender equality and reducing inequalities. Each presentation clearly highlights the different technical skills of the individual participants, as well as their equally important cross-cutting skills, such as communication and cooperation.
It is time to say goodbye to these 42 participants, who pass the baton to the same number of students and teachers for the autumn training weeks to be held in Finland and Portugal, in which ENAC will participate with four students and two teachers from the SFP in Verona.
