About the Project

Community & English — Community-connected learning in English language school classes — is an Erasmus+ KA220-SCH cooperation partnership bringing together schools and educational organisations from Poland, North Macedonia, Türkiye and Italy. The project develops an innovative approach that connects English language learning with real-world community challenges, supported by Virtual Reality, Open Educational Resources and transnational cooperation. Through teacher capacity building, school-based learning activities and international exchange, the project aims to make English education more engaging while strengthening students’ digital, teamwork, research, critical-thinking and civic skills.

Community-connected Learning Journey

Connecting language learning with real-world communities

  1. Community Challenges

    Environment · Social inclusion · Multiculturalism

  2. English Learning

    Research · Communication · Presentation

  3. Digital Learning

    VR · OER · Interactive learning

  4. European Cooperation

    eTwinning · Teamwork · Exchange

  • 4 Countries
  • 6 Partners
  • 24 Months

Why This Project Exists

English language education can contribute to much more than communication skills. It can also help students explore environmental, social and cultural issues affecting their communities while developing digital skills, critical thinking and awareness of their role as future active citizens. At the same time, traditional teaching approaches do not always reflect the expectations of students who increasingly learn and interact through digital technologies.

Community & English responds by connecting English classes with real community challenges and innovative digital learning. Students explore topics such as environmental protection, social inclusion, equity, tolerance and multiculturalism while using English for research, teamwork and presentations. Teachers are supported in introducing Community-connected learning, Virtual Reality, Open Educational Resources and transnational cooperation into their educational practice.

Project Objectives

  • Community-Connected English Learning

    Develop and implement an educational approach that connects formal and non-formal English learning with environmental, social, cultural and other challenges relevant to students’ local communities.

  • Innovative Digital and VR-Based Learning

    Introduce Virtual Reality, Open Educational Resources and other ICT-based methods that make English learning more engaging, interactive and relevant to the expectations of present-day students.

  • Teacher Capacity and Cooperation

    Strengthen English teachers’ pedagogical and digital competences while increasing their ability to cooperate in transnational teams and through the eTwinning platform.

  • Student Skills and Active Participation

    Strengthen students’ English-language, digital, teamwork, research, critical-thinking and presentation skills while encouraging them to take an active interest in challenges affecting their communities.

  • Long-Term Transnational Partnership

    Build sustainable cooperation among schools and educational organisations and develop strategic recommendations and future initiatives for improving educational processes in the participating regions.

Target Groups

Primary Target Groups

  • Secondary school English teachers from the four partner schools, developing skills in Community-connected learning, VR, OER and international/eTwinning cooperation.
  • Secondary school students from the four partner schools, participating in English learning, research, teamwork, VR-supported activities and student competitions.

Secondary Target Groups

  • Local, regional and national educational authorities.
  • Other educational institutions.
  • Authorities and organisations working with environmental, social and cultural issues.
  • Civil-society organisations and NGOs active in education and community-related fields.

Expected Results

Main Outputs

  • Community-Connected Learning Concept & Teacher Handbook

    A structured educational concept for introducing Community-connected learning into English classes, supported by a practical Handbook for secondary school English teachers and lesson plans for classroom implementation.

  • VR Educational Software & User Manual

    A new educational application in a Virtual Reality environment based on the Maze concept, designed to support English-language learning and accompanied by a User Manual covering installation, use and maintenance.

  • Strategic Transnational Partnership Document

    A strategic document supporting long-term cooperation and improvement of educational processes, including recommendations and an Action Plan with concrete future initiatives.

Capacity & Impact

  • Stronger Teacher Capacity and European Cooperation

    Teachers improve their pedagogical and digital competences and strengthen international cooperation through transnational teamwork and eTwinning.

  • Student Skills, Motivation and Community Awareness

    Students develop stronger English, digital, teamwork, research, critical-thinking and presentation skills while becoming more engaged with issues affecting their communities.

  • Transferable and Sustainable Educational Practice

    The Handbook, VR solution, strategic cooperation and publicly available project resources support continued use of the approach in partner schools and potential transfer to other educational institutions.

Project Timeline

  1. Q4 2024

    Project Start & Coordination Setup

    All partners

    The partnership begins project coordination, confirms working structures and responsibilities, and prepares the implementation of the main project activities.

  2. Q1 2025

    Kick-Off Meeting

    Kočani, North Macedonia

    Partners formally launch Community & English, coordinate responsibilities and working methods, and review the implementation framework for the project.

  3. Q4 2024 – Q3 2025

    Development of the Community-Connected Learning Concept & Handbook

    Transnational partner collaboration

    Project partners jointly develop the educational concept for Community-connected English learning and prepare the accompanying Handbook and lesson-planning guidance for teachers.

  4. Q3 2025

    First Training Event

    Radom, Poland

    English teachers strengthen their skills in Community-connected learning, innovative pedagogy and collaborative transnational work through the project’s first international training activity.

  5. Q3 2025

    Stakeholder Networking Workshops

    Partner schools and local communities

    Schools engage local and regional stakeholders through workshops that present the project approach, planned student activities and the wider value of more innovative educational practice.

  6. Q4 2025

    Second Training Event

    Tarsus/Mersin, Türkiye

    Teachers continue practical capacity building in digital and collaborative methods, including the use of VR, OER and transnational cooperation in English-language education.

  7. Q4 2025 – Q2 2026

    Long-Term Teaching/Learning Assignments

    Partner schools in Poland, North Macedonia, Türkiye and Italy

    Teachers implement Community-connected learning and VR-supported activities in their schools, while student teams work on real-world challenges and the best team from each school is selected for the blended mobility.

  8. Q4 2024 – Q2 2026

    Development and Testing of VR Educational Software

    Transnational development and school-based use

    Partners develop the VR-based educational software and accompanying User Manual, with testing and practical use supporting implementation in school activities and student-team work.

  9. Q2 2026

    Blended Mobility

    Naples, Italy

    Teachers and student teams come together for a shared international learning experience that highlights project achievements, tests the educational approach in practice and strengthens intercultural cooperation.

  10. Q3 – Q4 2026

    National Dissemination Events

    Poland, North Macedonia, Türkiye and Italy

    Project activities, results and lessons learned are presented to wider stakeholder audiences in each partner country, promoting transferability and future use of the project outcomes.

  11. Q4 2026

    Evaluation, Sustainability & Project Closure

    All partners

    The partnership completes final evaluation and reporting, supports continued access to project results and strengthens the basis for future cooperation and follow-up initiatives.