Let's Foster Solidarity: Care for Others and Share What We Have!

"Let's Foster Solidarity: Care for Others and Share What We Have!" – this is the theme of this year's cross-border school projects competition. For the eighth time in a row, aces – Academy of Central European Schools is inviting teachers and students to design and implement new projects in cooperation with international partners. Project proposals can be submitted from January 15 to April 15, 2015. Schools that present the best projects will win valuable cash prizes, reports the Patria News Agency.

Aces is a project initiated by ERSTE Foundation in the field of education, and the coordination of the initiative is entrusted to the Austrian organization Interkulturelles Zentrum and the Slovak association VČELI DOM. This school network has been active since 2006 throughout Central and Southeastern Europe, with the main goal of improving exchange and cultural dialogue among young people. The network includes 15 countries in the CEE region, with the support of ministries of education. So far, more than 25,000 students and 3,600 teachers have participated in the aces program.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been part of this cross-border school network since 2007, and more than 50 schools from our country have participated in the aces program so far. Previous competition winners come from Mrkonjić Grad and Tuzla.

Theme of this year's competition: solidarity. All people are equal, but not everyone has equal opportunities.

"Unfortunately, some people are less privileged in life for one reason or another. Some may have special needs, live below the poverty line, or are marginalized because of who they are, where they come from, or something that happened to them in life. aces strives to create a society in which people care for each other, in which people not only claim their rights but are also aware of their responsibility for the well-being of all. 'aces promotes the idea of equal partnerships and shared responsibility. Thanks to the international nature of this idea, we encourage students and teachers to think beyond their immediate surroundings. Making friends from other countries and seeing one's own country from a different perspective strengthens critical thinking, empathy, and solidarity, while also being a lot of fun," explains Robin Gosejohann, project manager at ERSTE Foundation.

One Competition – Many Winners

From January 15 to April 15, 2015, schools interested in participating in this initiative should find partners from CEE countries and submit a joint project proposal. The competition is open to schools in the participating countries, and the target group consists of students aged 12 to 17. An application for finding a partner school is available online on the aces website (www.aces.or.at/partnerfinder). An international jury will select and award the best ideas. Winners will be provided with support for the implementation of cross-border projects. The final meetings of international delegations presenting the winning projects will also be an opportunity to exchange ideas and improve educational processes.

In Brief About This Year's aces Competition

Competition Theme: Let's Foster Solidarity: Care for Others and Share What We Have!

Application Deadline: 04/15/2015

Participating Countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, and Kosovo

More Information: http://www.aces.or.at

Contact for Media Inquiries:

Executive Group, PR Agency

ERSTE Foundation

Zinaida Ilaria, tel. +387 61 144 310

e-mail: [email protected]