Dušanka Vujičić, a classroom teacher at the "Ratko Žarić" primary school in Nikšić, Olivera Lučić, a biology teacher at the Secondary School of Economics and Catering, also from Nikšić, and Danka Medunjanin, a pedagogue at the Plužine Educational Center, as authors and co-authors of international eTwinning projects, were awarded the "European Quality Award" for their individual and student work. This award is given by the largest European educational network of teachers in Europe, eTwinning.
Last year, Lučić received the "European Quality Label" for two eTwinning projects, and this year for four - she was a co-author in two, "Let's Go Green", a project that brought together 19 schools from Romania, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and France, and "Oops! Forbidden Word", in cooperation with four schools from Turkey, as well as for participation in the projects "I'm Happy at School", where 40 schools from 30 countries participated, and "City of the Future with STEM", where 22 schools from Turkey, Greece, Romania, Azerbaijan, Portugal, Georgia, Jordan and Montenegro participated.
"I think these awards confirm the commitment to an innovative approach to learning and successful international cooperation in education. The projects lasted between four and eight months, and through them, students had the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences, learn, meet and collaborate with peers from different countries," Lučić told "Vijesti".
As she pointed out, she is particularly proud that around 40 students from the Secondary School of Economics and Hospitality participated in the aforementioned projects, actively contributing with creativity and innovation.
"I am particularly pleased that my students, through these projects, had the opportunity to develop key 21st century competencies - improving their language and digital (ICT) skills, broadening their horizons, getting to know different cultures and learning through cooperation with peers from other countries. Such projects contribute not only to academic development, but also to strengthening their social and intercultural competencies, which prepares them for the challenges of the future. We continue this year with innovations and cooperation on international projects, building bridges of education and culture among young people across Europe," said Lučić.
Since October, as part of the new eTwinning project, "Traveling Europe without a Passport" has been collaborating with partners from several European countries, and is also working on the "Raindrops" project, which was declared the best in the competition of Eco Schools from Montenegro at last year's "Do Good" Foundation competition.
Vujičić was awarded for the project "I Write, You Write", which she implemented together with her colleagues from Prokuplje, Jelena Babić and Ljiljana Sokolović. The project, which develops reading literacy, as well as teamwork and cooperation with students outside Montenegro, involved 21 teachers from Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia.
"The goal of the project is to encourage and motivate students to read, write and actively listen, develop a love for folk and artistic literature, creative work, foster a love for literature, stimulate students' imagination and creativity, and develop empathy and socially responsible behavior," said Vujičić.
The collected children's literary works, as products of the project, are being prepared for printing in the form of a collection and will be sold for humanitarian purposes, and the money will be intended for the treatment of "butterfly children".
"The project had a significant impact on students, developing their love of literature, empathy and creative expression, and the positive results show that this approach is effective in encouraging students to engage in creative work and literary expression," Vujačić told "Vijesti".
The project has classified the "Ratko Žarić" school as the only educational institution in Montenegro that educates elementary school students according to European quality standards.
Vujičić not only received the European Quality Label, but has also been a member of the National Coordinators' Team and an ambassador for the eTwinning program for Montenegro since 2022. Her task is to promote the eTwinning platform and the opportunities it offers to users through lectures, webinars, and seminars.
"Project learning provides students with the opportunity to develop the competencies needed for life and work in the 21st century. Project authors generally design tasks that are challenging and interesting for students, which is why younger children, as well as teenagers, are happy to complete project tasks. The importance of participating in projects for students is enormous. I hope that teachers in Montenegrin schools will realize this, because the knowledge and skills that students acquire through this way of learning are more long-lasting and functional. eTwinning opens the doors to Europe for us by giving us the opportunity to cooperate with teachers and students from many countries. By working together on various projects with teachers across Europe, we learn more about their education systems and ways of working, and we implement some of them into our personal teaching practice. By participating in projects, we enable students to acquire knowledge and skills in an innovative way," said Vujačić, who is also participating in a number of projects with her students this year.
As she pointed out, she doesn't do anything for awards, but for pleasure, and then the recognition comes.
"This recognition is another confirmation that I am doing well, and all awards oblige and motivate us to continue in that direction," she said.
Medunjanin received the award for the project "International Women's Day - Attention or Realized Rights", which she implemented with a teacher from Foča, Sandra Sredojević. As part of the project, they drew attention to the historical background of the holiday, but also managed to ensure that students used the time they spent on the Internet in a quality way - to learn something, acquire new skills, express creativity, and meet students outside Montenegro.
"In addition to me, several other teachers from the school participated in the awarded project, which contributed to its quality. This award represents recognition for the work done so far, but also motivation for further engagement. The e-twinning platform offers school employees the opportunity to professionally improve, learn, develop their competencies, create and participate in projects with partners from other European countries, and the participation of more teachers from the school allows us to function better as a team in the school. For students, e-Twinning projects are also important because they offer them the opportunity to get involved in the work on the platform themselves. In this way, they develop their ICT competencies, communication skills, communication in a foreign language, strengthen team spirit and unity in the school. Through such activities, we can also recognize some of their talents and potentials that were unknown to us," said Medunjanin to "Vijesti", which continues with eTwinning projects this year.
Bonus video:
