The project aims to strengthen the potential of the leader and project partners through the exchange of experience in the field of Montessori Erdkinder, to establish cooperation between schools and to popularize the typical elements of the Montessori Method for adolescents older than 12 years of age.

1. "Erdkinder – Montessori for Adolescents" project with European funding
at "George Voevidca" Secondary School in Câmpulung Moldovenesc
Starting September 2017, "George Voevidca" Secondary School in Câmpulung Moldovenesc
has implemented the project "Erdkinder – Montessori for Adolescents", carried out with the financial
support of the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus + programme, the action
KA2 – Strategic partnerships in the educational field, with the reference number 2017-1-PL01-KA219-
038429_5. The project was designed to run for a period of two years, until August 2019.
The project partners are: CDBWMS Children's House Sp. Z o. O. (Ltd.), Warsaw, Poland;
Montessori-Initiative Vienna, Austria; "George Voevidca" Secondary School in Câmpulung
Moldovenesc, Romania; Mesleki Teknik Ortaöğretim, Nevşehir, Turkey; Plato M.E.P.E., Ganochora,
Greece and Gymnázium Duhovka s.r.o., Prague, Czech Republic. Of all these institutions, the schools
in Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic operate according to the principles of Montessori pedagogy,
whereas the schools in Romania, Greece and Turkey operate according to the national education
system.
Initiated by the Italian physician and teacher Maria Montessori, the method bearing her name is
the result of many years of work and observations in the preschool environment, which led to the
creation of a sensitive educational philosophy, different from the traditional one. The Montessori
method is broadly characterised as a method whereby children are perceived as what they actually are
and creating an environment conducive to the development of their spiritual, emotional, physical and
intellectual potential, as members of a family, community, the universe.
Ever since 1906, when Maria Montessori laid the foundations of "Children's Homes" in Rome -
they were called "houses in the school" and were destined for the children of poor workers in the San
Lorenzo district, who had not yet had access to basic education, the school dropout rate being very
high - the most important principles that need to guide all those who want to provide children with
education through the Montessori method have remained valid.
According to the principles included in Maria Montessori's most important work, "Discovering
the Child", the child is truly disciplined when "he/she is master of himself/herself and can follow a rule
of life". In order to achieve this, it is necessary for any child to "learn to order the world by appropriate
means, that is, through things that are in his/her size." More specifically, it is necessary for the adult to
create an environment with varied objects, for example, with small pieces of furniture and household
items, from which the child is free to choose the ones he/she desires. All those involved in the child's
education must not do certain things in his/her stead, but "help him/her obtain independence", leaving
him/her "to evolve at his/her own pace and learn from his/her own mistakes".
Maria Montessori was the one who proposed for the first time the concept of "normalization",
understanding through it "the process by which features, such as initiative, self-discipline,
concentration, independence, desire for meaningful work, compassion become manifest in the child ".
In a school that has adopted the Montessori pedagogy, the teacher organizes the work, is the one who
helps and removes the obstacles, is just an assistant who intervenes in need. In a Montessori class, the
activity is individual, children work quietly, they are disciplined and follow an individual work plan.
Older pupils check and deepen their knowledge by helping the little ones, and the latter learn directly
from their older mates, while being supervised, they conduct their own work, organizing their own
lives progressively, becoming increasingly more aware of their own skills.
The project aims to strengthen the potential of the leader and project partners through the
exchange of experience in the field of Montessori Erdkinder, to establish cooperation between schools

2. and to popularize the typical elements of the Montessori Method for adolescents older than 12 years of
age.
This aim will be achieved through the specific objectives: supporting the staff of the partner schools in
maintaining the quality of teaching within Montessori Erdkinder education, addressing a complex
school environment, as well as the use of Montessori materials and working methods in the teaching
process; teacher actions addressed to pupils, using active study techniques according to the Erdkinder
philosophy: solving problems using multi- and interdisciplinary approaches; exchange of knowledge
and exchange of experience in the practical dimension of organizing the school class and Erdkinder
programme, in particular with regard to partners intending to start introducing Montessori Erdkinder
elements; international cooperation of adolescent pupils who are part of the Erdkinder Montessori
education system.
The beneficiaries of the project are the teachers and the management of the partner schools
involved in the Montessori Erdkinder programme, as well as those interested in expanding the domain
or including this method in their school activities, as well as pupils from partner schools aged 12 or
more, enrolled in the compulsory education, Montessori or Montessori Erdkinder systems.
By conducting this project, "George Voevidca" Secondary School aims to introduce in the
school curriculum elements of the Montessori method pedagogy by choosing, selecting those elements
that could renew traditional teaching, helping the child find pleasure in the act of learning. Teachers
will participate in the training courses in Montessori pedagogy provided in the project activities
calendar by teacher trainers from Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Communication between project partners will take place by digital means, such as email,
Google Drive, eTwinning, Twinspace, Facebook, blog, the web-sites of partner schools, etc. All
partners will contribute to the project, having the same responsibilities and tasks regarding the
production of materials, arrangements for transnational educational visits, monitoring of student
communication, dissemination, and evaluation. Most of these activities are to be conducted in an
interdisciplinary manner, involving different classes and school subjects.
The final products planned to be posted by pupils on the eTwinning on-line platform are:
a) The logo of the project, which will be chosen by vote;
b) A presentation entitled "My Montessori Erdkinder School". Each partner school will prepare a
presentation of the Erdkinder activities. The Turkish, Romanian and Greek partners will present
elements of the Montessori Erdkinder method that are used in their work;
c) A film presenting student Erdkinder activities (in English);
d) Students from partner schools will prepare a presentation for a season of the year entitled
"Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter in an Erdkinder garden"- a seasonal work in the garden of the school;
e) Entrepreneurship/Economics/Management. Partners will use the eTwinning programme to present,
in any form, examples of student business development projects in their schools (e.g. organizing a trip,
selling home-made/hand-made products, managing the budget for shopping).
During mobility visits, communication will take place in English, but we will learn common
words and set phrases specific to the language of the host country. Skills and competences acquired as
a result of participation in teacher training courses will be recognised by obtaining the "Europass
Mobility" certificate.
The first joint training event of the teaching staff took place in Montessori-Schule Prein an der
Rax, Austria, between 19.02– 23.02.2018. The trainer was Mr. Saša Lapter representing the host
school and the course was attended by 2 teachers from Poland, 2 teachers from Greece, 1 teacher from
Turkey, 2 teachers from Austria, 1 teacher from the Czech Republic and 3 teachers from our school:
Mrs. Lăcrămioara Băcanu (Physics teacher), Mrs. Anca Călinescu (3rd grade teacher) and
Mrs.Camelia-Nicoleta Uriciuc (2nd grade teacher).

3. The course themes were as follows:
Day 1: Introduction to Montessori Pedagogy/General principles/Development plans;
Day 2: Theoretical Fundamentals of Montessori work with adolescents: Erdkinder as part of the
Montessori continuum/Adolescent characteristics/Elements of the social organization - Experimental
school of social life;
Day 3: Theoretical Fundamentals of Montessori work with adolescents: Studies and work plans/
Erdkind and the Supernatural;
Day 4: Theoretical Fundamentals of Montessori work with adolescents: Human trends and how we can
support them in adolescence/Living Erdkinder Programme - Practical considerations for
implementation;
Day 5: Visit to Montessori Elementary School (0-3 and 3-6 year-olds) and Elementary (6-12 year-olds)
of Vienna/Environments/Observations, where we witnessed the conduct of teaching classes through
the Montessori method and became familiar with the specific teaching materials.
The second transnational meeting of project coordinators was also held in the Montessori-
Schule Prein an der Rax school, Austria, between 19.02 – 20.02.2018, where school managers and
teachers from the 6 partner countries participated. The activities of the following months and their
method of financing were set out, responsibilities were established, and we discussed the modalities of
the eligible costs required by the Erasmus + national agencies, the way of working on the Mobility
Tool platform. We agreed that our school would host the third transnational project meeting and the
second training session, between 21.05 – 22.05.2018 and 21.05 – 25.05.2018 respectively.
The "Edrkinder – Montessori for Adolescents" project is carried out with the financial support of the
European Commission under the ERASMUS + programme, the KA2 Action – strategic partnerships in
the educational field. The information provided is the sole responsibility of the author; the
A.N.P.C.D.E.F.P. and the European Commission are not responsible for the way in which the content
of such information is used.
Lăcrămioara Băcanu
Teacher of Physics at”George Voevidca” Secondary School