The project Smart Hands started with a partner meeting in Boras, Sweden in October 2019. During two days the partners got to know each other more personally, exchanges ideas and experiences, worked together in a workshop about heart – head – hands, discussed the outcome of the project, prepared two training weeks and more!
You can read the whole story in the blog below.

DAY 1

The partnermeeting start with a presentation of all the partners. Purpose of the presentation was getting to know the organisations, the people working on Smart Hands and the ideas and approach each partner had for the project.

All partners were requested to bring an item with them to Sweden to talk about, related to their presentation and the project. Eileen Blackmore gave a presentation of the local value chain model that lies beneath her vision for this project.

Workshop heart-head-hands
Maaike (Singelland College) continued by providing a workshop for all partners to find out where the participants are standing relating the topics: heart – head – hands. One of the goals was to become familiar with the terms heart – head – hands and also to get a clearer view on what the goals are going to be in the upcoming project.
In the first round, we all had to find five competences that fit our teaching/work style best and also find three competences that don’t fit our own teaching/work style. Partners shared and discussed their findings.
In the second round, we took competences we found in the first round and found out where they belonged: under Heart, or Head or Hands. Partners were questioned if their predictions were right, and how it suits with how their organization is working.

Workshop about the Impact Tool
Following Maaike’s workshop and a more common understanding of the project’s intentions on bringing these together, we took the step towards impact.
Frank Hiddink explained the Impact Tool and how it helps us formulate and structure our ambitions with the project in the long run. How do we bring together traditional head (knowledge) and hands (action) subjects in a multidisciplinary way in secondary education and increase workfield collaboration and student-family involvement? And how we will ensure wide implementation when the project ends?

All partners (grouped by country) then went to sit together and fill in the Impact Tool. The exercise helps to determine the desired impact of project and to formulate the ambitions the partners have with the project (in their region). It took them along the steps to get there (which outcomes, output and activities are needed?). The completed Impact Tools for Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Finland are put on Trello.

At the end of the afternoon we paid a visit to the BORÅS TEXTILE MUSEUM. It featured textile exhibitions from various time periods and industry machinery to manufacture these as well. Erikslundskolan have contact with the museum and university about their possible role in our project as expert partner.

In the evening our hosts Erikslandskolan prepared a traditional Swedish buffet at their school facilities. The partners enjoyed the meal and got to opportunity to bake themselves as well and participate in a guided tour of the school.

DAY 2

During the second day the partners focused more on the organisation of the project and discussed issues such as; partner tasks, planning, reporting duties, intellectial output, planning and preparing two training weeks, contracting and finances.