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Higher education student and staff mobility project
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: Sep 30, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Escuela Politécnica Navarra took part in European internships for the first time as part of the Erasmus + program during the school year 2014/2015. Even though our institution is a small center which only has 120 students, we believe in and are committed to its internationalization. Being so, the objectives of this project are the following ones: 1. Promote the internationalization of our school. 2. Provide our students with the opportunity to take part in European internship programs. 3. Be committed to our students’ lifelong learning and immersion in the work market. 4. Be committed to our students’ personal, social and professional development so that they may get better opportunities in the European work market. 5. Exchange experiences and methodologies with other leading European countries in the early childhood education field. 6. Create an international network of kindergartens which may help us to obtain and share enriching experiences. 7. Give our students the opportunity to take part in cultural exchanges and learn and improve a foreign language. Five of our students (three girls and two boys) participated in these European internships. Two of them were financed by SEPIE and the other three were scholarships 0 (student grants 0) financed by MEC. All the students did their internships in kindergartens (nursery schools) in Finland. The host schools use both English and Spanish. The main problem we have faced in this first experience has been our students’ low level of English. This makes it difficult to find kindergartens were they may do their internship in English which, from our point of view, prevents them from taking full advantage of the international experience. Due to this situation and much to our regret, most of the internships have been carried out in Spanish. The activities the trainees will have to fulfill at the kindergarten are the next: Get to know the place, children and staff, participate in the activities and care situations • Look for information of the placement goals and values • Observe the children and play situations, chose one child to conduct a close observation throughout the period in training, keep a record (without mentioning the name) • Learn about planning and evaluation, practice own skills of self evaluation according to the learning contract. • Plan to contribute to a programme of activities own ideas which are designed to meet the physical, intellectual and emotional needs of children • Implement planned activities in cooperation with other staff. (lead small group activities using English) • Support all staff and engage in team building by being flexible, prepared to help where needed including cleaning after meals and after activities. • Be aware of the needs of children constantly, especially the need for safety. • Communicate with the children, their parents and the staff using English and exchanging information professionally. • Provide a weekly plan to the head teacher. • Record own learning experiences. Please note: Kindergarten trainee may be lifting and carrying children and equipment, and will spend time outdoors daily. She/he may come in contact with children who are ill and/or contagious, and must take precautions to ensure her own health as well as the safety of all children. The results of this first internship experience have been very positive generally speaking. Nevertheless, analyzing them one by one, we could say as a conclusion that the impact has been very different depending on each of the five students. As I mentioned before, the internship that has been done in English has been more beneficial in every sense than those carried out in Spanish. The immersion in other language makes it possible, at the same time, a deeper immersion in the culture of the country. Analyzing the feedback we have received from our students in their final reports, we can appreciate a very positive impact in every aspect they were asked, with approximately the 80% of satisfaction regarding the impact of their internship experience, which is very good news. The long term benefit obtained from this experience is the chance of having gone through an unforgettable life experience that goes beyond the educational field. Apart from obtaining professional skills, they have developed personal and social skills which are difficult to obtain in the context of our city. This experience has given them the opportunity of getting to know another country, its culture and its people, which has enriched their personal lives more than the teachings they can receive in the classroom environment.
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