Project background :The staff’s competencies in project management are an important factor in the future development at the BBS Helmstedt pointing towards Europe. Furthermore they are substantial in implementing the European dimension at our school. This has led to a change in the requirements a vocational school has to fulfil. Thus quality and quantity of European cooperation is to improve in the future by the newly acquired project management competences. These skills are to become a fixed part in our educational work at the school. In working together with teachers from different countries this project offers the chance of cross-cultural exchange not only during the seminar sessions but also on the informal level all through the week. At the same time there is the opportunity to meet potential project partners for school cooperation.Extended intercultural competence aims at making the staff’s daily work with our multicultural students (in particular the refugees in the ‘SPRINT’ classes) easier. Our students are to be prepared for the changed regional labour market and furthermore for the European labour market. Their foreign language skills are to be enhanced. We are aiming at a European open minded school.Project goals: Directing teaching staff and school structures towards cultural and social heterogeneityStrengthening intercultural open mindedness in the school in order to improve the school’s atmosphere and performanceAcquisition and multiplication of intercultural competences as well as project management skills in the staff, in order to overcome cultural barriers and misunderstandings, which may endanger or minimize a project’s success when a project includes international partnersNumber and profile of participants; Participating teachers (between 2 and five teachers) are open minded, interested in international projects and are ready to get involved with the required time and work. Partially they work in the extended school administration and are appointed to co-ordinate the schooling of migrants and refugees. They head teams in areas in which students continuously work in projects (e.g. in students’ exchanges or in projects directed by the initiative “Humantiäre Schule” (humanitarian school) by the German Red Cross.)Description of measures: Participation in intercultural project management training courses, in this case Erasmus+ Seminar ‘Project management for projects on intercultural exchange’ on TenerifeMethodology for project implementation: Enhancing and perfecting project management skills – especially focussing on European projects – and the same for intercultural competence are important to us for a larger number of colleagues/the school. Thus these skills should be supported more in individual teachers, trained in all staff and be institutionalized in intercultural projects.Description of the expected results, effects and potential long-term benefits: We expect that the participants in this project will gain further motivation to initiate an Erasmus+ team at our school and support the teacher in charge of international contacts and ease this workload. The participants will plan, handle and evaluate potential projects in the realm of international contacts and students’ exchange. Furthermore the participants will be able to support other members of staff in their project work due to their experience in the area of project management. Finally, intercultural activities are to get more into the focus of every day school routine in order to motivate further participation in European and international activities at the BBS both on the staff and student sides. The European idea at our school is to be extended on various levels.The students will benefit from our work on topics concerning the EU/our international contacts in the areas of enhanced tolerance and acceptance towards students with a background of migration, improvement of their foreign language skills and an additional preparation for the European labour market.