If you and your organisation have taken part in an Erasmus+ project of excellence, you could be contacted by our Léargas team to receive the 2023 European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA). This award showcases outstanding teaching practices carried out as part of Erasmus+ projects. It recognises the work of teachers and schools and celebrates the exceptional contribution they make to their profession. It aims to make their work more visible and is an integral part of the European Union's plans to attain a European Education Area by 2025.
Check out our 2022 Award winners from Manor House and North Monastery
What is the European Innovative Teaching Award?
The European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA) aims to:
- Celebrate the achievements of teachers and schools and give more visibility to their work.
- Identify and promote outstanding teaching and learning practices.
- Foster mutual learning between teachers and school staff.
- Highlight the value of Erasmus+ to teacher collaboration across Europe.
There are four European Innovative Teaching Award categories:
- Early Childhood Education and Care
- Primary Education
- Post-primary Education
- VET Schools
What is the EITA 2023 Theme?
The European Innovative Teaching Award 2023 theme is ‘Education and Innovation’ in connection with the European Year of Skills, which promotes a mindset of reskilling and upskilling. The annual theme explores the introduction of existing and emerging technologies in the contemporary education systems. These include artificial intelligence, robotics, coding, programming, virtual reality, entrepreneurship, etc.
Who can receive the European Innovative Teaching Award?
Teachers and school organisations that have taken part in an Erasmus+ project of excellence (scores of 85 or higher at the final report stage) in the following areas can apply for the award:
- Erasmus+ Learning Mobility projects (KA1) in School Education
- Erasmus+ Learning Mobility projects (KA1) in Vocational Education and Training
- Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships (KA2) projects in School Education
- Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships (KA2) projects in Vocational Education and Training
- Individual projects coordinated by Irish organisations (excluding Consortia projects).
How are teachers and schools selected for the award?
The European Innovative Teaching Awardees are selected in Ireland by Léargas. Last year, Léargas published an open call for interested beneficiaries to apply by a set deadline. This year, Léargas will shortlist potential awardees by screening projects that meet the eligibility criteria, are compatible with the annual EITA theme and have received a high-quality score on their final project report.
Léargas will contact the short-listed projects to collect an expression of interest to take part in the EITA selection process.
Short-listing Criteria and Process
Evaluators will pay particular attention to the thematic priorities for 2023 when shortlisting potential awardees and will identify potential projects based on key words or priorities/topics available in the Erasmus+ dashboards and results platform (for example, ‘innovation’, ‘technology, ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘robotics’, ‘automatisation’, ‘coding’, ‘programming’, ‘informatics’, ‘virtual reality’, ‘entrepreneurship’, etc.)
Awards Criteria
Methodologies
In what ways are the teaching and learning approaches elaborated and implemented in the project innovative?
- Multidisciplinary approaches
- Key competence development (knowledge, skills and attitudes)
- Linking formal, non-formal and informal learning
- Inclusion, participation, cooperation
- Innovative use of digital tools
- Learners’ active role in the learning process
Innovation Environments
In what ways do learning environments involved in the project support innovative teaching and learning approaches?
- Schools are enablers of innovation
- Creative use of the learning spaces
- Sustainable use of available resources
- A whole school approach
- Cross-sectoral cooperation
Teachers
In what ways do teachers/educators involved in the project influence the innovative teaching and learning processes?
- Teachers’ agency as innovators
- Teachers’ competences
- Teachers’ cooperation and peer learning
Impact
What is the impact of the innovative teaching and learning processes elaborated and implemented in the project?
- Direct impact on the target groups
- Inclusion of participants with fewer opportunities
- Spill-over effect (to other students, teachers, schools, local communities)
Get in touch
For more information on the European Innovative Teaching Awards contact Dara in our programme support and development team at dmcintyre@leargas.ie
