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 2024 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 2023 Award winners from Scoil Náisiúnta Ghort Sceiche, St. Ita’s Special School and Capacity Ireland.
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 2024 Theme?
The European Innovative Teaching Award 2024 theme is ‘‘Well-being at school‘ in connection with implementation of Pathways to School Success initiative.
The annual theme explores building a systemic, whole-school approach to well-being and mental health in schools. The following factsheets provide a broad understanding of the different elements within this approach.
How are teachers and schools selected for the award?
The European Innovative Teaching Awardees are selected in Ireland by Léargas. 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 2024 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 "well-being”, “mental health”, “physical health”, “healthy choices”, “problem solving”, “conflict resolution”, “collaboration”, “resilience”, “self-worth”, “empathy”, “compassion”, “learners’ voices”, “social and emotional learning”, “sense of belonging”, “school climate”, “screen time”, “digital distraction”, “rest and play”, “nutrition”, “anxiety”, “depression”, “addiction”, “bullying”, “cyber-bullying”, “violence at school”, “working with parents”, 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) and assessment (formative assessment)
- 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
- Building a positive school climate
- Sustainable use of available resources
- A whole school approach
- Cross-sectoral cooperation (in particular with health care, social services, justice, etc)
Teachers
In what ways do teachers/educators involved in the project influence the innovative teaching and learning processes?
- Teachers’ agency as innovators
- Teachers' well-being
- 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 and parents)
Get in touch
For more information on the European Innovative Teaching Awards contact Mila at mpopovic@leargas.ie and Eve at emoore@leargas.ie in our programme support and development team.
