MINE-POWER: A shared mining history as a step towards better integration and more intercultural solidarity among students aged 15 to 17 years old

<< Background >>Migration flows and associated advantages and challenges remain worldwide issues. The two-sided migration flow between the regions of Heusden and Montesilvano as a result of coal mine activities is defined as the shared starting point for the MINE-POWER project, including schools of both regions. For years, these schools are seeking for efficient strategies to increase intercultural solidarity among students and staff. Insights and knowledge concerning the shared mining history is unique and can be an accelerant to identify subtle success factors for this.Local partners learned us that the older generations are looking at the youngest generations with great expectations in terms of migration, diversity and solidarity. Therefore, activities within MINE-POWER have the potential to sharpen interactions, understanding and respect across generations. These dynamics mean that not only students can learn from each other, but also students from the older generations and vice versa. As a result, the project also responds to the needs of the older generations.Finally, Both regions and schools face many more migrations flows, and insights and results from MINE-POWER can certainly be translated in a much larger whole. << Objectives >>MINE-POWER aimes to contribute to a better integration and more intercultural solidarity among students aged 15-17 years old. The Heusden coal mine, important cornerstone for migration maces between the regions of Heusden and Montesilvano, is used as- unique starting point.Specific MINE-POWER objectives were:1) Increasing the understanding of the past, present and future of European migration waves;2) Framing the energy transition as cornerstone of migration waves and look at the influence of the energy transition on past, current and future waves;3) Strengthening the students' English language and digital skills to support integration and intercultural solidarity.The project is closed with an accessible and inspiring MINE-POWER podcast that triggers and raises awareness of the broader community concerning the rish mining history and the associated challenges of migration, energy, and intercultural solidarity. Ultimately, we want to contribute to broader support for our rich and diverse society.<< Implementation >>MINE-POWER started with an intensive recruitment procedure in an attempt to recruit a heterogeneous but complementary group of students in both schools. In a next step, MINE-POWER students’ creativity and criticism were stimulated in E-Twinning sessions where mixed student groups substantially worked on themes linked to migration and energy transition. in the meantine, three physical exchanges were organized (Montesilvano, Heusden and Strasbourg), ensuring more in-depth practices, debates and training of positive coping skills. Furthermore, local peer to peer sessions were foreseen to exchange students' insights and knowledge to their peers, the schools' staff and social partners. Finally, a MINE-POWER podcast was created by the students and distributed for further cross-pollination to the wider public.<< Results >>MINE-POWER delivered two trained groups of students that have a better understanding off the complex interplay between migration, energy transition and social challenges. For his, students finished a set of eTwinning sessions and participated in three physical exchanges discovering the mining history, migration flows and local cultures and building new friendships. A wide cross-pollination towards their student peers, the schools’ staff, local partners and older generations was done through social (peer-)activities (kick-off-) events, poster presentations, social media content, ... and the creation and distribution of a MINE-POWER podcast.