The Perfect Project is one of those projects that really bring people together. Pouring rain and train hiccups didn’t deter IPA and the other members of the PERFECT Consortium from converging in Brussels for the Final Conference of the PERFECT Project. Not every Final Conference is simultaneously engaging and good at getting things done, but the PERFECT Project’s ticks all the boxes. It really was… PERFECT!

What is PERFECT?

The PERForming and Sharing of Local Histories Project (PERFECT) seeks to enhance the quality and innovation of secondary education by implementing a teaching and learning strategy centered around collaborative cultural production and intercultural exchange. This approach is further enriched through the engaging use of digital technology. The project aims to stimulate autonomous learning, creative thinking, and collaborative skills by encouraging students to create cultural products based on local history.

The PERFECT Project fosters international collaboration by promoting the exchange of digital cultural products among partner schools, facilitating interaction between student groups. Additionally, it offers methodological tools to support the replication and dissemination of its “open model” of educational action. A network of primary and secondary schools will be established, dedicated to exchanging student-created cultural products and participating in a European Festival.

The project’s core elements include cultural exchange, didactic innovation, and openness to multiculturalism, promoting respect and understanding of diverse cultural heritages. These aspects align with the principles of Global Citizenship Education and emphasize Europe’s interconnected history and heritage.

The PERFECT Project will deliver key results such as a conceptual model for intercultural cultural production, a handbook for school leaders, collaboratively developed cultural products, evaluation-based guidelines, and a virtual showcase of school-developed projects to inspire future initiatives.

Day 1: the Meeting

The works covered two days. Monday the 14th was devoted to the internal consortium final TPM, covering the entire spanning of the project, its results, and its future challenges.
Our hosts, OBESSU, offered a brief outline of the meeting’s agenda before moving into a healthy, nutritious and energising vegetarian lunch. During lunch, we engaged in meaningful conversations as a way of rekindling extant connections and introducing newcomer members to the team.

We proceeded to run an in-depths SWOT analysis using sticky notes and an engaging, novel nautical setup. All partners worked together to identify strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats of the project so far.

We then listened to the narratives of the different PERFECT pilot projects, combining literature, dance and history in a novel and engaging method for students to approach the study of History and their local heritage.

Day 2: the Final Conference

The final conference took place at a youthful location with a distinctive vibe. We were greeted by an informal yet comfortable setting, warm, freshly-baked biscuits, and an agenda packed with interesting and relevant engagements.

We listened to a retelling of the genesis of the Project, steeped in the connection between music and storytelling. Subsequently, Claudio Dondi and IPA’s Director Eszter Salamon each presented one of the most important outcomes of Project PERFECT: the Guidelines for School Team Leaders and the Guidelines for Schools, Teachers and Students. Both tools are research-based, practical resources have been developed to facilitate a seamless application of the PERFECT Project methodology to different institutions in different contexts. Any interested party can consult or download both guidelines completely free of charge.

Following up, participants in the Final Conference listened to the inspiring testimonies of a panel with distinguished keynote speakers before splitting into two groups to engage in a round of practical activity through two exciting workshops:

• The therapeutic value of art education: building children’s resilience
• The value of interdisciplinary and art-oriented project-based learning.

Looking Forward

The PERFECT project might be nearing its end, but plans are already being discussed to ensure that its impactful results can be useful to a wider platform of students and education professionals.