CARES - Creating Accessible and Respectful Environments in Schools

Background: A school ready for change 

At Istituto Comprensivo Statale Galileo Nicolini, a public school in Capranica, Lazio, the school community was becoming increasingly diverse. More pupils were coming from different cultural backgrounds, and an increasing number of learners were facing fewer opportunities to take part fully in school life. At the same time, the school had limited international experience, which made it harder to develop language skills, build European connections and share ideas with schools beyond Italy. 

It was clear that inclusion could not be treated as a separate project or an occasional activity. It needed to become part of everyday school life: the way teachers taught, the way pupils worked together and the way the school understood its place in Europe. 

The CARES project responded to the school's need for greater internationalisation, enhanced language skills, and more inclusive, innovative teaching methods. By connecting with educational communities across Europe, they aimed to create opportunities for their students and staff to grow, learn, and thrive in an interconnected world. 

Objectives: Turning values into action 

The project aimed to improve the inclusion of pupils with fewer opportunities, ensuring that they could participate more fully in learning and school activities. The team also wanted to strengthen the school’s international outlook and help pupils and staff develop a stronger sense of European identity. 

Language learning was another important part of the project. Better language skills would give students and teachers more confidence when communicating with people from other countries, taking part in mobility activities and building international partnerships. The project also aimed to encourage new teaching approaches, particularly methods that could respond better to different learning needs and backgrounds. 

CARES focused on learning through exchange. Mobility activities with European schools gave staff and pupils opportunities to see different approaches in practice, reflect on their own routines and bring useful ideas back to the school. 

Implementation 

The project ran from June 2024 to November 2025 and consisted of three mobility experiences for staff and pupils. 

The first mobility activity took staff to Malta for advanced professional development in classroom management. Teachers and non-teaching staff explored student-centred methodologies, inclusive strategies for diverse groups of learners, practical classroom-management tools and engagement techniques for 21st-century education. Malta was an especially valuable destination because, as an English-speaking EU member state, it provided an opportunity to improve English proficiency in an immersive, professional context. Staff could learn about a different education system while developing communication skills for future international cooperation. 

The second mobility focused on job-shadowing in Storfors Municipality, Sweden. Swedish education is widely recognised for its emphasis on inclusion, equity, student autonomy and holistic development which are principles that closely matched the values behind CARES. Teachers and non-teaching staff observed colleagues at work, joined collaborative planning activities and took part in professional discussions about how inclusive learning can function in everyday school practice. It was an opportunity not just to watch and learn, but also to exchange methodologies, compare approaches and create lasting professional relationships with European colleagues. 

The third mobility placed pupils at the centre of the project through a group exchange in Spain. Hosted by the Italian State School in Madrid, students attended lessons with Spanish peers and took part in collaborative activities that connected languages, cultures and classroom learning. Staying with host families gave them a more personal experience of daily life in another country, helping them build independence, adaptability and intercultural confidence. Cultural activities across Madrid added another layer, allowing pupils to explore European diversity beyond the classroom. 

Crucially, the selection process was designed to be inclusive and transparent, ensuring that students with fewer opportunities had access to this life-changing experience. 

Results 

CARES produced results that reached beyond the mobility activities themselves. The school reported stronger inclusion, greater intercultural awareness and a deeper understanding of European values among both students and teachers. Participants became more confident in communicating across languages and cultures.  

New inclusive teaching methodologies were integrated into daily practice, which directly benefitted students with improved instructional practices and classroom management. The project therefore became more than a series of activities: it helped influence how learning was organised and how pupils were supported. 

The school established lasting collaborative partnerships with European schools, creating ongoing opportunities for exchange and professional development. By creating more accessible and respectful environments, Istituto Comprensivo Statale Galileo Nicolini showed how Erasmus+ mobility can lead to lasting change. 

To find out more about this case study, visit the Erasmus+ project database: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2024-1-IT02-KA122-SCH-000242346