Team

BRIDGES' CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

THE LEADER OF OUR CONSORTIUM:

PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, the owner of Infotech Schools

Infotech Schools operate mainly in the field of education of children and youth. The beneficiaries of the project are the community of teachers and students from INFOTECH schools run by The Partnership for Development Foundation (a non-governmental non-profit organization). Infotech organizes daily VET education for over 500 students and employs over 100 teachers. The Foundation offers general and vocational education (INFOTECH Secondary School of Programming) and primary (INFOTECH Primary School).


The main educational activity focuses on modern technologies: software development, the basics of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.


Infotech vocational school is dedicated to students aged 15-19 and educates in the area of website programming, mobile applications, database systems, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. The training cycle lasts 5 years (for VET), is completed with the formal title of a programmer technician and 4 years (for general secondary school). Professional classes are conducted by both teachers with excellent didactic workshop and professional programmers working in software companies on a daily basis. They are also contributing to the quality development of our original curriculum, which is prepared in cooperation with local companies from the IT industry.


An important area of our activity is close cooperation with the community of local software companies which ensures a continuous flow of knowledge from companies to the school. The cooperation is formalized in the form of the INFOTECH Podlasie Technology Cluster.


INFOTECH also has an experience in civic education. We are a member of a partner organization implementing the Local Development Strategy under the LEADER program (CLLD - Community Lead Local Development) -. Local Action Group - Puszcza Knyszyńska in the field of renewable energy sources.


INFOTECH’S international cooperation concerns: innovative activities in the field of education, student exchange, teacher training, apprenticeships, creating educational materials and other activities related to the education of young people for the needs of Industry 4.0.


Setting up INFOTECH Secondary School of Programming as the first vocational school for programmers in Poland resulted in the creation of an offer of programming courses for adults. The adult course covers areas related to teaching the basics of programming, database basics, web programming and mobile application development. The training cycle assumes conducting classes outside official working hours and on weekends. Due to the COVID pandemic we are conducting part of the classes in hybrid and completely remote mode. Our international cooperation in this area concerns: exchange of good practices, exchange and training of teachers, creation of educational materials for distant learning offered to immigrants (also in their mother tongue).

All the actions taken by INFOTECH aim to serve modern educational purposes as well as to promote human rights, including citizen rights.


The main areas of the Foundation since 2010 are Initiating, supporting and implementing development initiatives to raise awareness and civic knowledge as well as promoting the principles of a democratic society and sustainable socio-economic development in the economic, social, educational, cultural, environmental, scientific and information areas. The Foundation's tools include activities influencing the stimulation of the sustainable development of rural and urban-rural areas, efficient use of the development potential of rural and urban-rural areas, improvement of the quality of life of the local community and increased competitiveness of the place of residence and business, as well as activation and cooperation of local communities


The Foundation aims to develop a responsible attitude to rational use of natural resources in the processes of economic development in accordance with sustainable development policy.


An important pursuit of INFOTECH’S activities is European integration and the development of contacts and cooperation between societies, the maintenance of national traditions, the development of national, civic and cultural awareness of young Europeans. Therefore we are implementing many European projects in this area e.g. Erasmus+ projects and EOG projects.





Associazione formazione professionale del Patronato San Vincenzo” (AFP Patronato) in Italy was founded in 1956 with the aim of giving to young people in economic and social difficulties professional and technical competences and abilities. The association considers continuing education as a fundamental and strategic resource for social and economic development of companies and it always looks for new formative and learning methods. Its three offices, in Bergamo, Clusone and Endine, are recognised by “Regione Lombardia” and they work within its vocational training and lifelong learning projects framework.Activities:1. AFP Patronato leads three vocational training centers with about 1200 pupils and about 100 teachers/trainers. Three-year long vocational courses allow people to obtain a “vocational qualification” certificate, which is recognized in the whole nation. At that point, students can decide whether to enter the job market or to continue their studies by attending an optional school year. With the fourth school year, they obtain the skills certification named "Vocational Technical Diploma”.A fifth school year allows additional enrolment at the University and / or at Higher Education Technical Training.• Mechanical machine tool operator• Car repairman• Multimedia graphic operator• Electronic worker and electrician• Secretary and administrative assistant• Touristic organizer and entertainer• Hairdresser and beautician• Wood operator - maintenance of buildingsAFP has developed innovative way of teaching focused on learning by doing and workshops. Thanks to this methodology, students are able to gain new motivation, new skills and competences to be able to realize a real socio-economic inclusion.2. Agenzia per il Lavoro, is an agency offering services for the job seekers and unemployed, in order to help them to get in or to reintegrate in the job market and to reskill themselves, thanks to vocational training and career guidance courses.Services designed for the job market access:
  • Professional Guidance
  • Job matching (intersection between supply and demand)
  • Internship/apprenticeship
  • Disabled persons replacement
  • Other services:
- informative service (front office activities and supply of specific job-related materials);- advisory service;- cultural mediation;- employment and personal services projects.3. Continuous education and lifelong learning courses Courses aimed to implement educational qualification and vocational training. These courses are designed for employed, unemployed and job seekers, freelancers, companies’ managers.This kind of courses aims to approach attendees to both new technologies and production evolutions/changes and to guarantee them professional development and increasing employment chances.

GeoCamp Iceland is a private educational institution founded in 2009 with the goal to advance and develop STEM education in Iceland as well as to host international student and teacher groups. Annually between 400-500 students and teachers attend courses at GeoCamp,ranging from secondary schools to university students, as well as from international and national teacher's associations. GeoCamp has two employess, but works closely with regional and national educational and research institutions. GeoCamp is an active member of the European Geopark's Network.GeoCamp Iceland centers around STEM development with primary focus on developing educational material as well as participation in international development projects. We are an educational project dedicated to increasing knowledge and understanding in natural sciences with practical and active learning. GeoCamp develops educational content, student and teacher guides and curricula, organize and receive international study groups of secondary school, college and university students, as well as teacher groups focusing primarily on focusing primarily on STEM education including geology, geography, natural sciences, climate change and renewable energy.Furthermore GeoCamp Iceland participates in regional, national and international educational projects, research development and training oportunities, with primary focus on developing teacher and student curricula and training material for outdoor science education and STEM related training activities. GeoCamp has been involved in numerous local and national


The Technological High school “Virgil Madgearu” is VET school with economics study fields situated in Rosiori de Vede town, in the south –east part of Romania.

Nowadays our school has 760 students, distributed in 27 classes, daily learning/studying, as it follows:-Theoretical way, real profile, Maths-Informatics specialization;-Technological way, Natural Resources profile, Ecologist and Environment Quality Protection specialization;-Technological way, Services profile, Economic Activities Technician specialization;-Technological way, Services profile, Commerce Activities Technician specialization; -Technological way, Services profile, Tourism Technician specialization;-Technological way, Services profile, Banqueting Activities Organization Technician specialization.

Every year, the mission of the 48 titular teachers is the same: development of maximum potential of each student, development of necessary social and professional insertion of professional abilities.

As main strategic objectives included in the Action Plan of School, are: Increasing of economic professional training system flexibility according to European standards; assurance of management quality, continuous training of didactic staff economic business.


Kto przewodzi zespołem? Opisz założyciela lub członków zespołu, którzy są liderami.

Marta

Leading coordinator of Erasmus+ Bridges project's consortium.

Experienced in managing European educational projects.

International Cooperation Manager in Infotech Schools.

English teacher for 20 years specialising in English for computer programming.

Author of pedagogical innovations in the domain of teaching English for proffessional purposes.

She is graduated in English and Polish Philology and Management in Education.

Fascinated by joga and theatre.

Arnbjorn Olafsson

Arnbjorn Olafsson is Managing Director of GeoSchool - GeoCamp Iceland. Arnbjorn has an extensive experience in managing and cooperating in transnational projects. He has an extensive experience in international cooperation with institutions, networks and projects, especially within North America, the EU and Nordic countries. He's participated in and managed numerous international projects over the span of 25 years.

Daniela Visinica

DANIELA VISINICA is licensed in Mathematics and Informatics; she is responsible of European projects implementation within our organisation and mentor for educational projects at regional level.

She has English communication abilities, management and ICT skills and recently graduated a new specialization in Businesses Administration at University of Galati.



Laura Bonaita: she has a degree in Political Sciences and one Master in Public Management. From 2006 till 2009 she worked for Provincia di Bergamo, local public body, in the field of European projects. During 2010 she worked for AGORA srl, a project development company, with the role of project manager. Nowadays she is in charge of the development and management of European, International, national and regional projects promoted by AFP Patronato San Vincenzo di Bergamo.


Michela Molta: she has a degree in “Human rights and international cooperation”, with a special focus on the integration of refugees and asylum seekers. She works as project manager and researcher in the field of human rights and services to the person, such as social, health and educational services. Since 2018, she manages project for Caritas Bergamo, the local branch of Caritas Italia (a NGO which works in social inclusion of poor people and refugees).