European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA) goes to three schools in Burgenland, Upper Austria and Salzburg

Great appreciation and recognition by the European Commission

The European Commission has awarded the European Innovative Teaching Award in all 33 Erasmus+ countries for the first time and three Austrian schools are among the winners: the Primary School Oberwart (Burgenland), the secondary school Middle School St. Agatha (Upper Austria) and the commercial college BHAK Hallein (Salzburg). The award is given to completed Erasmus+ projects that used outstanding teaching practices. The theme for 2021 was “Distance learning and blended learning formats”, which is closely linked to the Digital Education Action Plan and the corona pandemic. The Award was presented in four age categories – preschool education, primary schools, secondary education and schools of vocational education and training. The EITA award ceremony by the European Commission took place on Wednesday, 20 October 2021.
The Primary School Oberwart focused on ICT, coding and robotics in its winning project “Enhancing Student and Teacher Success Through STEM Education”. The Middle School St. Agatha implemented social inclusion and innovative practices in the digital age in its winning project “Building Bridges”, using blended learning, ICT, task-based learning and self-centred/sociocultural learning. The Commercial College Hallein implemented learning with and from minicompanies, ICT and CSR in “Entrepreneurship Education – your way to be a responsible leader”.
The Minister of Education Heinz Faßmann congratulates the winners: “The last year in particular has shown how important new technologies are in education today. Our teachers had to implement new forms of teaching and learning in distance education in no time at all. The award-winning schools have played a pioneering role, of which I am proud: The European Commission looked to Austria today because these schools used new technologies such as coding, robotics, ICT and self-centred learning in an innovative way. Congratulations to the teachers, headmasters and headmistresses and pupils for their courage and vision.”
The OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice emphasises: “The award-winning projects are Austrian success stories that are valuable for schools all over Europe. For the participating teachers these projects mean dealing with and trying out new technologies. Congratulations to all pupils, teachers and headmasters and headmistresses for this achievement.
Information and videos on the winning schools and their award-winning projects: https://erasmusplus.at/de/schulbildung/european-innovative-teaching-award

 Enquiries and contact:
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
 Mathias Klein, BA
 +43 1 53120-5025
 mathias.klein@bmbwf.gv.at 
 www.bmbwf.gv.at
OeAD – Agency for Education and Internationalisation
 Mag. Ursula Hilmar
 +43 1 53408-270
 presse@oead.at
 www.oead.at