DiaLog project awarded "Erasmus+" prize
The project "DiaLog - Students discuss controversial questions on climate change" by board and language cluster spokesperson Prof Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger and Victoria Reinsperger received the Austrian Erasmus+ and ESK Award 2024 in the field of school education in the category "Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships & Strategic Partnerships".
The official award ceremony took place on 4 December 2024 at Palais Wertheim in Vienna. The event focused on organisations and individuals whose commitment and projects in the fields of education, youth and sport make a significant contribution to promoting Europe and international cooperation. Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, Martin Polaschek, Head of Section in the Federal Chancellery, Bernadett Humer, and Head of Section Philipp Trattner from the Ministry of Sport BMKÖS congratulated the award winners, as did OeAD Managing Director Jakob Calice and Ernst Gesslbauer, Director responsible for Erasmus+ and ESK at the OeAD.
"The EU funding programmes Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps are far more than just exchange programmes. They act as a catalyst for our European identity and at the same time strengthen our understanding of Europe's diversity," emphasised Federal Minister Martin Polaschek in his speech.
"We are delighted to receive this award because it once again demonstrates the importance of language as a tool for participation in social discourse. Argumentation in particular is central to social participation, democratic co-determination and the empowerment of young people," says project manager Prof Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger. "For us, this award means that the teaching of argumentative skills is valued as a prerequisite for social participation and the empowerment of young people."
