Invited Expert - Erasmus+ KA1 Activity for Custom Solutions

Dear teachers and Erasmus+ coordinators!

Ever feel like professional development courses are a bit...generic? You know, the ones that promise the world but leave you with little you can actually use in your classroom? Also, are there teachers at your school that are a bit afraid of traveling to other countries and speaking English, but would like to experience Erasmus+?

Well, fret no more! Erasmus+ KA1 has a hidden gem called the Invited Expert activity, and it's a game-changer. Here's why: This activity lets you collaborate with an expert to design a course that directly applies to your age group and subject and best of all - the expert comes to you, so you don't have to go anywhere.

Need an example? Picture a group of French elementary school teachers struggling to keep their lessons engaging. Through Erasmus+ KA1, they can team up with an expert in gamified learning. The expert will come to their school and teach them creative strategies to turn their lessons into a fun game-based adventure for their students. The course will be held in their school for 2-3 days and as many as 20 teachers can participate at once. Now that's impactful!

Our teacher trainer Eva with 20 teachers from Romania, where she served as an expert on AI tools in education and held a custom-made course for them for 3 days

Here's how this works:

• Find an Expert: Reach out to potential experts, who might help you with your needs and who would be willing to travel to your school. You can, for example, find our experts on our website and send us an email with your request.

• Find Your Focus:  You and your chosen expert will map out your learning goals. What are those classroom hurdles you're facing? What new skills are you craving?

• Content Crafted Just for You: Based on your needs, the expert will design a course curriculum that's laser-focused on your goals. This means relevant, practical content that directly tackles your teaching context.

• Learning Gets Interactive: Forget boring lectures! Invited Experts are all about creating dynamic experiences with activities, case studies, and group discussions. Get ready to actively participate and dive deep into the course material.

• Schedule Everything:  Invited Experts offer flexibility! Work with your expert to find dates that fit your busy schedule, ensuring you can develop your skills without throwing your school calendar into chaos. The best option, in our experience, is to have the course for 2-3 days.

A word about invited experts – they deserve recognition (and payment!)  

Here's a crucial point: Erasmus+ covers all the expert's expenses (transportation, accommodation and food), except the expert's fee. But this isn't a drawback, it's an opportunity! Highly skilled experts deserve fair compensation for their time and knowledge. They prepare custom-made courses for your school and this is their job.

While Erasmus+ doesn't cover the expert's fee, here's why paying your expert is crucial:

• Quality Matters: Highly skilled educators deserve fair compensation for their time and knowledge. This ensures top-notch training and a truly valuable learning experience for your participants.

• Sustainability: When experts feel valued, they're more likely to continue offering their services. This guarantees a healthy pool of expertise for future programs, benefiting educators across Europe for years to come.

Eva with 5 teachers from Spain, where she held a custom-made course on game-based learning as an invited expert. This course lasted 4 days.

So, how do we cover the invited expert fee? Let's get creative!

• School Contributions:  Schools can chip in towards the expert's cost, demonstrating their commitment to professional development and allowing them to directly benefit from the expert's knowledge.

• Grants: Explore grant opportunities that support teacher training initiatives. Many organizations offer funding specifically for innovative professional development programs.

• Partnerships: Team up with other organizations to share the expert fee. This is a win-win, allowing you to leverage resources and expertise while reaching a wider audience of teachers.

The Erasmus+ KA1 Invited Expert activity is a win-win for everyone. Teachers get a customized, high-quality learning experience, without having to leave their school and organizations can still offer them high-quality professional development. Remember, investing in experts is an investment in the future of teacher training!

Have you participated in an Erasmus+ KA1 program with an Invited Expert? Share your experiences in the comments below!