Each partner organization has selected at least 6 project participants according to predefined criteria. Before attending the learning activity in Poland, the participants studied materials using the project´s e-learning platform www.vicedu.eu. The learning materials were created by the teachers from the Polish school according to the theme of the learning activity. The students passed also a test to check the acquired knowledge needed to participate on the learning activity in Poland.
Each day begun with warm up activities to get to know each other, enhance the team spirit and foster creativity. Based on different warm up activities the participants were divided into internationally mixed groups consisting of at least 4 students - minimum 1 from each participating school.
On the first day the participants got familiar with MARKET RESEARCH TECHNIQUES –Power point introduction of market research techniques: FOCUS GROUP – conducting primary market research through focus groups/by asking insightful questions regarding the chosen product–its developments; costumers´ preferences, feedback, etc. SURVEYS AND QUESTIONNAIRES – creating customer satisfaction cards by choosing one product and writing a customer satisfaction card together. After getting familiar with these methods, they tested them among selected groups of hosting school´s pupils and staff, each group created an online questionnaire for a chosen existing product to collect data and then analyse it for further administration. They realized how important it is to learn a lot about customer or market trends/needs. During the next days the participants worked on their own business plans using a PowerPoint presentations with simple business plan templates with jumbled questions. After putting the questions into correct order and answering them, they created their own business plans /consisting of goals, targets; planning; personnel; financial and material requirements; marketing techniques; finding business partners–networking; funding the business; loans and grants. For each part teachers prepared tutorials to show examples of good practice.
Finally, each group presented their business plan to a jury and other participants. The jury (representatives of hosting school and the project coordinator) took into account environmental aspect, ideas of Fair Trade, impact on local and regional employment, way of presenting; formal aspect of the presentation. The jury selected 3 best business ideas which were awarded the PRIZE FOR THE BEST BUSINESS PLAN: 1. Solar Cars -manufacture and sale of solar powered cars; 2. Lifeideas -mobile application; 3. Electric Store -online store. Each presentation and learning/teaching materials are available on the project´s website https://vic-project.wixsite.com/erasmus and www.vicedu.eu - moodle platform. Beside working on the project tasks the participants could visit also the city of Žory and Krakow, tasted typical Polish dishes, met new culture, an other way of life.
