Euro Creator, a gateway to Creativity and Innovation

2009 is the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. To promote creativity with digital media and to promote the benefits of its use in teaching and learning EuroCreator, an initiative which is also supported by the European Commission, was set up.

EuroCreator is an educational initiative designed to encourage students and teachers throughout Europe to create at least one piece of media. To support this initiative, the EuroCreator website has been developed to facilitate educators and recognise and reward the creativity of young people. EuroCreator offers a pan European platform for students and educators to get creative and share their work. It’s priorities include sectorally targeted objectives such as: awakening and reinforcing creativity and innovation or developing innovative pedagogic approaches involving the creative arts and science in schools’

Highlights include:

• A website that will be delivered in 10 European languages and offers certification from the EU Commissioner for Education, Youth & Culture, Ján Figel'
• A safe and moderated online environment
• Online teacher support material
• Full technical cross-platform solution

Audiences
There are two specific audiences:

1. Students: The students media is uploaded by the teacher, they then receive positive feedback about their submission from one of the EuroCreators team members. They also receive a signed certificate from the EU Commissioner Ján Figel' congratulating them on their work.
2. Teachers:  Training will be offered through video exemplars and "how to" tutorials for teachers who have never before participated in media related activities. For the experienced media related teacher excellent exemplars are made available to guide them on their way. This is available on the teachers link

The Process
EuroCreator is designed to be inclusive and user-friendly with a straight forward participation process. 4 step process:

1. A teacher or a student hears about the EuroCreator Project. They visit www.eurocreator.eu - they choose their preferred language.
   • The students are encouraged to view and interact with media which been submitted by other schools. They can view the content from their locality or from across Europe
   • Teachers are encouraged to visit the "Teacher Section" - Where they can watch video tutorials to help them get started.
2. The Teacher decides that they would like to participate in the project and fills in a brief online sign up form.
3. EuroCreator will validate the school, and deliver via email, the teacher's username and password.
4. The teacher and student begin participation in the project.

Creativity With Safety
EuroCreator has put together an excellent Validation System to ensure safe and appropriate content is published onto the site. The process begins in the classroom where the students and teachers create a piece of media. Once finished, the teacher uploads the content for review by the EuroCreator Team. EuroCreator reviews the content and offers feedback to the students via email. If the content does not pass the process the media is sent back to the school to resubmit with guidelines on why resubmission is required.

A Complete Creative Solution
Share on any device for free and share anywhare. EuroCreator offers Teachers and Students the ability to create and share media on any media device, completely free of charge. 

Not only does EuroCreator allow you to use any device to view or upload your content, it also gives you the power to share your media on other websites including your own school’s homepage.

Teachers & Students can safely “embed” their own media creations on social networking sites such as Facebook & Bebo, or even on their own school’s website, because EuroCreator does all the work for you.

The Irish connection
In total 15 films from FIS (Irish Schools competition)went live on the Euro Creator site. Some fantastic examples like - Trouble in Miceadice, Lonesome George and De Mobile Phone (form a special needs school) and Catching a leprechaun (from a senior infants class), these are just some to name a few.

Schools now have a means to showcase the films on courses without loading up DVDs. This is a must for teachers working in Digital media and ICT coordinators.

Certification
Eurocreator is supported by the European Commision, in this the European Year Of Creativity & Innovation. The student will receive a signed certificate from the EU Commissioner Jan Figel congratulating them on their work.

Contact:
Email: info@eurocreator.com
WWW: www.eurocreator.eu
Phone: + 353 (1) 2144959