Educational Values of an External School Project

Abstract

External organizations offer schools projects with different content, so-called external school projects. This type of external projects is mainly implemented by people or an organization outside of the school. The projects may be within the framework of a nation's political aspirations. The educational goals of the projects are often far-reaching, focusing on personality or attitudes. This article questions whether external school projects can achieve such far-reaching goals. The aim of the research is to explore the views of young adults regarding how participating in an external project influenced them. In-depth interviewing were used when eleven young adults, at the time 25 years old, were asked about their opinions of an external project in entrepreneurship , implemented as an optional course, ten years after taking part. They were asked how they considered the course have influenced them, their choices and their attitudes. The statements of the informants show that the project had some long-term impact. The results of the research provide insight into whether an external temporary school project may have long-term educational values.