eTwinning Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds – Part 7

 

May marked the completion of the journey we embarked upon over the last few months. The eTwinning project "Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds" has reached its destination, leaving behind a wealth of experiences and invaluable life lessons.

Students and teachers from all partner countries met in a final online interactive event, engaging in a series of collaborative and experiential activities that beautifully combined learning with digital interaction:

• Transnational Kahoot Challenge: Children from all schools were divided in teams and tested their knowledge on the lives and achievements of the women studied. We were particularly thrilled to see one of our school teams secure second place!
• Historical Extension (Slido): Students digitally captured their thoughts on what messages these great personalities would share with modern society.
• Mentimeter Voting: The most impactful figures were highlighted across three categories: The most inspiring woman, The Best discovery, and The most surprising Story.

The Final Product: A Unique Vodcast Series

The pinnacle of the project was our final product: the creation of a Vodcast series (audiovisual interviews) titled “Brilliant Women in the Shadows”. Out of the 27 personalities studied, the top 5 were selected through voting.

Students worked in transnational teams to conduct a series of hypothetical interviews—where one country posed the questions and another provided the answers—delving into the lives and achievements of remarkable women whom history often pushed to the sidelines. Through the process of scriptwriting, they explored:

• The challenges and hardships these women faced.
• Their work and overall contribution to humanity.
• Their dreams and aspirations for a fairer world.

The videos featured a unique visual approach: as each student answered, she held a photo of the corresponding woman over her face. This passing of the torch from one student to the next brought the schools' multicultural collaboration to life.

The series includes:

• An introductory Trailer.
• 5 thematic episodes (interviews).
• A final mini-episode, where all five personalities "meet" to experientially summarise their life journeys and address a powerful message of inspiration and creativity to the younger generation.

Thus, these "hidden" voices were finally heard loud and clear!

                               

You can view the playlist at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGJwP7WTSVlY4NLnQkV5YuWN9-enr3sKd

Reflection and Conclusion

Like any well-rounded project, "Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds" concluded the same way it began: with reflection. At the start, students recorded their expectations; now, at the end, they were asked to evaluate everything they had gained. It became perfectly clear that through this journey, the children developed their digital skills, improved their skills in the foreign language, and learned to think critically. Most importantly, however, they reflected deeply and realised that equality is not just a word, but the most vital foundation for a just society. Looking back, this project was not merely a school activity. It was a lesson in respect, discovery, friendship, and social justice!

As this beautiful journey comes to a close, we can truly say that the voyage was enchanting. The knowledge acquired will serve as a steady foundation for how we perceive the world, highlighting  the need for every voice that has long been silenced to finally be heard!

eTwinning Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds - Part 6

In April, the eTwinning project "Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds" took on a particularly creative and vibrant character through an original activity. The students were asked to explore an intriguing question: what would have happened if women from the past, whose work was overshadowed or even "stolen," had had access to social media?

Working with enthusiasm and imagination, the students selected one of the significant female scientists, doctors, artists, or other personalities who had already been featured in a collaborative presentation by all the participating schools—women who never received the recognition they deserved. Using the Classtools web application and specifically the Fakebook tool, they created a “Facebook”-style digital profile for the unsung heroine of their choice.

Each profile included personal information, historical facts, and "friends" chosen from the other "hidden heroines" they had studied. The most creative part of the activity was the status update: each class wrote a post as if they were the woman herself at the moment of a major discovery, creation, or achievement.

All the posts were gathered on a shared Padlet board, creating a digital space filled with stories that "came to life." There, the students from the partner schools could view the various projects, leave comments or feedback and interact with their peers, strengthening cooperation and the exchange of ideas.

This activity helped the students develop not only their digital and collaborative skills but also their awareness of issues regarding equality, justice, and recognition. In a modern and inventive way, they managed to give a voice to women whom history had left on the sidelines.

Setting the stage for next month’s grand finale, a transnational poll invited students to cast their votes. Drawing from the extensive research previously conducted on a total of 27 women in science and the arts, students from all schools voted for the five personalities that piqued their interest the most.

These five women will be the central figures of the virtual interviews to follow, offering an opportunity for a deeper dialogue with history. Through this exchange, their long-silenced stories will finally reclaim the spotlight. It is more than just a project; it is a step toward restoring the balance of historical recognition.

eTwinning Hidden Voices - Part 5

 

March kicked off with incredible creativity, and the "Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds" project team certainly set the pulse! This month, we decided to give voice to those remarkable women whom history left on the sidelines for far too long.

As part of our transnational activities, we joined forces with partner schools across Europe to create a unique Poetic Anthology. Our theme? Iconic women we researched in our joint presentation —women whose work was overshadowed or, even worse, whose glory was stolen by male colleagues.

To become "strong voices" for these women, we worked with a specialised worksheet featuring six different styles of poetry. We learned, experimented, and created the following poetic forms:

• Bio Poem: Focusing on the emotions and achievements of the personality.
• "I Am" Poem: Stepping into their shoes to speak in the first person.
• Cinquain: Crafting sleek, five-line compositions with a strict structure but immense power.
• Diamante: Creating diamond-shaped poems that highlight contrast and transformation.
• Acrostic: Composing key phrases about their lives starting from each letter of their name.
• Black(out) Poetry: Taking existing texts about them, erasing the "unnecessary" words, and letting only the hidden messages shine through.

The most creative challenge was our teamwork! We weren't just writing in isolation; we operated a fantastic transnational relay:

1. The Poets: A team from one school would write the verses, inspired by the life of an overlooked female scientist or artist.
2. The Illustrators: A team from another school would then take over to illustrate the poem, giving shape and colour to their partners' words.

The final result is an anthology that is much more than just a digital book. It is a bridge between poetry and historical justice - a tribute to the "hidden voices" that are finally being heard loud and clear!

eTwinning Hidden Voices - Part 4

 

February might be the shortest month of the year, but for the eTwinning team and the "Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds" project, it was a true marathon of research and creativity!

We used Safer Internet Day, which was celebrated on Tuesday 10^th February the current year, as the perfect opportunity to raise awareness among all students about the risks lurking in the digital environment. Together, we drafted a "Survival Guide" for the digital world. All participants collaborated on an interactive board, listing the "Dos" and "Don’ts" that ensure safe navigation. Subsequently each student voted for the most crucial rule in every category; based on those results, we created a poster featuring the Top 10 Online Safety Rules.

Breaking Stereotypes in Science

Following that, to mark February 11th—the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science—we joined forces with our partner schools to advocate for equality. Working in transnational teams, we designed and illustrated an infographic to highlight that intellect knows no stereotypes. Our goal was to emphasize the need for equal opportunities in laboratories, universities, and the breakthroughs that change the world.

Drawing inspiration from our infographic, we gathered all the slogans we had created and transformed them into lyrics for an original song. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, our collective effort gained rhythm and melody, blending science, technology, and art into one dynamic track.

This is our powerful call for a world where knowledge and creativity are never limited by stereotypes, but defined only by talent.

Watch the video of our song below:

https://youtu.be/1anuKzjmz2w

Restoring Justice to History

The most powerful part of the month, however, was our research into the "unseen" sides of history. We searched for women scientists and artists whose work was overshadowed, undervalued, or even... stolen by their male colleagues.

Through a collaborative presentation with our partners, we brought to light stories that gave us a lot to think about: Women who discovered the structure of DNA, pioneers who identified distant constellations, brilliant minds who watched others accept the Nobel Prize for their discoveries.

Today, their voices are no longer hidden—they are heard loud and clear through our presentations!

Knowledge is power, but recognition is justice!

eTwinning Hidden Voices - Part 3

 

The month of January kicked off in the most creative way, as our students embarked on the new year by joining forces with children from all partner countries in order to create the official project logo.
To achieve this, they formed transnational teams, working together in digital environments and successfully merging their ideas with those of their peers from abroad. This collective effort resulted in 9 exceptional logos, each one with its own unique aesthetic and inspiration.
Once the designs were finalised, it was time for our poll! Through an organised online voting process, students and teachers from all theparticipating schools had the opportunity to evaluate the proposals and select the logo that will represent us.
Congratulations to all participants on their creativity and team spirit!

Check out the winning logo below:

Our logo is more than just an image; it is the visual symbol of our shared journey and the bridge that connects our schools.

eTwinning “Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds” – Part 2

 

Our dynamic eTwinning journey continued in December with new activities that highlighted the value of collaboration, intercultural communication, and creative expression.

To begin with, students carried out research using carefully selected sources in their mother tongue. Their focus was on important women from their own countries who stood out in different fields. The children gathered key information and notes about the lives and achievements of these women. Working in groups, they subsequently wrote short texts in English, which were brought together in a shared collaborative presentation. Through this process, the students discovered not only inspiring women from their own country, but also from all the other participating countries.

This was followed by a school-level poll, with the aim of selecting one personality from each school for the creation of a collaborative 2026 calendar. In this way, nine personalities were selected, one from each participating school. For the remaining three, a transnational poll took place, and the results were announced during the online meeting. These women were presented in the calendar through the collaboration of learners working in transnational teams.

Browse through our calendar in the presentation below:

BLOG - Calendar 2026 από Theofani Iatropoulou

As December is dominated by a festive spirit, students additionally created Christmas/New Year cards inspired by the women featured in the calendar. These were also created in transnational groups. Their wishes drew on the lives, values, and achievements of these remarkable figures.

Browse through our cards in the presentation below:

BLOG - Sparkling Lights, Voices of Women από Theofani Iatropoulou

At the same time, students exchanged holiday wishes through a shared playlist of songs on a digital platform (wakelet) used for collecting, organizing, and sharing content. The songs which were uploaded, both in the students’ mother tongues and in English, were proposed and voted for by the children themselves.

The month concluded with a joyful and energetic online meeting. After initial introductions, students took part simultaneously in an interactive online quiz related to the personalities from the collaborative presentation. They also shared ideas on an audience-response platform, creating a word cloud which highlighted the characteristics of successful women. The meeting ended on a festive note, with students singing holiday songs both in their native languages and in English.

Through cooperation and creativity, inspiration travelled beyond borders, filling the holiday season with joy and meaningful learning.

eTwinning “Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds – Part 1

Our new eTwinning journey for the 6^th grade (St1) began in October with a strong spirit of collaboration and discovery.

“Hidden Voices, Stolen Minds!” is a project designed to help students discover women who made major contributions to science, art, literature, medicine, and many other fields, yet were overshadowed -or even erased- by history. The project aims to raise students’ awareness of gender equality, bringing together partners from Italy, Turkey, Romania, France, Jordan, and Greece.

The opening activities focused on getting to know one another in a creative and engaging way. Students created avatars using an AI tool, guided by descriptions they had written themselves in class. Alongside their virtual personas, the students shared a short text about their interests and preferences. The teachers followed the same approach, creating their own presentations to introduce themselves to the group.

During the same month, both students and teachers completed initial exploratory questionnaires, focusing on their perceptions, prior knowledge, and expectations with regard to the project.

Our activities continued with great enthusiasm in November. All partner schools presented their countries and cities through a collaborative digital book. At the same time, and in line with the project’s theme, they introduced a well-known female figure connected to their city. This step laid the groundwork for the next phase of the project, which will gradually lead students to explore women whose contributions were lost, underestimated, or overshadowed over time, often by men of their era.

This inspiring journey has only just begun and many hidden voices are waiting to be heard!