---
title: "Beyond Funding: Creating Meaningful Erasmus+ Projects That Deliver Results"
description: This article by TravelEdventures looks at how schools can create meaningful Erasmus+ projects that go beyond funding and mobility to deliver lasting benefits for students, teachers and the wider school community.
image: https://info.traveledventures.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Erasmus%20Plus%20Educational%20Journey.png
---

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# Beyond Funding: Creating Meaningful Erasmus+ Projects That Deliver Results

[Anja Leskovar-Grum](https://info.traveledventures.com/author/anja-leskovar-grum) | October 15, 2026

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![Erasmus Mobility Impact Assessment](https://info.traveledventures.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Erasmus%20Mobility%20Impact%20Assessment.png?width=1536&height=1024&name=Erasmus%20Mobility%20Impact%20Assessment.png "Erasmus Mobility Impact Assessment")

For many schools, Erasmus+ starts with a very practical question, *“How can we get funding for our students and staff to go abroad?”* It is a reasonable question.

International mobility can be expensive and Erasmus+ funding makes it possible for schools to offer experiences that many students would otherwise never benefit from. However, once a school has completed its first mobility, there’s another question which becomes much more important, *“What did the mobility actually achieve?”*

- Did students become more independent?
- Did they improve their language skills?
- Did teachers bring new ideas back into the classroom?
- Did the school establish partnerships that could lead to new opportunities?
- Did other students benefit from the experience, even if they didn’t participate?

These are the questions that turn Erasmus+ from a mobility programme into a very meaningful part of a school's development.

The official Erasmus+ programme supports opportunities in education, training, youth and sport, while current programme developments continue to place importance on areas such as inclusion, digitalisation, cooperation and international learning. Schools therefore have an opportunity to use Erasmus+ not simply as a way to organise trips abroad, but as a tool for long-term development.

[Explore the official Erasmus+ “What's new” updates](https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/whats-new?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Start With What Your School Actually Needs

A successful Erasmus+ project doesn’t have to begin with a destination. It doesn’t need to start with Italy, Spain, Ireland or another popular place for mobility. It should start with the school itself.

Ask yourself:

- What are your students struggling with?
- What skills do they need to develop?
- What could teachers improve?
- What would make your school more international?
- What experience would genuinely benefit your students?

For example, a school may notice that students understand English reasonably well in the classroom but lack confidence when communicating in real situations. Another school may want to strengthen vocational education by giving students experience in a real workplace abroad. A third may want teachers to explore new approaches to digital learning or inclusion.

These needs provide a much stronger starting point for an Erasmus+ project than simply deciding that “students should go abroad”.

Once the need is clear, the mobility becomes a solution rather than the objective itself.

A Mobility Should Not Be Treated as a School Trip

This distinction is especially important when planning student mobility.

There is nothing wrong with students enjoying their time abroad. Cultural visits, discovering a new city and spending time with peers from another country are valuable parts of the experience. However, an Erasmus+ mobility should have an educational purpose behind it.

Imagine a group of vocational students spending four weeks abroad on a work placement. Before departure, the school should prepare them for the professional environment ahead, introduce relevant vocabulary and discuss expectations around workplace behaviour.

During the mobility, students should also keep a simple learning diary. They should record what they’re learning, what’s different from their home country and which professional skills they’re developing.

Upon their return, the experience shouldn’t simply end with a presentation of photographs. Instead, students should share what they learned with younger classes, teachers and parents. They should explain what surprised them, what skills they developed and what they would do differently next time. Suddenly, one mobility becomes a learning experience for the wider school.

The Students Who Stay at Home Should Benefit Too

This is one of the easiest things for schools to overlook! Only a limited number of students usually participate in international mobility. Yet used properly, Erasmus+ can impact the entire school.

Students returning from mobility should become ambassadors for future participants. They should talk about their experience in classrooms and encourage younger students to consider international opportunities.Teachers who participate in job shadowing or training should also share new learning methods with colleagues. A school may even wish to create a small Erasmus+ corner on its website where mobility results, student stories and project materials are published.

Even simple actions can make a difference! The key idea is that the project shouldn’t just belong to the students who travelled.

Think About Results Before You Travel

One practical change can make Erasmus+ projects much stronger: **decide what you want to achieve before the mobility starts:**

- If your school wants students to improve their communication skills, think about how this will be observed.
- If the objective is professional development, decide which skills students should practice.
- If teachers are travelling to learn new teaching methods, discuss beforehand which methods could realistically be introduced at home.
- Did you feel more confident speaking another language?
- What new professional skills did you develop?
- What did you learn from the host organisation?
- What would you now do differently?
- What will you use when you return to school?

All of the above also makes evaluation much easier. So, instead of just asking participants whether they *“liked the mobility,“* ask more useful questions.

These questions generate information that your school can actually use.

Erasmus+ Can Support School Development

The greatest value of an Erasmus+ project may not be visible immediately:

- A teacher returns from a training course with a new approach to classroom management.
- A student returns from a work placement with greater confidence and a clearer idea of their future career.
- A school develops a relationship with a partner organisation abroad and later creates another project together.
- A student who had never considered travelling abroad decides to apply for another international opportunity.

These changes accumulate.

Over time, Erasmus+ is able to contribute to a stronger international profile for the school and create opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

Don’t Make the Project Bigger Than It Needs to Be

Schools sometimes feel pressure to create complicated Erasmus+ projects with many partners, destinations, activities and objectives, but more is not necessarily better! A well-planned project with clear purpose can be much more valuable than a complicated project that becomes difficult to manage.

For a school starting out, it can make sense to focus on a few realistic objectives and build experience gradually. Perhaps the first year is about successfully organising student mobility? The next year, the school may prefer to develop stronger preparation and evaluation. Later, it might build long-term partnerships and introduce mobility into a wider internationalisation strategy. Erasmus+ doesn’t have to be everything at once.

The Real Question Isn’t, “How Much Funding Can We Secure?”

Yes, funding remains important. Schools need realistic budgets to organise safe, accessible and meaningful mobility but funding should support the project, not define it. A strong Erasmus+ project asks what students need, what teachers need, what the school wants to improve and what can be shared with the wider community. The mobility is then one part of that process.

This is perhaps the best message for schools during Erasmus+ Days: **Don't measure the success of your Erasmus+ project just by how many students travelled or by how much funding was received.** Look at what happened afterwards.

- Did students return with new skills?
- Did teachers change anything in their teaching methods?
- Did the school become more connected to Europe?
- Did new opportunities appear?

If the answer is yes, then the project has delivered something much more valuable than a successful trip. It has created impact that should continue long after students have returned home.

Erasmus+ is an Opportunity to Create Lasting Impact

The real value of an Erasmus+ project is not simply measured by how many students travel, how many days they spend abroad or how much funding the school receives. It is measured by what changed because of the experience.

Students often return more confident, independent and prepared for their future. Teachers bring new ideas and methods back into the classroom. Schools develop stronger international partnerships and create new opportunities for future generations of students. That is what makes an Erasmus+ project meaningful.

Of course, schools don’t have to do everything alone. Planning international mobility, finding suitable partners, preparing students, organising placements and managing all the practical details can be a significant task, especially for schools that are just beginning their Erasmus+ journey.

If your school is planning an Erasmus+ project or mobility and needs support with the organisation, partners or practical arrangements, TravelEdventures is here to help. [**Contact us**](https://www.traveledventures.com/contact/)to discuss your Erasmus+ plans and find out how we can support your school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Topics: [Erasmus+ project management](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/erasmus-project-management) [Erasmus+ internship](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/erasmus-internship) [Erasmus+ mobility](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/erasmus-mobility) [Erasmus+](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/erasmus) [Erasmus+ project](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/erasmus-project) [students](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/students) [teacher](https://info.traveledventures.com/tag/teacher)

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