Two and a half minutes to midnight – Innovative education approach for addressing the climate change issues in primary schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Two and a half minutes to midnight – Innovative education approach for addressing the climate change issues in primary schools

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

In January 2017, the world famous symbol of the moment when irrevocable harm to humanity will be made – the Doomsday clock – was set on two and a half minute to midnight (hypothetical global catastrophe). There are two main issues with influence on increasing level of continuous danger which mankind is facing: the threat of global nuclear war and (since 2007) one of the most pressing issues of our time – the Climate change.
Young generations are crucial target group that need to understand gravity of the present situation with challenges they will have to face (in the very near future) and education process (regardless formal or informal) is the most convenient way to develop real and effective approach towards mitigation of climate change effects.
The main project objective is to develop a new more attractive education approach to implement climate change issue in STEM related school subjects, which will be mix of theoretical (by use of ICT based free on-line available OER) and practical education tools (school experiments) suitable for students in primary schools in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Croatia. The second objective is to establish long-term strategic transnational partnership among representatives of local bodies, civil sector and educational institutions from regions of Peshtera (BG), Kochani (MK) and Ludbreg (Cro).
The project envisages cooperation between 9 partners from 3 countries: Croatia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. Each country is represented by local public bodies (Peshtera Municipality /BG/, KJP Vodovod Kocani /MK/ and Grad Ludberg /CRO/ ), NGOs (REAP /BG/, MAGA /MK/ and REAN /CRO/), and primary schools (Sv.Patriarh Evtimii /BG/, Krste P. Misirkov /MK/ and Ludberg /CRO/).
Local public bodies will be responsible for preparation of document for long-term strategic transnational partnership and organization of the final dissemination events.
NGOs are responsible for development of intellectual outputs; teacher’s training on ICT-based education tools and eTwinning networking; as well as dissemination activities.
Primary schools will participate with teachers (who will attend the short-term joint staff training events and will be active members of established teachers’ network by the use of eTwinning module); and students (participants in the main long-term teaching assignment).
In the frame of the project are anticipated: 4 transnational PP meetings for project management and coordination; 3 short-term joint staff training events for increasing of teachers’ competences and skills to develop own education approach by using of ICT – based educational tools ; Long-term teaching assignments consisted of testing period of new ICT – based education approaches and main learning period with included transnational student’s teams competition on the topic “How we can reduce our own footprint”; and 3 national multiplier events.

Foreseen methodology to be used in the short term joint staff training events and long-term teaching assignments will be a mix of theoretical and practical participatory approaches so called “learning by doing” method with use of ICT – based tools.
Expected project results are: Handbook for primary school teachers “How to address climate change issues in STEM related primary school subjects with using of ICT-based educational tools and practical experiments”; Document for Strategic transnational partnership among local public bodies, education institutions and civil sector in development of education process in regions of municipalities of Peshtera, Kochani and Ludbreg; Established teachers network (of minimum 39 teachers members) by use of eTwinning module for transnational cooperation in exchanging of good practices; 9 teachers with increased computer literacy and theoretical and practical skills and competences gained on short term joint staff training events to implement climate change issues in their STEM school subjects; 120 students in the main long-term teaching assignment event with increased skills and competences to face climate change issues; 27 students participants in the transnational competition event (members of 9 transnational students’ teams) who will got increased teamwork skills and competences for developing of own theoretical and practical approach for reducing of own carbon footprint; Web site with IOs and best practices from project activities created.
The envisaged impact and long term benefits are: increased teachers’ skills and competences as well as increased competences and skills of present and future students generations in PPs primary schools to face the main challenge of humanity – climate change; promotion of new “learning by doing” education approaches, using of ICT based tools and teacher’s networking, established transnational cooperation to increase potential for implementation of innovative and best practices in school education; increased overall awareness for necessity of urgent measures for mitigation of climate change effects.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 135050 Eur

Project Coordinator

Peshtera Municipality & Country: BG

Project Partners

• REGIONALNA ENERGIINA AGENCIA PAZARDJIK SDRUZENIE – REGIONAL ENERGY AGENCY OF PAZARDJIK REAP
• Osnovna skola Ludbreg
• REGIONALNA ENERGETSKA AGENCIJA SJEVER
• Osnovno uciliste “Krste P. Misirkov”-Orizari
• GRAD LUDBREG
• Komunalno Javno Pretprijatie Vodovod Kochani
• OU Sv.Patriarh Evtimii