Local and global approaches to livable lifestyles Erasmus Project

Project Title

Local and global approaches to livable lifestyles

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

At the time of planning this project, young people all over Europe are taking to streets to protest against climate inaction. They are concerned about the future of this unique planet. They know that the time to take action was yesterday. However, by missing school they are actually harming their own education and thereby their own future. It is also unclear how these protests will lead to any concrete measures to prevent climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, population explosion and increasing flow of refugees. Thus in this project, young people will take the step from protests to practice. They will look for efficient ways to make a difference, influence decision making and one’s own lifestyle: create local and global approaches to livable lifestyles.

As climate concerns are global, it is meaningful to work on them transnationally. We are a team of five schools from different geographical locations and cultural contexts: BG/BRG Klosterneuburg from Austria, Brody Imre Gimnazium from Ajka, Hungary, Crickhowell High School from Wales, the UK, Liceo Attilio Bertolucci from Parma, Italy and Nurmeksen lukio from Nurmes, Finland. The 120 students taking part in this two-year project are 16 – 18 -year-old secondary school students. There will be altogether 27 teachers guiding and supporting them in the activities. Each school will arrange an exchange for a group of students on a certain aspect of sustainable development: farming and food production, diets, consumerism, traffic and energy use. Before travelling to international meetings the students will examine their local conditions and solutions to the issues. At the meeting they continue working on the topic together combining their findings and discovering new perspectives and solutions. During the project the students will learn practical skills to implement a sustainable lifestyle, conduct surveys, create awareness raising campaigns, influence school practices and local policies. By taking part in the activities, they will also train efficient, professional use of ICT, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills and cross-cultural communication. There will be multinational workshops, lectures, excursions and study visits. Great care will also be taken to create an atmosphere of mutual trust to facilate collaboration both online and face-to-face.

The project participants will make their voices heard using modern media: the project’s Twinspace, schools’ webpages and social media accounts using a specially designed hashtag. They will also write to newspapers and contact local policymakers in person.

It is hoped that by participating in this project young people will learn to trust in their abilities and possibilities as active citizens, which will in turn improve local policies and democracy in general. They will learn to appreciate the different contexts and conditions around Europe regarding sustainable development, the challenges and possibilities. By adopting a more sustainable lifestyle personally, encouraging others to follow the example and initiating concrete actions towards a more climate-friendly society, these young people will change the world.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 163980 Eur

Project Coordinator

Nurmeksen lukio & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Ajkai Brody Imre Gimnazium es Alapfoku Muveszeti Iskola
• CRICKHOWELL HIGH SCHOOL
• LICEO ATTILIO BERTOLUCCI
• BG/BRG Klosterneuburg