We are the seeds of the EU plant of tomorrow : taking environmental action to reshape the future of the EU and to preserve its cultural heritage. Erasmus Project

Project Title

We are the seeds of the EU plant of tomorrow : taking environmental action to reshape the future of the EU and to preserve its cultural heritage.

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Energy and resources; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

The main objective of the project is the exchange of good practices and the implementation of joint initiatives promoting cooperation, peer learning and exchanges of experience at European level between the organizations Zespol Szkol Urszulanskich located in Rybnik (Poland), Erich Kästner Schule located in Bochum (Germany), and IES Barañáin located in Barañáin (Spain) . The title of the project is ‘ We are the seeds of the EU plant of tomorrow : taking environmental action to reshape the future of the EU and to preserve its cultural heritage’. The project will last two years (2020-2022). The main priorities of the project will be the promotion of social and educational value of European cultural heritage through the civic engagement and participation of young Europeans in actions against climate change and in defense of the environment and the implementation of innovative practices.
The following objectives have been designed to address the priorities of the project; First, to raise awareness among young Europeans to contribute to a climate-neutral Europe through climate actions and a commitment to maintain those actions in the future; Second, to promote sustainable tourism as a means of conserving our cultural heritage, which contributes to the economic development of the regions without putting their natural environments at risk; Third, to contribute to the development of the key competences of the participants so that they can adquire the tools that will enable them to become responsible, committed and prepared European citizens in their adult life.
Regarding participants, the project is aimed at the educational communities of the partner organizations in a broad sense, favoring the participation of people who are in an unfavorable socioeconomic situation. The project is also expected to have a direct impact on other educational communities and become an example of good practices that inspires and encourages them to participate in collaborative projects at European level. Finally, through the project, collaborations with local institutions and other organizations such as universities, NGOs, companies in the renewable energy sector … etc will be encouraged.
A series of activities have been designed to respond to the needs and interests of the three schools. In Bochum, Germany, whose society is very sensitive to environmental issues, a series of activities related to ecological awareness in cities and the fight against climate change have been designed. In Rybnik, a city located in southern Poland, one of the most important industrial areas in Silesia, and, for that reason suffers the consequences of the impact of air pollution in their society, awareness-raising activities and activities to combat smog in the area have been designed. Finally, IES Barañáin school, located in the region of Navarre, where biological diversity is the main feature of its natural richness and where there has been a harmonious development that has combined economic and social growth with respect for Nature offers activities linked to historically important sectors in the country such as the tourism sector, but adapting it to the high environmental sensitivity of its inhabitants, putting the focus on sustainable tourism.
The project also includes learning, teaching and training activities with mobilities to other countries to promote intercultural exchange and the multilingual competence of the participants in these international meetings. Eight students from each country along with their families per project year will participate in a more direct way. Indirectly these activities will be open to all the students and teachers of the schools.
Throughout the project, methodological innovation will be implemented in the form of interdisciplinary projects, intercultural projects and the use of ICTs in the learning processes and acquisition of the key competences of all the participants.
The results that are expected to be achieved with this collaboration can be tangible results such as the design of pop-up parklets, urban gardens and vertical gardens to transform not only people’s minds but also their urban environments, environmental research studies and reports, evaluation of sustainable tourism alternatives, and intangible results such as the knowledge or experience acquired by the participants, the improvement of competences, a greater cultural awareness or better language skills.
Finally, the project is intended to have a transforming impact on the educational communities and teaching practices of the three schools and to report lasting and sustainable benefits in the societies in which those comunities live by designing a network of activities whose results will go far beyond the two-year project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 68394 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES Barañain & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Erich Kästner Schule
• Zespol Szkol Urszulanskich