Schools for a Greener Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Schools for a Greener Europe

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; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Natural sciences

Project Summary

The first motivation to participate in the project ‘‘Schools for a greener Europe‘‘ was a strong need to do something positive in the area of environmental education. Through project activities we want pupils to get to know their surroundings and to be able to live in them in a sustainable way, to learn to protect the environment and to be able to spread this gained knowledge and skills around them. In the project 5 schools will participate all from different parts of Europe. The schools are of various type and character. The schools in Portugal and Italy are both situated on islands, which means that their environment is different and provides the pupils with less opportunities than those pupils in other schools which are on the mainland. What connects a Slovakian and a Latvian school is gifted pupils who will have the chance to exchange their experiences while the teachers will have the possibility to exchange methods of working with gifted children. The schools in Italy and Portugal are also attended by pupils with special needs, among which those in Portugal with hearing disorders will especially enrich the project in terms of empathy and prosocial behaviour among other pupils. The Romanian school, which is situated in the south-east of the country close to the Danube river, and has a disadvantageous position because of the lack of work opportunities, will be able to hand on to the other schools its rich exprience with undertaking of projects. Similar experience may also be passed on to us by Portugal. Despite different focuses and types of schools, we all are connected by our interest to improve the environment. All the involved countries have a lot of natural beauty which needs protecting. Due to our differences, therefore, we have a great opportunity to learn from each other. It is important for the pupils to get to know the problems of individual countries globally, in order to gain positive as well as negative experiences from one another and to apply examples of good practice in their own countries. On the basis of the needs and knowledge of our environment we have specified the following aims of the project:
1. to educate citizens to be informed and responsible and to be active for the benefit of their communities and in the world
2. to develop knowledge, skills and a positive approach to the environment
3. to reduce the ecological footprint
4. to know the possibilities for our surroundings and to learn to live in symbiosis with nature
5. to exchange experience when working with different groups of pupils, either talented or handicapped, to know the possibilities for their inclusion, to offer more opportunities for those pupils living in distant areas (the children from islands – schools in Portugal and Sicily)
6. to exchange experience gained from good practice in the area of environmental education
On the basis of these goals we have worked out a plan and decided to perform the subsequent outputs:
Output – to produce:
– a collection of Maths exercises focused on calculating our ecological footprint (Italy)
– a collection of Chemistry exercises/tasks (making various eco-products, e.g. soap, serviettes…) (Portugal)
– an Idea book – ideas for reducing our ecological footprint (Romania)
– a Calendar – with photos of different activities we have done to improve our environment (Latvia)
– a website, eTwinning portal -a Twin Space on E-Twinning, which will be used as a form of communication but also as a project showcase (Slovakia)
– a change in school canteens – to change the school menu so that it helps to reduce our ecological footprint; to buy eco-products from verified companies (all countries)
All partner schools will spread the project activities, products and results not only during its final phase but gradually in the local papers and television, on the website, via eTwinning projects; meetings in the local town halls will be held with the press present; meetings with students, parents and public will be held on a regular basis and concerned external parties will be informed about the results of the project. The final products will be online and free to access and solid products will be distributed. Each school will organize events aimed at spreading the information which was fundamental also for the project sustainability. All the partner schools will be open for cooperation, they will support other educational institutions interested in the Erasmus+ programme or project topics and they will continue taking part in international events.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 151380 Eur

Project Coordinator

Zakladna skola Slobodneho slovenskeho vysielaca & Country: SK

Project Partners

• Scoala Gimnaziala Nr.7
• Escola Básica Integrada de Arrifes
• Cesu Valsts gimnazija
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO GIOVANNI XXIII TERRASINI