Environmental Learning based on Values Education from Early Childhood Erasmus Project

Project Title

Environmental Learning based on Values Education from Early Childhood

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Early childhood education and care; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Everybody should be conscious of the damage we are causing to our planet: what happens in one part of our planet is affecting the entire world. We can find the solution for serious problems of the present days starting from EDUCATION, and in this frame the teaching staff is directly responsible of education. As an oriental proverb says: “If you want prosperity for a year, plant some rice, if you want prosperity for ten years, then plant some trees. But if you really want prosperity for a whole life, give education to the new generations”. Aiming at whole lifelong prosperity, Environmental Education helps students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, builds knowledge and skills necessary to address complex environmental issues, as well as ways we can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future.
Our focus is starting FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD because Learning begins even before a child walks through the class-room door. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE, from now on) is the foundation of lifelong learning. ECCE is a right for all young children. And up skilling onto primary education.

Our project addresses ECEC and primary education teachers and pedagogical coordinators involved in working with pre-school and primary education children. An indirect target audience are therefore children, aged 3-6 and 7-11 years; Schools and other educational institutions; experts in the field of environmental and values education, organizations and associations of experts, etc.; policy makers and decision makers like regional/national authorities and the general public, to raise their the awareness of the importance of environmental and values education starting from early childhood as key to build a better world to live in.

Our Project has been designed according to a LOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH in which the pursued objectives will be achieved by specific activities that may lead to planned results.

Our project will:
– Implement a Transnational curriculum for ECCE and primary education teachers in the partners’ countries, complemented with a short review of the current provision for 3-11 teachers regarding learning about Environmental Learning based on Values Education
– Design innovative materials and open educational resources (OER) for 3-11 school education teachers and educators in the field of Environmental Learning based on Values Education, developing and promoting innovative learning approaches;
– Develop a handbook for teachers explaining clearly the proposed model of Environmental Learning based on values education with an aim to enhance the professional development of those working or active in the school education sector by increasing the quality and range of initial and continuing training.
– Create an Innovative Knowledge Hub for informing, uploading and downloading OER materials aimed at increasing the awareness on the importance of environmental sustainability and social values so as to strengthen its educational structures in a system of values supported by all relevant stakeholders.
– Promote the development of the ELVE network to increase the project outreach and raise the awareness of using environmentally and inclusive approaches in preschools and primary schools supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG from now on) the blueprint to reach a better and more sustainable future for all.

The project aims to reach out:
– At least 60 3-11 teachers and stakeholders to participate directly in the project development;
– More than 10.000 EU citizens informed about the project;
– More than 500 organizations and institutions informed about the ELVE platform, invited to participate in the network and be provided with a handbook to integrate the ELVE model in their educational settings.

The consortium of ELVE is formed by 6 project partners from 5 different EU countries which come from a wide range of backgrounds including the World Association of Early Childhood education, Universities, Training, research and development centres and Associations, and SMEs. ELVE is in full alignment with the priorities, objectives and aims of the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships call for Schools as it envisions in 3-6 and 7-11 teachers up-skilling and provision of transversal skills, providing access to Open Educational Resources based on ICT, link continuous education and training and implement awareness campaigns.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 225960 Eur

Project Coordinator

FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITÄT ERLANGEN-NÜRNBERG & Country: DE

Project Partners

• STEPS SRL
• Innovation Training Center, S.L.
• CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD
• Udruga za poticanje neformalnog obrazovanja, kritickog misljenja i filozofije u praksi Mala filozofija
• Asociación Mundial de Educadores Infantiles (AMEI-WAECE)