Natural Soap Scientists. From Production to Business Erasmus Project

Project Title

Natural Soap Scientists. From Production to Business

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Natural sciences; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The challenges of internationalization, of European citizenship, and the effects of the great recession and economic Crisis on Southern and Eastern Europe, have encouraged a group of four highly concerned and motivated schools to offer to as many students as possible the chance to achieve integrated skills and competences in Science, Business and European Cultural Heritage that could allow them to move freely and fully aware within a changing and challenging international labour market.
“Natural Soap Scientists. From Production to Business” aims at imagining a more ecological future by developing a vision and turning a crucial issue, such as the disposal of used cooking oil, into action and change, creating and selling “eco-soaps” through chemical laboratory work and business web planning, in the specific South-Eastern European context where the tradition of olive trees growing and oil production are deeply rooted.

This project will try to achieve four main objectives: the acquisition of transdisciplinary skills, which means to promote pupils’ and teachers’ efforts, within different disciplines working jointly, to develop new competences; fostering and increasing laboratory activities in education in order to promote active participation and autonomy in learning, thus encouraging motivation and inclusion; promoting scientific education and increasing scientific literacy by addressing at the same time sustainability and the improvement of Europe’s achievements in Science and Technology.

Four schools are involved in this project, which is coordinated by an Italian applicant organization: I.I.S.S. “Tommaso Fiore” Modugno-Grumo, whose mission is to spread scientific culture and entrepreneurship by teaching its students how to improve integrated competences in Science and Business in order to boost the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, and cultural awareness. Liceul Teoretic Nicolae Balcescu Medgidia, from South-East Romania, has as its main goal to provide education for active citizenship and European cooperation, thus its teaching staff encourages student’s mobility, and motivate them to learn a European language and to acquire the necessary skills for a future European career. IES Francisco Ros Giner from South-East Spain: its main concern is to make students aware of the importance of helping people, no matter where they come from, or what religion or ideas they have. 4 GEL Hrakleiou from the Greek island of Crete, pushes its students to access European standards and do experiences in foreign countries; indeed, its involved staff meet high standards with concern to internationalization and commitment to research in the fields of Science and Technology.

Project’s activities and mobilities will develop through workshops, lessons and seminars dealing with European citizenship and legislation concerning sustainability, chemical laboratory, web business planning and marketing, developing and applying ICT to business and teaching/learning practices, rethinking European Heritage through traditions connected with oil and the Mediterranean scrub. Visits to local “eco-firms”, farm cottages, and museums are also scheduled.

In carrying out the project pupils will mainly be encouraged to cooperative-learnig and peer-learning through group works: both during each mobility and through planned sharing activities on Internet platforms. At the very center there will be learners’ autonomy and learning to learn competence, through an idea of “laboratory” teaching, where pupils are active participants, learning activities are product-based, being responsible is highly encouraged, theory and practice are integrated. All the activities will be based on clear and well targeted objectives, tasks and assignments that will mainly address scientific literacy, business and market, European culture.

Project’s results are strictly connected to “Europe 2020 Strategy”, with concern to teaching/learning of an economy based on knowledge and innovation (“smart growth”), the promotion of a greener and more competitive economy (“sustainable growth”) and, in the mid/long run, the encouragement of a high-employment economy which should deliver social and territorial cohesion within the wider European integration process (“inclusive growth”). Finally, possible partnerships with local NGOs beyond the end of the project would benefit local communities through an actual change in practices that affect people’s daily lives. Moreover, the project is meant to lead to results beyond formal education by leading to a widening inclusion of pupils in the labour market.

Project Website

https://www.iissfiore.edu.it/Erasmus/index.html

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 31022,8 Eur

Project Coordinator

I.I.S.S. “Tommaso Fiore” Modugno-Grumo & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Liceul Teoretic Nicolae Balcescu Medgidia
• 4th GEL Herakliou
• IES Francisco Ros Giner