Everything begins with the first step Erasmus Project

Project Title

Everything begins with the first step

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Environment and climate change; Energy and resources

Project Summary

Two year school strategic parnership project Everyhting begins with the first step (2016-2018) was a collaboration among 6 European countries- Latvia, Austria, Italy, Romania, Portugal and Turkey. The project focused at one of the most widespread topics nowadays, but which still remains complicated because of its stereotipicalyl complicated therminology and strange forms of presentation at modern schools- environmental issues and human interaction.
The aim of the project was to show the young generation at schols that this issue is neither complicated to realize nor boring to tackle at all levels in education. The aim of the team was to create meaningful and innovative activities in order to involve, develop and motivitate the students to be eager to learn more and engage in preserving the nature around. As weall as :
1) strengthening the international cooperation through sharing good teaching/learning practices;
2) facilitate the recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning;
3)to prepare and deploy the education and training of professionals for equity, diversity and inclusion challenges in the learning environment;
4) to encourage active citizenship and entrepreneurship (including social entrepreneurship), jointly carried out by two or more groups of young people from different countries.
5) to rise awareness of environmental issues and develop innovative approaches in learning about this topic.

The project parners are schools of general education, including one private educational establishment, and vacational schools. All these schols share common goals in their development plans and their curriculas, which include topics in the learning process on environmental issues and human interaction. Experience and professional approach from each partner guaranteed a successful outcome of this partnership.
During the project there were 3 coordinator meetings (TPM) and 3 LTTs.
1) December 2016, Portugal- meeting of all coordinators in order to discuss the aims and put forward the activities to be done during the project;
2) April 2017, Italy- 1st LTT during which students were involved in international group work for creating dictionary, teachers performed lessons on project issues, trees were planted, practical work in water treatment office, school gardens, national park, greenhouses, participation in the lessons of biology, chemistry, physics, green energy production park, videos for Green Citizens were filmed.
3) September, 2017, Turkey- 2nd LTT during which newly created lessons were performed, students participated in the practical lessons of using recycled materials, learned waste management in Mesut, learned energy saving in big organizations, worked in international groups for creating dictionary, videos for Green Citizens were filmed;
4) March 2018, Austria- 2nd meeting of all coordinators (TPM) in order to analyze the results so far, carried out activities, their success and strenghts, possible changes and future activities;
5) April 2018, Romania- 3rd LTT during which students participated in international conference Global issues with presentations, lessons were performed by international teachers, practical work done in physics, biology, water treatment station was examined and its work principles found out, videos for Green Citizens were filmed.
6) September 2018, Latvia- final meeting of coordinators (TPM)- to analyze the success and possible weaknesses of the project, reflect on the activities carried out during the collaboration, evaluate the achievments and implementation of the project results.

During the collaboration the aims were reached successfully and all planned activites done, as well as a number of extra ones were added, additionally, more students were involved than planned originally in the application by using the approved budget means. The activities carried out:
1) lessons plans, presentations and video materials for geography, biology, physics;
2) DVD Green Citizens video clips about environmental awareness;
3) Story and drawing edition Sad and Happy heros of nature
4) 6 language dictionary on ecotherms
5) Nature song
6) Successfuly designed dissemination materials of the activities and results- video clips, brochures
were successfully implemented in the school curriculas and programmes, study process at school has been enriched with meaningful and innovative activities that were created during the project partnership. Schools have gained enormous experience in organizing international events, educational staff members have risen their competences to a higher level, school names have gained more popularity in the domestic and international levels. By carrying out all planned and extra activities and responsibilities each school has strenghtened their positions as professional and reliable partners in the school strategic partnership field.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 108535 Eur

Project Coordinator

Adazu vidusskola & Country: LV

Project Partners

• IIS Sen. Angelo Di Rocco
• Bundeshandelsakademie
• Kocas High School
• SCOALA GIMNAZIALA SFANTUL ANDREI
• Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Serafim Leite