GEO-WATER Erasmus Project

Project Title

GEO-WATER

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Overall, the Geo Water project has been carried out according to plan.

Geo Water project: Context/Background
The concept of the Geo Water project of Marne College and IVN was accomplished in May 2014. For all main school partners Marne College and IVN provided project information, based on their 7 year cooperation with similar school projects. All schools in the project were familiar with internationalization and student exchange programs.

– The Geo Water project contains two main approaches/Objectives:
1. Educational innovation:
.Implementation of the IVN Geo Water method,
.Professional development of teachers and management by multi-day trainings,
.Cooperation between beta school subjects has been encouraged, the linkages with gamma subjects was improved,
.Professionalization of project content through local, regional, national and international external partners has been realized,
.Entrepreneurship through cooperation with primary/higher education, non-governmental organizations, business and local/regional governments have been promoted,
.Entrepreneurship of pupils within consultancies has been realized.
2. Water themes
.Pupils of all schools became acquainted with sustainability and water issues,
.Water modules and real life questions were provided by external partners,
.Adaptation of ICT applications for research and communication by eTwinning was not successful,
.Exchange of good practices and the transfer of innovative knowledge via internationalization has been successful.

-Methodology, participants, profiles
The Geo Water project is based on the IVN Geo Water method. Pupils work on real assignments from real clients (external partners) and cooperate with pupils from other schools in an international context to find solutions for their clients.
1. Main partners (6):
-IVN – Expert in sustainability questions, provides the IVN method, evaluation tools and teachers/management trainings,
-Main school partners (5) – Specialized in (bilingual) pre-university, general secondary and pre-vocational education, main focal point of all the schools is internationalization.
2. External partners:
-Non-governmental organizations, businesses, local/regional governments and higher education organizations, experts related to various water issues,
-Main water issues/themes: Water quality and biodiversity, water and environment, climate change and water safety.

-Activities and results
.2015-2016 school year: exploring
In this phase two transnational meetings were organized for the management, coordinators and subject teachers, during which IVN presents the Geo Water method. These meetings made the implementation of the GEO-WATER concept possible. Real life questions of external clients were investigated by pupils in consultancies in the period April to June, assisted by teachers with the help of external water experts. Foreign pupils joined the Geo Water projects through a carrousel exchange. At the end project results were presented to the client.
.2016-2017 school year: consolidation and growth
In two transnational meetings Geo Water project experiences are shared and evaluated. More teachers are trained to work with the Geo Water method.
All partner schools have successfully carried out a second Geo Water project (some new clients/assignments). Pupils joined during their carrousel exchanges. Sometimes primary schools/higher education were involved.
Other secondary schools(NL/D) visited partner schools and – with IVN support – started their own Geo Water project.
.2017-2018 school year – Results
In the final year each partner school and 11 extra schools carried out a successful Geo Water project. All schools presented their Geo Water project during the International Geo Water Conference (June 2018) in Leeuwarden (Friesland, the Netherlands). Project results of all the participating (16) schools were presented in workshops and assessed by external partners and water experts.
In addition, IVN organized a Geo Water week for all partners with cultural and water related activities. Pupils shared and discussed their own projects and prepared for the Conference. A transnational meeting with coordinators/school directors decided to continue the Geo Water project till 2020 (without EU funding!).

Impact and longer term benefits
– participating Geo Water schools are now able to carry out similar projects with real clients and real assignments for their pupils.
– the project started with 5 partner schools in three European countries; in 2018 16 secondary schools in these countries successfully carried out a Geo Water project.
– the IVN Geo Water method is available (for free) for every school in Europe through the Geo Water website and IVN website; with examples and good practices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 153530,12 Eur

Project Coordinator

Marne College & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Stredni zdravotnicka skola a Vyssi odborna skola zdravotnicka, Nymburk, Soudni 20
• GFP Neratovice
• Städtisches Gymnasium Haan
• Stichting IVN
• Visser ‘t Hooft Lyceum