Culture, ecology and sustainable development : at the heart of european meetings Erasmus Project

Project Title

Culture, ecology and sustainable development : at the heart of european meetings

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; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Creativity and culture

Project Summary

Nowaday, environmental and climate issues are a major direction for the development of European countries. Thus, the Franco-Finnish high school in Helsinki and Anne Frank school naturally decided to work around this subject of study. Indeed, our two schools are included in a process of valuation approaches associated with sustainable development.The abality to compare the means implemented by each of our countries to pursue these two objectives, which are the fight against global warming and the fight against false information, seems to us to be an opportunity of rare intensity in order to educate the students of our schools and make them informed and committed European citizens. The Franco-Finnish High School in Helsinki has undertaken since 2019-20 to educate its students about sustainable development through internal choices: replacement and reduction of the number of trash cans, clarification of recycling indicators, investment next year in solar panels, reduction of disposable objects, better management of heating … The pupils participate indirectly in this project, by proposing displays to improve and raise awareness of the use of selective sorting. In addition, as a Unesco school, The Franco-Finnish High School aim to participate in this project, which concerns the Baltic Sea, which is particularly polluted: http://www.b-s-p.org/. On the other hand Anne Frank school is attached to sustainable development and wishes to obtain the E3D level 3 label.
The project “Culture, ecology and sustainable development : at the heart of european meetings” is more broadly part of a European cooperation approach. Opening students to the culture of European countries (music, arts …) is an essential lever to understand the world around us. We hope that the participants in this project can integrate all the aspects carried by the motto of the European Union “United in diversity”. Therefore, there is a real citizen dimension, in the European sense of the term, that we wish to bring to this project. In addition, the cities of Helsinki and Avignon were both designated European Capitals of Culture in 2000 by the European Union, proof, if necessary, of the cultural wealth of these regions.
Finally, this project will constitute a fundamental direction of the students’ work. It will be carried out throughout the year through various aspects, combining environment, critical thinking, European citizenship, creativity and culture and involving all the actors of the educational community, whether students, teachers, parents but also local decision-makers.

Implemented by a 3ème class from Anne Frank school and by a class 8 from the Franco-Finnish high school in Helsinki, the CEDRE project therefore has several ambitious objectives:
– Raise students’ awareness of environmental and climate objectives.
– Allow the discovery of a new European culture.
– Promote the concept of European citizenship.
– Develop language skills.

In order to achieve these objectives, students will carry out different activities, in several subjects, in connection with the CEDRE project. Among these, we can note :
– L’étude d’œuvres littéraires communes entre les deux établissements, présentant chacun à leur manière leur région : “Le lièvre de Vatanen” d’Arto Paasilinna pour les régions finlandaises et “L’homme qui plantait des arbres” de Jean Giono pour la région provençale.
– Study of common literary works between the two schools, presenting our own areas: “The Year of the Hare” by Arto Paasilinna and “The Man Who Planted Trees” by Jean Giono.
– Study of common musical works specific to each culture.
– Study of the elements of the flora and fauna specific to each region.
The aim of these different activities will be to compare the specific characteristics to each country, whether on the historical, cultural or social levels. The result of each of these activities as well as the travel diary will be the subject of a compilation in a magazine which will be published at the end of the school year. It will also be put online on the school’s website and disseminated to all local players with decision-making power concerning questions of sustainable development and international openness (town hall, departmental council, regional council …).

We hope that this project will allow the involved students to help them acquire the skills expected at the end of their school year, whether in terms of modern languages, literary, scientific skills or even the acquisition of methods and tools.
More generally, the partner establishments want this project to be a showcase of their European commitment and their commitment to sustainable development. Obtaining labels certifying their approach (Euroscol, E3D …) will be an objective at the end of this project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 65980 Eur

Project Coordinator

Collège Anne Frank & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu