We can make a difference- a project on sustainable development in education Erasmus Project

Project Title

We can make a difference- a project on sustainable development in education

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: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

Our project ´We can make a difference´ is a project on sustainable development in education. We are often presented with a variety of news and reports emphasising the trouble the planet is facing. All this information can be overwhelming and depressing for the pupils. Therefore we need to help children see the possibilities and potential for change. We will teach pupils about small and significant changes they can make. If everyone makes changes in their everyday lives, together we can make a difference. Changes can be made by all people, young and old. Information and knowledge is very important in order to do so. With an international cooperation like this project the pupils and teachers will see a broader picture. We need to stand together, across all nations, to solve the problem of the climate change and the impact it has on the planet.
In our project increased knowledge through teaching is an important part. We are going to focus on some of the UNs goals for sustainable development and increase the knowledge with regard to these goals. Increased knowledge combined with the small, more sustainable choices are the core of our project. Teachers are an important resource for having an impact as they meet a lot of pupils and can help them understand important issues.
We will focus on the goals; Affordable and clean energy, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible production and consumption and Climate action. These goals give us an opportunity to work with all three aspects of sustainability; Social, Economic and Environmental. To structure the project each of these four goals will be worked with in a specific period to make sure that all participants focus on the same issues simultaneously.
The project involves schools from six European countries, Spain, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Norway. The work will be tied to physical visits for teachers and cooperative work between the visits for both pupils and teachers.
The teachers will travel, and involve the pupils in the host country during the visit and all the involved pupils and teachers between the visits. The schools will send from 4 to 7 teachers on each travel. The variations in numbers are due to the fact that the different schools organize the project differently, it varies between involving all teachers and all pupils of the school, to some teachers and their classes. The pupils are in primary school from age 5 to 13, and the Italian school will also include pupils from their secondary school age from 13 to 16.
The project includes meetings, one in each of the six participating countries. When a school is hosting a visit, they are responsible for educating the visiting teachers as well as their own pupils on the chosen goal. The visiting teachers will attend the hosting schools´ classes. The visiting teachers will in return also give lessons at the hosting school on how they teach sustainable development in their own school and in their own country. It will be exciting for the local pupils to learn about the other countries and how they work on the topic of sustainable development. This will give everyone a unique insight in the challenges and possibilities each country have. Emphasising many small, but significant changes each individual can do to make a difference. All the visiting schools will bring hand made crafts made by their schools pupils. This work will be made from sustainable material; either scraps, garbage or be redesigned from a common object. All the pieces will be displayed in an exhibition at the hosting school, open to all the pupils, teachers, local media and parents, and on the projects eTwinning page. If possible this exhibition will be open to the local community and this will be a way to spread awareness of the projects important message. In between the visits, pupils from different schools will share their work on different digital platforms, with opportunity to talk to each other.
One of results of the project will be a digital book. This book will contain a description of the work done on all four topics in all countries. We will focus on the different challenges specific to each country and the solutions each country might have found. It will offer a variety of practical methods used to teach the UN goals of sustainable development. This book will be read by all pupils and teachers and will be published on eTwinning. Hopefully this book can be used as an inspiration for teaching and be shared with other teachers across Europe. The increase in knowledge and awareness among pupils and teachers are the main impact of this project, all with the small changes the involved schools´ pupils and teachers will do to improve the situation of the planet. This increase in knowledge and change in habits will be documented in a survey. The fact that teachers are increasing their knowledge and get practical teaching methods and tips, will have a long term effect beyond the two year project period.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 161235 Eur

Project Coordinator

Ramberg skole & Country: NO

Project Partners

• Istituto Comprensivo Lastra a Signa
• Zakladni skola Kladno, Brjanska 3078
• 3rd primary school of Drama
• Vergales pamatskola
• HIJAS DE JESÚS A CORUÑA