Think Global, Act Local – Our Forests Erasmus Project

Project Title

Think Global, Act Local – Our Forests

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Energy and resources

Project Summary

Think Global, Act Local – Our Forests
The Project was initiated at the TCA in Freiburg in 2018. There, the coordinators of the respective schools met and agreed to work together on a project about forests. We all agred, that forests always have been and always will be a crucial part of our ecosystem. Even though their importance is known, they are endangered in many ways. Reasons for their neglect might be a lack of appreciation of forests and information about forests in the younger generation.
However, students, as the future generation, need to be trained to be responsible for their environment since they will serve as models to others and carry their knowledge, attitudes and values into the next generations. If we don’t pass on common knowledge about important environmental issues, this might jeopardize the future of us all.
Erasmus+ offer a unique opportunity for this. Having students from different countries and cultures working on this project together, they will be able to see the bigger picture and the issue will reach a much larger group people. Each country is facing its own problems when trying to use but also to preserver the forest. While some countries still have vast forest, deforestation to make room for housing and farming is a big issue in others. Only if we see the variety of environmental problems, the sudents will be able to appreciate, understand and be capable to come up with solutions.
Solutions may include personal action, organizing in an environmental group or trying to influence policy makers. Each of these will be tacked by the participants.
Participants are Integrierte Gesamtschule Maifeld in Polch (Germany), Escola Básica e Secundária Bispo D. Manuel Ferreira Cabral (Portugal, Madeira) Profilirana prirodo-matematicheska gimnazia – Lovech (Bulgaria) Viljandi Gümnaasium (Estonia) and Lyceum of Solea (Cyprus). Each of them is a secondary school. Having participants from very different regions and climates ensures a wide variety of different perspectives to the project. Students aged 14-19 will be able to participate in this project. The different age groups will also add to the variety of perspectives. While many students can participate in projects at the schools, the number of students that may travel and participate in the international events is limited due to limits in funding. Depending on the trip 3-6 students may come along.
In a variety of activities which are desigend to make the students actively examine, investigate and question, the students will explore the state of forests, the threats they are facing, which measures are already taken and how to become active themselves. Their ability to see the beauty of nature will be sharpened so that they feel responsible to protect what they see. In all cases experts will be heard, companies and organizations will be visited, and local, national and international authorities will be informed and challenged. A petition to the EU will show the students which possibilities they have to speak up and make a change in a democratic, multinational institution. In several clean-up actions and tree plantings, the students will actively contribute to an improvement of the environment. All of these will be recorded on a counter, to make the change that has been brought about visible in numbers. Also cultural exchange will be a central point. Knowing and understanding other cultures also contributes to a better understanding of their attitude towards the environment. Getting to know other cultures and working with them for a common goal also strengthens the sense of community within the different European countries. The documentary which is made to visualize the project as a whole, will serve not only as a good way to remember the project, but also to encourage others.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 163984 Eur

Project Coordinator

Integrierte Gesamtschule Maifeld in Polch & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Viljandi Gümnaasium
• Profilirana prirodo-matematicheska gimnazia – Lovech
• Escola Básica e Secundária Bispo D. Manuel Ferreira Cabral
• Lyceum of Solea