CYCLING ON NATURE’S WHEELS Erasmus Project

Project Title

CYCLING ON NATURE’S WHEELS

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Energy and resources

Project Summary

Being teachers, educators and citizens we created this project with high concern to provide our students with proper background for both learning and personal development, fostering active position, entrepreneurial skills, creativity, responsible consumption developing transferal competences for a whole life. The main concept of the project “CYCLING ON NATURE’S WHEELS” was to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical behavior.
Multi-tasks project activities based on interdisciplinary cooperation combined:
1. research, individual study, working on data, making presentations, writing articles training students to be independent learners capable of creating outcomes with lifelong learning attitude;
2. motivating outdoor activities related to nature producing multilevel effects – active position, responsibility towards nature, weaker members of society, one’s own development.
3. boosting educational, mental and physical outcomes;
4. improvement of social skills, confidence, self-esteem, basic and transversal competences and applying inclusive education for disadvantaged students.
5. encouraging creativity, broadening horizons of future Europeans to be team players ready to support, people with initiative, healthy and well balanced mentally.
The seven partner countries of this project were from: Cyprus, Romania, Italy, Poland, Greece, Portugal and Bulgaria. Two of our organizations had no experience in Erasmus+KA2: Cyprus and Greece; Portugal and Romania were more experienced with several projects; Italy, Poland and Bulgaria were competing for the second one. Romania and Poland had the applicant schools located in rural areas while Italy, Portugal and Greece in small towns. Cyprus and Italy were on remote island territories.
All applicant organizations were public schools with student ages under eighteen. A significant part of our students were socio-economically disadvantaged, some had special educational needs, an important percentage was at risk of early school leaving. Teachers put great efforts to overcome these unfavorable circumstances.
We had designed 2 TPMs and 3 LTTAs in which we fulfilled multitude tasks (research, data processing, awareness campaigns, questionnaires, school, home, local cleaning and recycling activities, creative reuse of waste, charity to help disadvantaged, project magazine). Modern pedagogical approaches based on interactivity and centered on student needs were applied. These methods were also enriched and improved due to our international experience sharing in teaching.
The project was divided in three parts entitled “Hello, Partners!”, “Living in plastic is not fantastic” and “How much energy have you got?”. Stages included both local and mobility activities. These were assessed according to a specified set of quantitative and qualitative indicators. To reach the objectives and desired results, other institutions were involved in different stages of implementation. Each country was responsible for managing one general theme, during the project span. Learning outcomes were validated at the end of the short-term exchanges of groups of pupils in form of Europass certificates.
The impact was significant and beneficial on students, teachers, organizations, communities and international groups. It referred to changing attitudes towards nature and natural resources both theoretically and with established practical eco-friendly habits and behavior, entrepreneurial skills, enhancing competences, diminishing school leaving rate with creating friendlier educational environment, building active, creative and capable future European citizens.
There was a clear dissemination plan, from the beginning to beyond the project period, aimed to make our products not only visible but also usable by stakeholders without frontiers. Thus, a logo, an Erasmus area, sites, brochures, a magazine, a guide, leaflets, descriptions of activities, presentations containing research work, questionnaires and quizzes were created to reach our objectives and provide the anticipated results. Pedagogical approaches were described for benefit of the other interested parties. Not only teachers, but also youth workers, NGO-s, club instructors, Educational boards were involved. We presented on Twinspace and Erasmus+ Projects Results Platform. Again, each country was in charge of a clearly stated dissemination theme along the project implementation.
Through this project the students and the teachers involved, maintained friendships for a lifetime. Furthermore, students and teachers found different ways of helping and contribute to people in need and through this we all realized the importance of charity.
We were also taught the importance of recycling, saving energy and keeping the environment trash free. Finally we all recognized that each individual can better the environment and ocean’s ecosystem by playing their part.
These benefits we have gained will be long-term for all of us.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 149413 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium of Polis Chrysochous & Country: CY

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de Moure e Ribeira do Neiva
• Szkola Podstawowa nr 1 im. K.I. Galczynskiego w Grajewie
• Scoala Gimnaziala Magura
• Istituto Comprensivo Monte Rosello Basso
• 11th Larissa Junior Highschool
• Secondary School “Konstantin Velichkov”