Environment Agent – what can we do together? Erasmus Project

Project Title

Environment Agent – what can we do together?

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Since 1972 the discussion of the “ecological limits of resources” started, only few outlasting measurements for more sustainable use of resources were realised, even setbacks could be recognised. So we assume that constant and long lasting arrangements are easier to realise with younger members of our society.
Fixed in our curricula, we regularly pick up this topic, but realise only few sustainable effects. Some kids are well informed and show a deep interest for saving energy and protect nature. They (and their families) follow the actual discussions about enviromental problems, and while talking with them, we teachers notice a deep concern but also a kind of uncertainty and shiftlessness regarding environmental topics.
We three schools wanted to intercede here; we gave guidelines and help during the last two years. Pupils researched to get non-committed information, got aware of the elements and learn about their actual conditions in our European countries.
On the basis of problem-solving methods pupils worked in mixed age-groups and made their investigations and observations, they made own conclusions and developped plans to protect water, air and soil, regarding the questions:
How can we have an impact on protecting nature?
How can we change misery at school, in families and vicinites?
Teachers gave support whenever needed, were open to pupil’s proposals regarding enviroment protection and were helpers in the background. Pupils could examine their proposals if adoptable for our schools daily-life. We divided the large topic: each school first worked on one element and then we mutually shared our results, looking for a sustainable treatment of resources.
At the beginning all our pupils (6-12) learnt about the water-circle, how the elements work together and how coalesce that circle is. Then each school focused on one element: Finnish kids worked on water pollution, German kids on air pollution and Estonian pupils worked on wasted soil.
During the first period pupils got aware of the importance of these elements, made experimental surveys of their actual conditions and followed the questions: Why is it important to have clear water, non-toxic soil and pure air?
Pupils could deepen their knowledge via excursions to i. e. waste-water treatment/garbage-incineration plants, and visited local environmental and conservation organisations, as Greenpeace, WWF and others. The attendances of these different associations lead our pupils to analyse their own treatment of resources and enabled ideas for potential approaches.
All information, working-material for one element (questionnaires, tic-papers, working-sheets, conclusions, testers, videos, links etc.) and proposals how to treat with that element in future were collected by each school in a box: Finland created a water-box, Germany an air-box and Estonia a soil-box. These boxes were exchanged during pupils visits, evaluated by the others and potentially filled with other matching items.
At the end of our project these three boxes – one of each topic – remain in each school for further use of subsequent pupils, kindergartens or neighboured schools. These subject modules facilitate teachers and pupils to work on the environmental topics and get sustainable solutions.
All interim results were presented in the Erasmus-corners of our schools, on our homepages, our common project homepage and in the local press as well as on eTwinning-platform. About the project-processes and the outcomes all school members were informed during the Erasmus-Times.
Next to the subject modules (boxes), a role-play dealing with the project topic was created in English, but Covid-19 prevented a recording in all schools. In our schools durably installed is the the pupil’s official declaration and in a striking version on a banner as a reminder for a careful use of our resources.
Our pupils twice (three were planned/Covid-19) had the chance for mutual visits of our partner schools. The kids lived in families and got to know their daily routine and habits, and they worked together on the project topics. They could recognise the cultural similarities as well as the differences and had to use their knowlegde of English. Certificates (plus Europass in Germany) will remind them. All this increased their self-esteem and hopefully helps to avoid potential prejudices.
Working together as European partners on these cross-border topics we hope to establish a long-lasting awareness for nature and a broad sympathy for foreign cultures.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 72383 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grundschule Mühlenredder & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Laulasmaa Kool
• Myllylän koulu