AGRICULTURE and GLOBAL CHALLENGES Erasmus Project

Project Title

AGRICULTURE and GLOBAL CHALLENGES

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: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions

Project Summary

Agriculture is closely related to nutrition, the environment, and economic well-being as well as central to most global challenges and solutions. The greatest challenges of the present age such as demographic change and ecosystem change, including the phenomenon of climate change, all of which have many implications for wider society. Therefore sustainable agricultural practices will be pivotal to meeting the increasing demand for food as the global population grows while addressing the need to manage natural resources. (Gavin Whitmore, 2015)
However, sustainability means ‘meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (Bruntland Commission, 1987).
So it is clear that agriculture cannot be just about production, it must go hand in hand with economic prosperity and the social wellbeing of rural areas and help preserve natural resources such as land, water, and biodiversity whereas it faces urban expansion, industrialisation, and a changing climate.
The reason why the ARCH (Agriculture and Global Challenges) project was prepared is that sustainable agriculture is essential for food production and our quality of life: today, tomorrow and for the future.
The objectives of the ARCH project are to reduce school drop-outs, differentiate the teaching content and methodology as well as increase the European dimension at school. And these objectives are adapted to the project content.

Pupils need to be made more responsible for their own learning as well as their own future. And also teachers have to be more effective and need to update teaching content and diversify their methodology so that pupils may be more actively involved in the learning process, hoping to further their motivation to learn. Adaptation to pupils’ needs, strengthening individualised teaching methods and providing support for pupils at risk help overcome barriers created by the education and training system, and can thus contribute to limiting the repetition of school years.

Five schools made a strategic partnership in which the coordination of the project is undertaken by the Czech school (Agriculture Academy and Grammar school Horice – secondary school and a higher vocational school) and other partner schools are from Spain (IES VIRGEN DE LA CABEZA), Portugal (Agrupamento de Escolas de Vilela), Greece (1st EPAL MOUZAKIOU) and Italy (Liceo Scientifico Statale Alessandro Volta).

The duration of the project is two years and there will be five planned learning, teaching, and training activities during five short-term exchanges. Each of them will follow the subtopic which is closely connected with the school or region of the host school.
PRODUCTION – 2 partner schools: Ecological Agriculture and Health – Spain, Global Food Supply Through Sustainable Agricultural Systems – Czech Republic
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY and SOCIAL WELLBEING of RURAL AREAS – 1 partner school: Our Land, Our Life – Greece
PROTECTION of NATURAL RESOURCES – 2 partner schools: Agriculture, Water, and Soil – use and preserve! – Portugal, Agriculture, Use of Pesticides /Chemical vs. Biological/ – Italy

The activities of the project will be carried out using CLIL methodology and as a research method – case study methodology and digital tools for communication among project partners and with other target groups such as pupils, families, public authorities, private companies, and also other school staff.
All outputs and results collected by pupils and teachers will be gathered in presentations and disseminated on the eTwinningTwinSpae, in posters e.g. at schools and appropriate public places.
Tangible project results will be CLIL materials on sustainable agriculture aspects related to major fields of study of each partner participating in the project and after each short-term exchange, a presentation based on the given subtopic will be prepared.
Non-tangible results of the project will be that both pupils and teachers will use a foreign /English/ language in reality and pupils will have a special occasion to use their digital abilities as tutors for their teachers and hopefully will change the negative attitude of teachers to IT technology.

Potential long-term benefits are linked with the use of CLIL methodology in classes, use of digital devices as well as improvement collegiality and interdisciplinarity among all participants.
Therefore the ARCH project is a good example of the confluence between scientific knowledge and local reality.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 132740 Eur

Project Coordinator

Agriculture Academy and Grammar school Horice – secondary school and a higher vocational school & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• IES VIRGEN DE LA CABEZA
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Vilela
• 1st EPAL MOUZAKIOU
• Liceo Scientifico Statale Alessandro Volta