Anthropocene – Europocene – A new earth era? Erasmus Project

Project Title

Anthropocene – Europocene – A new earth era?

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: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Energy and resources; Transport and mobility

Project Summary

When on a Friday in the summer of 2018 a then 15-year-old Swedish schoolgirl skipped school for the first time in order to draw attention to the climate problem, a movement arose with which many of our students across Europe could connect. In Neumünster, Barcelona, Lampedusa and Athens, too, there were demonstrations organized by students on Fridays, in which all generations finally took part.
In biology, the teaching of the ages of the earth is standard at universities and schools. Each era is linked to certain lead organisms, for example, in the Earth’s Middle Ages 206 million years ago, dinosaurs. Despite the dominance of certain organisms, the earth was in biological balance.
The imbalance, which is now visible to everyone, is a matter of concern for humans. Young people in particular are looking for answers and want to make a difference. With our project we want to answer the questions and show options for action. In doing so, we extend the problem of climate change caused by CO2 emissions by the aspects of mobility and communication in order to finally answer the scientifically already discussed question, whether the earth is not already in the Anthropocene or in the “Europocene”, because from Europe the industrialization began, with which mankind finally left the natural cycle of life.
In addition to the acquisition and application of specialist knowledge (biology, foreign language) in the field of environmental and climate protection (e.g. material cycles, mobility, communication), the exchange with the pupils of the partner schools and the people on site (e.g. politicians, scientists, family members) is about discovering and consolidating common values such as democracy, protection of the basis of life and thus human dignity. Acting on the basis of knowledge can be mentioned as a further aim of the project, i.e. the acquisition of school and subject-specific competences (dealing with specialist knowledge, gaining knowledge, communication and evaluation)
Four schools are participating in the project and the people involved are Erasmus newcomers. The schools are secondary schools that lead their students to the highest possible level of education. The teachers involved are mainly scientists. The students were born in 2002/03 and have chosen different focuses (natural, social, linguistic) in their respective schools. The participating schools are located in small towns or sub-centres, and the parents tend to be from the middle class.
A total of four mobilities, each lasting 5 working days at student level over a total period of 23 months, will follow on from the in-service training of the teachers involved. The pupils are accommodated in families. Three mobility visits to different locations for each school ensure that all pupils involved visit another country at least once.
The local activities are in the context of the objectives set, in that, in addition to meetings with people or regions particularly affected by the changes (visits to nature reserves, universities, farms, fishing enterprises, research institutes, climate houses, start-ups), activities take place in the context of everyday school and family life. Meetings with representatives of the respective local political level round off the activities.
The planning work to be done before or between the mobilities leads to the implementation of the goals on site through the activities described. The further planning of the work between the meetings to be discussed together at the meeting as well as the steering and evaluation or control of the results are as central as the planning and creation of the respective products. In this context, adherence to democratic principles is just as important as respecting and taking into account cultural and personal circumstances – regardless of the role as guest or host. In principle, the almost adult young people should be given age-appropriate co-responsibility for the project by involving them in the planning of the project from the very beginning. It goes without saying that all methods and media of the digital world are used.
In addition to the hardly measurable and describable results for the individuals involved and their environment, a broadly diversified product range is aimed for. In addition to eBooks with documents and audio-visual content, content will be uploaded to the Twinspace and other digital networks. The central result is a multilingual travelling exhibition that grows up with the meetings.
The people and institutions involved will benefit on many levels: personally, socially, but also in terms of content and curriculum, the results will improve the quality of teaching and interaction. Once initiated, further Erasmus projects will follow.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 125383 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gemeinschaftsschule Faldera mit Oberstufe der Stadt Neumünster & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Institut Valles
• 7o Geniko Lykeio Acharnon
• Istituto Omnicomprensivo L. Pirandello