Challenges of 21st century: globalisation and sustainability Erasmus Project

Project Title

Challenges of 21st century: globalisation and sustainability

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: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Various national and European studies – like “Developing Key Competences at School in Europe” and “Science Education in Europe” of the Eurydice network – show that basic key competences (languages, maths, sciences) as well as transversal skills (ICT, entrepreneurship) of students are poorly developed and that the national differences in students’ education are great.
The agenda Europe 2020 demands among others to raise the employment rate, to increase the share of population having completed tertiary education, to enhance the performance of education systems, to reinforce the international attractiveness of Europe’s higher education, to foster digital competence and the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship at school and to raise energy efficiency and to controvert poverty and social marginalisation.
In our project students investigated different topics in the contexts of globalisation and sustainability. Nowadays both, globalisation and sustainability are important aspects in the human co-existence. A peaceful human co-existence requires comparable necessities of life. For reaching these aims we have to improve social inclusion as well as basic and transversal skills and the critical thinking especially in environmental and cultural aspects of our students in order to become well educated and social competent EU citizens. In these contexts we had a look at materials circles of consumer products, the problems of plastics in environment, the using of water, food waste, typical crafts, technology in our life, energy and Shakespeare’s canon. For mostly students use different kinds of new media in their daily life we used ICT tools to make these issues more attractive for students. Besides, by using these digital methods we improved the acceptance and integration of digital media in schools by students and staff.
We collaborated with different stakeholders concerning global learning and sustainability, universities, waste disposal plants, etc..
During the project we developed products which were published on the projects homepage, the etwinning twinspace and as OER as far as possible. Such as
– surveys about globalisation and sustainability, and European identity
– presentations about the educational systems and the influence of globalisation on employment and entrepreneurship
– media-based educational trails for the material circles of consumer products
– e-book of graphic short novels about globalisation and sustainability
– a presentation and experimental instructions about plastics (use, recycling, perils, ..)
– media-based learner-centred pedagogical approaches concerning plastics, energy
-presentations about water (water consumption, water scarcity,..), country-typical handcrafts, technology in our life
– video of scenes of Shakespeares plays
– brochures about food waste
– infographic about the future of technology in education
– models of bioclimatic buildings
The four partner schools are on secondary level and the participant students at the age of 13 to 17. Altogether, about 600 students took part in the project. 68 students and about 30 teachers participated in the mobilities.
The main objectives of the project were:
– to strengthen basic and transversal skills using innovative and learner-centered pedagogical approaches,
– to foster the development of social and intercultural competences
– to raise social and ecological awareness
– to improve media literacy
– to foster critical thinking in the environmental and cultural context
– to foster the interaction with diversity
– to foster the skills of changing perspectives
– to enhance digital integration in learning and teaching and
– to promote entrepreneurship education.
Using methodologies like IBL, CLIL and PBL we fostered self-educated learning. We worked in transnational students’ and teachers’ groups and due to the different aspects of sustainability and globalisation we used interdisciplinary approaches to increase the attractiveness for students.
As mentioned in the “Youth on the move” concept one of the main aims is to enhance the international attractiveness of Europe’s higher education institutions and to improve the employment situation of young people. Therefore students learnt about the possibilities the European community offers to them.
The longer term benefits of the project were
– higher inclusion of social disadvantaged persons
– higher awareness of ecological and global aspects
– higher ability of critical thinking especially in sustainable and global contexts
– higher motivation of students and staff by using innovative methods
– enhanced digital integration in teaching and learning
– more independent work of students
– increasing interest of students in education and entrepreneurship

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 96595 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Lüneburger Heide & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Ogres 1. vidusskola
• Agrupamento Vertical de Escolas da Sé
• Institut Torre Vicens