Convironment – Which effects has our consumption on the environment? Erasmus Project

Project Title

Convironment – Which effects has our consumption on the environment?

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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Environment and climate change; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

At all three partner schools, there is great enthusiasm among pupils for learning foreign languages and we as teachers are pleased that pupils voluntarily invest part of their free time in learning other European foreign languages. In the Italian, Spanish and Austrian curricula, intercultural learning and multilingualism is seen as an essential part of education in a globalised world. Therefore, one of the main objectives of the project is to strengthen the intercultural education of our students. The IES Delgado Brackenbury (24 participating students) and the lll Circolo Didattico Somma Vesuviana (15 participating students) are schools which, like the NMS Gnas (40 participating students), have a strong focus on multilingualism and intercultural education. In this way, we can form an inter-European triad that not only offers students the opportunity for multilingual education and competence building, but also shows them what it means to be European.

Another aim is to address the issue of environment and climate, as the current changes in our society make teaching this content a necessity in all schools. Only through a global rethink can long-term positive changes for our environment be achieved. The starting point chosen for this School Partnership is the topic “Convironment”, as we believe that all students and teachers can make their individual contribution to environmental and climate protection. Moreover, this topic can be excellently combined with the SDGs (UNESCO, 2017) and explored by the pupils on a project basis. In the mornings, the respective sub-themes (consumption and sport, consumption and nutrition, etc.) are to be investigated by the pupils with the support of the teachers during project lessons. In the afternoons, this knowledge will be verified and extended in practice.

The products of this composition cover a wide range. They range from an imaginary jointly written play, self-written song lyrics and self-cooked food to be tasted together, to the creation of vision boards with solutions to the topic Convironment and the reproduction of culturally important buildings. In addition, the public presentation of the contents developed during the project week and a discussion on the topic during an intercultural evening in the respective communities in Italy, Austria and Spain is planned. Moreover, the pupils will keep a reflection diary during the short-term stays, which the project team can use to determine the extent to which the school partnership has influenced the pupils’ and teachers’ attitude towards the topic Convironment.

In the course of the cooperation, the following key competences for lifelong learning will be promoted in particular: Reading and writing skills (through the writing of reflection diaries), foreign language skills (through ongoing teaching and communication in foreign languages during the project period and through L2 communication among pupils), science skills (through the investigation of the environmental theme), digital skills (through online communication, collaborative work on TwinSpace and online research on the Convironment theme during the project period), personal, social and learning skills (through living with a host family, by getting to know pupils from other countries and cultures and through workshops on social competence), civic competence (by dealing with the topic Convironment and the responsibility that each individual has for society) and cultural awareness and expression (by intercultural exchange, comparing one’s own culture with the host culture, drama, music and singing as a joint creation during the exchange).

Apart from broadening the key competences, the potential longer-term benefits can range from the environmental impact of the project in a small circle (the respective pupils start avoiding waste and buy regional, seasonal products) to more far-reaching changes. For example, the partner schools could decide to ban plastic waste from schools, inform and educate the citizens of the community about the issue, encourage them to rethink and possibly implement further environmental and climate change projects.

Source:
UNESCO. (2017). Education for sustainable development goals. Learning objectives. Paris.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 90461 Eur

Project Coordinator

Neue Mittelschule Gnas & Country: AT

Project Partners

• IES DELGADO BRACKENBURY
• III Circolo Didattico Somma Vesuviana