EARTHWORM : One Earth, One World. The Metamorphosis of Sustainability Education in the ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) Erasmus Project

Project Title

EARTHWORM : One Earth, One World.
The Metamorphosis of Sustainability Education in the ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care)

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: Environment and climate change; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The growing concern of humanity towards environmental protection, life preservation, and sustainable world is placing sustainability discourse at a priority level. Linking such concern to education shows an urgent need for rethinking education to focus on human survival in the 21st century. Introduction of the concept of sustainability as early as in the preschool or early childhood education and care (ECEC) will bring a positive impact to humanity as children’s behavior and understanding are laid in early years. Recognizing their capacities to become active agents of change and active agents for the future are also necessary for shaping their environmental attitudes, knowledge, and action.
To bring and put this idea into reality we need to educate and train our educators/teachers in the field about the concepts of sustainability education. The focal aim of the project is to explore the diversity and differences of the participating countries and how can this diversity and difference be utilized in a sustainable way. Therefore, the EARTHWORM Project was utilized to train, educate, and offer more opportunities to teachers who are working in the ECEC and gave them chance and more possibilities to learn & share their knowledge in embedding sustainability education in their day to day dealing with the children who in the end will bring an impact to the society.
The project organized 4 sets of mobilities (Learning, Teaching & Training Activities) for the teacher participants from the four countries involved in the project (Iceland, Spain, Romania, & Lithuania). The project towards the end built a partnership among the participants of the countries to sustain the objectives and keep track of each other performances. The official website was created for posting and dissemination of information for participants and public consumption. Expected number participants who were, directly and indirectly, benefit from this project were raised from 600 to over thousands which included the teachers, local authorities, children & their families, and community from the four countries. Activities and pieces of training in each mobility included lectures, workshops, seminars, field trips, symposiums, and practical hands-on exercises.
In order to ensure the success of the project a mixed of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Methods such as interviewing the participants, online surveys available in countries’ respective languages (English, Icelandic, Spanish, Romanian and Lithuanian) in each mobility for assessment, was used to compare and justify the result or outcome of the project.
The impact of the project was to be divided into three levels:
1. Locally – it allowed and encouraged participation and collaborative actions among the stakeholders involved (teachers, local authorities, parents and community)
2. Trans nationally – on a transnational level, the project was able to achieve impact with increase in synergies, complementarities, and constant sharing of information and teaching lessons and materials related to the sustainability education of those countries involved.
3. European level – the impact took the form of networking and open website (pack with information and downloadable teaching materials and videos for public consumption) accessible to all.
The result of the project will be useful in the metamorphosis of sustainability education in the ECEC. The training and learning that teachers will gain and the important concepts learned from groups diversity will give them more weapons to teach and tackle global issues and prepare the children to become active and resilient in life.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 74619,42 Eur

Project Coordinator

Lundabol & Country: IS

Project Partners

• Ceip.Monte Corona
• Kauno r. Ilgakiemio mokykla-darzelis
• Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 3 Cugir