Environ-MENTAL Awareness Across Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Environ-MENTAL Awareness Across Europe

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; Energy and resources

Project Summary

The Environmental Awareness Across Europe (EAAE) project was designed to raise awareness and educate our students in environmental issues, develop a lifestyle education programme and test its effectiveness in improving teenagers’ environmental education. Our students analysed their local situation and presented it to the other participants, thus promoting pro-ecological attitudes. They organised their own activities through a virtual Eco-Club, run by the students themselves under teachers’ guidance, via a blog and a WhatsApp group, with the purpose of turning their schools into ecological, environmental-friendly institutions.

The idea of the project is very simple, as it focuses on environmental awareness. What makes it specially innovative is the fact that students had a particularly active role and degree of autonomy in the implementation of the activities. Indeed, they were responsible for making decisions and collaborated to develop an Ecological Code of Behaviour based upon their own work. Likewise, they led discussion groups and debates during the project meetings, and gave presentations and elaborated surveys and reports, among other things. Together with their teachers, the students involved in the project contributed as active and responsible citizens to maintain and improve the quality of the environment in which we all live. In passing, they reflected upon regional, cultural and social similarities and differences.

The project involved secondary school students (aged 13-15) from different countries and focused on five main topics:

(1) Recycling and waste segregation
(2) Electricity and water consumption
(3) Consumption of local products
(4) Urban transport
(5) Protected areas

Each of these five topics was approached by following a 4-phase cycle: analysis and raising awareness (field research activities) > presentation of results (student conferences at project meetings) > debate and evaluation > action and dissemination (school activities after the mobilities). Through these activities, both students and staff had the opportunity to:

– improve learning and scientific skills;
– enhance cooperative skills within home schools and between the partner schools;
– develop linguistic, expressive, artistic, computer, social and civic skills;
– increase awareness and develop a new mentality concerning all environmental issues.

Some of the most important activities were the setting up of an Erasmus+ Corner, the project website, the management of a virtual Eco-Club, PPT slideshows about each school, the logo contest, field research work about environmental issues, diagnostic survey and questionnaires, student conferences and presentations followed by debates and joint reflections, photo reports, videos and exhibitions, multilingual e-dictionary, Ecological Code of Behaviour (digital and printed version), exhibitions of objects made with recycled materials.

Teachers have resorted to inclusive, innovative methods of teaching, thus encouraging students to investigate, explore and analyse by following a cooperative, project-based methodological approach. The most innovative, experienced teachers provided support to other colleagues interested in adopting such innovative methods.

Dissemination has been carried out (it still is) throughout the project with the publication of news items in the local press, social media (mainly Twitter and Facebook) and on each official school website to inform students, staff and stakeholders on project activities promoting the Erasmus+ programme. On the project website we have conveyed information and documentation about some of the most appealing activities, paying particular attention to the results of the different project phases. It has been regularly updated. The Internet and such powerful social networks as Twitter has led (or is still leading) dissemination and impact beyond our nearby educational communities, allowing us to activate a direct contact with potential beneficiaries (much more than the number of those who are involved in the project) and interact with them.

Finally, we believe that gaining knowledge of each partner’s traditions, culture and habits has made our students aware that they belong to a common European family. In other words, in everyday teaching our students can experience environmental issues in their country, whereas through a transnational project they have been able to experienced themselves as citizens of the world. An experience that, to go along with the Erasmus slogan, has changed their lives and opened their minds.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 147670 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES Sabinar & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Regionale Scholengemeenschap ‘t Rijks
• Istituto Comprensivo Mazzarino
• Liemerscollege
• Jüri Gümnaasium
• Scoala Gimnaziala “Mihai Eminescu”