Food Is for Thought! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Food Is for Thought!

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: Environment and climate change; Health and wellbeing; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

The “Food is for Thought – FIT!” -Project aims to inspire the students, teachers and parents to adopt a more HEALTHY and at the same time SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOUR towards the FOOD they EAT, BUY and GROW. We are currently in the midst of a major change in what people eat and in the way they eat. Plastic packaging of food has seriously increased in the EU during the last decade and creates a serious waste problem. The changes partially result from the globalization and modernization of food and eating, for example, access to new technologies, modern supermarkets, and food marketing. Also, urbanization has separated many families from the direct production of foods, which has produced changes in eating behavior. Poor nutrition and obesity are among the most important health issues facing society today, not only in terms of health, but also health care expenses. By the help of experts, conferences and actions the project aims to IMPROVE nutritious, healthy eating in the schools and families. In terms of sustainability the schools will
develop competences in various sustainability-relevant sectors (e.g. resource saving strategies) and at the same time develop GREEN sectorial skills and methodologies. The idea of healthy, sustainable, eco-friendly eating is always very strong and resonate during the two years.

The project is divided into three sub-topics: The food of our PAST, our PRESENT and our FUTURE.
We will start learning from our ancestors and their way of eating. Here we focus on the sensitization on HEALTH BENEFITS in the MEDITERRANEAN DIET. We will study food habits in the past where technology did not exist and prepare the grounds for dealing with the industrialized food we eat today. After having dealt with the PAST we will continue in history and have a look at how people eat in the PRESENT TIMES. Our groups will learn how to grow sustainable food with traditional methods and prepare for today’s requirements. Furthermore, we will focus on the whereabouts of our modern food, how the problems of livestock faming influence our environment, what kinds of diets are popular and how misconceptions of these diets influence our eating. After that we will create ideas of FUTURE food and focus on sustainable food innovations. We will analyze the benefits of modern food (e.g. insect powered protein bars) as well as the challenges (e.g. nutritionally enhanced crops, new botanical creations). Another major topic will also be the problem of food waste and the benefits of surplus stores. We would like to increase awareness for the fact that throwing away food doesn’t only cost money. The energy that has been put into the cultivation, the packaging, the transportation and the refrigeration of the food goes to waste just as well.

In oder to approach the topic we will prepare surveys on our eating habits, draw a video of our vegetable gardens, teach the participants to buy and cook sustainable and healthy and learn about the nutrition of food. On each mobility we will carry out a sustainable action as a symbol for the long lasting benefit of our project: e.g. clean the beach, plant a tree, revitalize a biotope, produce a healthy and sustainable cooking book. Our work will be supported by two long-term-student-mobilities (LTSM) who will present their schools to the communitiy and do field work. They also conduct surveys and try to solve a problem by learning ways of good practice from the partner school. Ways of good practice are also the topics of the QIMS workshops (Quality Improvement Method Sections) where the schools learn from each other. Every mobility has a different topic.

The project will be carried out by six schools from Germany (coordinator), Cyprus, Finland, Portugal, Poland and Italy and they each have their respective duties in fields of IT, evaluation, documentation or organization. The students involved are aged 12-15 and organized in six Europe-Clubs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 196998 Eur

Project Coordinator

Bischöfliche Canisiusschule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Helsingin yhteislyseo
• liceo scientifico keplero
• The English School, Nicosia
• Szkola Podstawowa w Zbrachlinie
• Instituto Educativo do Juncal, S.A.