GREEN FINGERS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW Erasmus Project

Project Title

GREEN FINGERS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Health and wellbeing; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Context
The primary school is the natural place to introduce children to EE, since at this level they have a holistic view of the environment and they are not at the stage where learning is compartmentalised. Introducing critical thinking and problem-solving approaches in EE, especially at primary school level, is fundamental if students are to become skilful in the identification and solution of environmental problems as students and later on as adult citizens and possibly decision-makers.
This project was intended to have an impact both inside and outside our schools, by running cross-curricular activities in the classroom and campaigns in the local community. Once children were committed to the responsibility of caring for the environment, they then had the necessary voice to impact their communities as well.
We, primary school teachers, learnt from each other, presented our success stories and worked together to make an impact in our schools and communities. We saw how EE was tackled in each of the five regions involved and in what way the local realities influenced the extent to which EE was given priority in the school curriculum.

Objectives:
O1. Practices and experiences of EE were exchanged by primary teachers from different European countries
O2. Digital materials were suitably developed for the cross-curricular teaching of EE
O3. The level of environmental awareness of students was improved
O4. Pupils were equipped with the duty of individual and social responsibility
O5. The role of the school in our local communities was strengthened
O6. Citizenship and social responsibility was promoted

Participants
Representatives from each of the 5 schools attended each of the 5 LTTAs. Participants were mainly primary teachers, but also IT teachers, science teachers and teachers of other subjects, were actively involved.

Activities
Teachers worked together and created a platform on which they shared cross-curricular EE lesson ideas. These were firstly trialled with students from the host school in order to assess its strengths and areas of improvement before implementing at the LTTA’s and being added to the EE e-Leaflet. In addition to the teaching of EE lessons, all LTTAs consisted of meeting with local NGOs, presenting relevant environmental issues, relevant cultural and thematic visits, workshops on cross-curricular teaching and on the methodology for the organisation of a local environmental campaign with students.

LTTA topics were:
C1 – Exchange of practices and experiences related to EE; workshops about cross-curricular approaches to EE teaching
C2 – Water – scientific approach (data, experiments), source of life, uses, water shortage, water pollution, rules
C3 – Earth – scientific approach, problems, earth-related issues, deforestation, endangered species, rules
C4 – Air – scientific approach, air pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming, what the future may look like, acid rain
C5 – Building a proactive attitude within pupils – Teacher training workshop, meeting with environmental groups

Results
The project produced both tangible and intangible results, which measured the level of attainment of the objectives.
Intangible results: students’ increased environmental awareness and social responsibility, better awareness of similarities and differences among systems of education and approaches to EE (teachers), improved language skills and critical thinking, improved team-work skills, strengthened collaboration among teachers at EU level.
Tangible: digital collection of lessons and materials on the 3 main EE-related topics, methodology for involving students in environmental campaigns, presentations of schools / systems of education, workshop materials, students’ work, worksheets, lesson evaluation forms, observation sheets, campaign materials, students’ artwork, brochures, posters, reports, photos, videos, impact report.

Impact
All partners had a role in developing and analysing the EE lessons during the course of the project thereby improving the material basis of the schools. Teachers now have the opportunity to develop new courses for students using the high quality materials produced in the project.
Since they include digital materials, each school’s new EE lessons are now more attractive to students and are more motivated to learn. Also, students have developed a sense of initiative and have started playing a more active role in their community.
Teachers within the same school now cooperate more, strengthening intra-institutional relations.
Due to the success of the project students and their teachers will continue to organise environmental awareness campaigns in the future years thus turning active citizenship into a common practice at the level of the school.

Project Website

http://www.st-saviours-junior-church-school.secure-primarysite.net/erasmus/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 104154,2 Eur

Project Coordinator

The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust & Country: UK

Project Partners

• ALI NIHAD TARLAN ILKOKULU
• Szkola Podstawowa Nr 10 z Oddzialami Integracyjnymi im. Waleriana Lukasinskiego w Zamosciu
• CEIP 12 DE OCTUBRE
• Scuola Cattolica Paritaria Madonna dell’Asilo