Green Friends Erasmus Project

Project Title

Green Friends

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: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Natural sciences

Project Summary

GREEN FRIENDS is born after a long thinking process. We are alarmed by the dirtiness in nearby streams and beaches and to know that a lot of families of Manuel Siurot school do not separate waste at home. Inspired by young people who take action like Greta Thunberg or Boyan Slat, founder of the Ocean Cleanup, we set up a project to try to change this situation through practical activities and with the aim of raising ecological awareness in families. A previous survey among students and teachers was made to know their degree of involvement in the separation of waste and their implication in the cleanliness of the environment. A total of 92 students and 19 teachers were asked reflecting results such us: students are more willing to volunteer, the rates of waste separation at home are not good enough (glass 55%, paper 65%, oil 55%, 52% batteries, clothes 67% and medicines 42%), the carelessness in recycling in the neighbourhood is a concern for only half of the ones polled whereas 94% are worried about dirty beaches, although only 67% would clean them.

The study and comparison of these data with ECOEMBES 2018 national ones, created the need to improve in this aspect. The Erasmus plus team with the support of the executive team and the rest of the teachers staff, proposed the idea to Claudia Misere, from Gymnasium am Wirteltor, a partner from a previous KA229. We started the eTwinning project “I do”, together with an Italian and a French school. “I do” is based on taking action after the study of global and local environmental problems, students from the 4 countries interact virtually, sharing photos and experiences about the activities carried out to help the planet (recycling, collecting cigarettes and plastic items…).
With the idea of carrying out a common initiative that encourages cooperation, the exchange of good practices, peer learning and the exchange of experiences at a European level, we decided to turn “I do eTwinning project” into a KA229 one and the result was “Green friends”, a project that supports the horizontal priority environmental and climate actions and skills in the fields of science, European citizenship and TIC and digital competences.

The objectives to reach in 2 years are:
01. To get to know local environmental problems.
02. To separate waste increasing awareness about recycling.
03. To get students to realize that they are part of the solution.
04. To turn students into educators of their families.
05. To turn students into lower courses educators.
06. To create a volunteering culture.
07. To develop in students and teachers a European citizenship culture.
08. To develop digital skills.
09. To improve foreign language skills.

The association consists of 4 schools: Malaga (ESP), Düren (ALE), Cerklje na Gorenjskem (ESL) and Palermo (ITA), each one has a team of Erasmus responsible teachers. Students between 12 and 15 years old will participate in the activities and in the eTwinning project of the same name, GREEN FRIENDS.

P activities will be worked in the classroom, in Technology, Natural Sciences and Arts lessons.
C activities or mobilities will be carried out by 5 students per country, in that way each host country will receive 15 foreign students that will be hosted in 15 local families, creating a multicultural group of 30 students.

METHODOLOGY. It is practical, with some theoretical workshops about new technologies and the use of some very intuitive apps. The project will not be a hard task, it will be dynamic, integrated into daily actions and it will develop an interest in participating in it. The tasks will be done in groups and shared on the eTwinning platform.

INTANGIBLE RESULTS, but measurable. It is expected to increase awareness about recycling and environmental problems, willingness to volunteer, the improvement of technological and linguistic skills and the concept of European citizenship. In P16 a survey will be carried out to measure the evolution.

TANGIBLE RESULTS, a video per country will be recorded with the activities carried out. It will help with dissemination and make people become aware of the local environmental problems of the participant countries. Posters, leaflets and dissemination workshops per country will be also done.

DISSEMINATION.
Stage 1: the beginning, to inform the educational community and write a dossier.
Stage 2: development, publications after each P and C activity using social networks and media.
Stage 3: the end, make a video that explains what has been done and becomes an inspiring and motivational tool.

SUSTAINABILITY will be achieved in O4 and O3, where the values achieved and the involvement with the environment will be actively transmitted, instilling waste management in younger classmates, who will transmit the results to coming courses. The creation of a recycling culture and the involvement in environmental problems will be strengthened through talks, interactive tools and the video about the project itself.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 73595 Eur

Project Coordinator

Colegio Manuel Siurot S. Coop. And. & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Gymnasium am Wirteltor
• ic Scinà/Costa
• OS Davorina Jenka Cerklje na Gorenjskem