Healthy planet = healthy life – a videoblog Erasmus Project

Project Title

Healthy planet = healthy life – a videoblog

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: Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Natural sciences; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project „Healthy planet=healthy life – a video blog” addresses two important issues that have worried the students the most – the state of environment and unhealthy nutrition. The natural world influences our health and we affect the planet simultaneously. Young people observe on TV and around them how polluted and destroyed the planet is and express anxiety what may happen to them in the future if nothing changes. The human activity can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, it is so important to teach children how to be more environmentally conscious and how to appreciate the diveristy of nature as the whole ecosystem is interdependent. On the other hand, food products are available everywhere without many limitations. The young generation consumes a great number of unhealthy products filled with sugar, preservatives and salt and such habits lead to obesity, diabetes and heart problems. Learning about the herbal world can amend dietary habits. The project teaches children about alternatives to fast food, sweets, etc. that they can find in the natural world. Meetings with passionate professionals connected with the environment planned for the participants can show certain jobs waiting for them on the job market and may inspire them to choose their future careers. The form of the video blog requires ICT skills and improves their computer literacy. The project results in the cooperation of four primary schools from Poland (the main coordinator), Romania, Cyprus and North Macedonia – all having experience in ecological actions (Erasmus+, eTwinning, local projects). It is planned for 2 years with 4 mobilities of children and their accompanying teachers included (one in each partner country). The communication between partners is done in English which promotes language learning. The students stay with host families and this is crucial as they experience real life in a foreign country and use English in authentic situations. During the visits the students with their teachers will visit natural reserves, botanical gardens and animal shelters to see the diversity of the natural world and endemic species of each region. They will organize ecological and charity actions such as cleaning up forests, planting trees, auctions for local animal shelters, etc. During each mobility, the host country will prepare workshops about the ecosystem, crafts and design (for instance making bird feeders, insect houses, etc.) as well as talks and lessons with foresters, animal shelter keepers, organic farmers, beekeepers, etc. (the meetings will be an inspiration for one of the outputs – calendar for the year 2023). The participants will gather photos, notes and videos to make special brochures (for instance: how to protect animals in winter), posters about endemic species, etc. In order to teach about the natural products and their impact on dietary habits each country plans cookery workshops (making dishes with equivalents for unhealthy products, such as stevia instead of sugar, spices instead of salt). To discover cultural differences between each country the recipes will incorporate herbs traditionally used in the partner countries. The workshops will lead to the production of a recipe book. Children will also learn about healthy properties of herbs typical of the regions and join their knowledge in the form of the herbarium book. The cooperation of the partner schools is also created for teachers – they may exchange their teaching practices and work together to make their lessons more effective and entertaining. The cooperation will lead to the creation of a lesson plans booklet and flashcards inspired by the main themes of the project. The project will have a long-lasting effect as the outcomes may be used in a long run. All main products will be available on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform and distributed to target institutions (for instance, the recipe book and the herbarium book to local gastronomical schools, brochures to animal shelters, calendar with professions to employment agencies, lesson plans booklet to local and school libraries). Moreover, the project will change habits of the participants (in a broad sense – the students, their families, local communities) as it will promote healthy nutrition and environmental awareness. For the Polish school, the construction of the weather station will be of use for years – being a teaching tool for biologists, geographers and aid for school yard garden. To check how the objectives are realised, the organisers plan questionnaires at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the project. There will be surveys after each visit to assess prepared activities. The students directly involved will share their knowledge with younger pupils preparing for them competitions, animals corners, posters and talks.

Project Website

http://www.facebook.com/Healthy-planethealthy-life-Erasmus-project-105878611262208/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85616 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkola Podstawowa nr 8 im. Marii Sklodowskiej – Curie w Toruniu & Country: PL

Project Partners

• OU Dr.Vladimir polezinoski
• Scoala Gimnaziala Mihai Viteazul
• A Dromolaxia Primary School