Nachhaltigkeit als Standortfaktor – Erziehung zu nachhaltigem Handeln Erasmus Project

Project Title

Nachhaltigkeit als Standortfaktor – Erziehung zu nachhaltigem Handeln

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Context and goals
Environmental pollution and plastic waste are one of the biggest challenges we have to face because it is harmful to nature and humans alike. Water pollution for example endangers regions that rely on tourism, fishing and water economy.
For this reason, the participating schools want to focus on environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. The participants will concentrate on examples in their regions that offer insights into ecology and the interdependence of humans and nature. These learning experiences shall motivate our students and show them that something needs to be done. The fact that the participating schools are located in different areas in Europe (river mouth of the Tagus and the Weser, inland water and water protection area) will help our students understand that environmental pollution is no longer a regional problem but a transnational disaster.
Throughout the project the participants will communicate in English, which is doubtlessly the most widespread foreign language in Europe. The students can use their foreign language skills and acquire technical language that is needed to talk about environmental issues and natural sciences.
The four European schools that take part in the project will be joined together by our common goals. The project will help our students develop vital skills like acting responsibly and in an environmentally conscious way. They should find out about the difference they can make in their everyday lives.

Participants
Four schools will take part in the project coordinated by Gymnasium Wesermünde. The four schools are secondary schools and the students who will join the project are 15 – 17 years old.
All of the schools will work on our common project that will be connected with the individual regions. One of the schools is located in Finland. Väinö Linnan lukio is a small upper secondary school that will take part in the project because they want to widen their perspective of the mechanisms running the world and build understanding between the people in Europe, thus creating a stronger European Union.
Gymnazium Zatec is a secondary school in the Czech Republic that takes great interest in European cooperation and wants to provide additional job opportunities for their students.
Agrupamento de Escolas de s. João da talha is a group of six Portuguese schools from Kindergarten to secondary school. The secondary school that will participate in the project is attended by students from suburbs of Lisbon.
Gymnasium Wesermünde is a school in the north of Germany. It provides general education and offers a variety of courses in natural sciences. The school also benefits from cooperating with local institutions.

Outline
It will take the schools two years to finish the project. At the beginning a joined staff training will take place. It will enable the participants to find out more about the characteristic features of the four schools and discuss the details of our goals and the student exchanges. In addition, there will be a training course that will show the teachers how to use eTwinning as an effective means of communication during the project. This will ensure that the students can keep in touch throughout the project.
During the student exchanges we will concentrate on different field trips and the environmental pollution that can be detected in the respective region. We will examine the water pollution in the Baltic Sea (Finland), the pollution of the water of the rivers Tagus (Portugal) and Weser as well as the pollution of the Wadden Sea (Germany). We will also analyse inland waters and visit institutions that help reducing pollution (Czech Republic).
Our findings will be analysed in the schools or in cooperation with local scientific institutions. Thus, the students will gain experience and deepen their knowledge of ecology and plastic waste in between the meetings. In the end guidelines will be developed that will show how sustainability can be promoted.

Results and benefits
The project’s most important achievement will be its benefits for the participating students. The student exchanges will help them enhance their intercultural competence, their interest in Europe, its values and its culture, as well as their proficiency in foreign languages. It will help them develop important character traits like respect and tolerance.
The teachers will gain more experience in cooperating with transnational partners. This experience will help us communicate European values in a more convincing way and will certainly encourage us to continue working with European partners. We will enhance the curriculum of our school by including not just the need for sustainability but also the desire to maintain collaboration with other European schools. Our findings and results will be presented at our schools and to other schools nearby. Furthermore, we will inform local newspapers.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85692 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gymnasium Wesermünde & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas de São João da Talha
• Väinö Linnan lukio
• Gymnazium, Zatec,Studentska 1075, prispevkova organizace