Partnership to create awareness and solutions by using the sustainable development goals in a structural way. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Partnership to create awareness and solutions by using the sustainable development goals in a structural way.

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: Health and wellbeing; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

Primary school CEIP Marqués De Lozoya in Segovia (Spain) already was developing an internal project based on the Sustainable Development Goals (from here on shortened as SDGs) before both schools got in contact. Primary school De Tandem in Eeklo (Belgium) was engaged in a local project on the emotional and physical well-being. This school team strongly believes they can increase the well-being of the pupils, teachers and the school environment by working on the SDGs. Because the leading and local authorities of both schools already worked together in other European projects, both schools were linked. From the very first moment this connection lead towards empathy and a common interest in cooperation. So both schools decided to deepen the subject and create an Erasmus+ project, based on the needs of both partners concerning SDGs. The Segovia school does not have any experience in Erasmus+ projects while the Belgian school in Eeklo already took part in different KA1 projects. On top of that, their GO! School group Meetjesland has lots of expertise and is facilitating the project process so the Belgian school will coordinate the project. Both schools created a project team, strongly believing this project will make them grow in different ways.

The general theme of this project is the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations to be achieved by 2030. Development Goal 17, “Partnerships to achieve goals”, will be the leading principle. Both partner schools will involve the full school community and all concerned stakeholders. The Sustainable Development Goals is a very important theme for the European agenda. In times of COVID19 crises, we are concerned but hopeful, we feel solidary and even more determined. A life of dignity for all within the planet’s limits and reconciling economic efficiency, social inclusion and environmental responsibility is at the essence of sustainable development.

The following goals and topics are important in our project: environmental and climate goals, sustainable investment, quality and efficiency of education, training and youth systems, gender equality and equal opportunities, health and wellbeing. To achieve these goals and topics we have selected the following 5 SDGs on which we will focus: (1) No poverty, (3) Good health, (4) Quality education, (10) Reduce inequality, (13) Climate action. Each of them fit in a specific learning field in the curriculum e.g. drama, media, STEM, dance, music, image, …

We start our project by teaching about SDGs in general. The children and also the parents must know what SDGs are and understand the importance of them. During the project, we provide four Joint short-term staff training events as mobilities, strictly for teachers and staff. After a skype meeting, both teams decided together not to travel with children during this first project. As much as we want to involve the pupils to the maximum, the focus of the project is the development of didactic material and the learning and the experience process for all. In the future, we definitely want to continue this cooperation and involve the pupils in the mobilities.

The first mobility will be organized as a team-building and content training event. We learn about mutual countries, cultures and education, etc. and we invite internal and external trainers to teach both teams about the project content as well as useful methods and IT techniques. The next three mobilities are focusing on the exchanging and learning from the hosting team. Activities will be job shadowing, exchange of results, methods and experiences both teams had during all the intermediate activities in the local schools. One or two of the selected five SDGs will be the subjects during one mobility. We refer to the timetable to clarify the structure of this project: in between the four mobilities, each school will organize workshops concerning each specific selected SDG topic. During local workshops, the pupils learn about one selected SDG. Not only they get the information, but they also have to create a tangible final product, which they will have to present. The visiting teachers will also take this to the hosting school and share it as material, a tool, an IT product, or a visual report or footage. The hosting school is organizing the presentation during the mobility in front of the visiting team and other local stakeholders. This approach is repeated for the first three selected SDGs. For the last two SDGs, we’ll do this completely digitally because the final product finds place after the last mobility.

This project will certainly have an impact on pupils, parents, teachers and the participating schools. To reach this output, as well as the process as the product will be important. They will start thinking differently about their contribution to a sustainable world and how they can improve it.
When the project is finished, we will have some ready-to-use tools to use in other schools who want to work with SDGs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 27432 Eur

Project Coordinator

GO! basisschool De Tandem Eeklo & Country: BE

Project Partners

• CEIP MARQUÉS DE LOZYA