Reintegrating The Vegetal Dimension in Town Erasmus Project

Project Title

Reintegrating The Vegetal Dimension in Town

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: Pedagogy and didactics; Environment and climate change; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

In an age of climate change, of collapse of biodiversity and of endangerment of the environmental equilibrium, it’s time to assume our responsibility and find reliable solutions through activism in favour of biodiversity. The project “ Reintegrating The Vegetal Dimension in Town ” is an initiative focused on encouraging the presence of nature in cities, the importance of our ecological heritage and forests as a conscientious solution from an ecological point of view. We correlate our action with the joint effort to comply with the objectives of the European Green Deal concluded at the end of 2019. We are especially keen on making the EU the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050.
Bringing together 5 schools from 5 different European countries: France, Belgium and Luxembourg in Western Europe, Italy in the southern part and Romania in the eastern part, this project’s goal is to open up new perspectives, thanks to various experiences stemming from our geopolitical, historical and cultural diversity, but also from previous projects. This project is based on the principles of CONTINUITY (deriving from a former Erasmus project, Avenir Durable Avenir Solidaire, focused on sustainable development), COMPLEMENTARITY (thanks to the plethora of specialisations and the rich expertise of our partners) and INNOVATION (innovative ecological initiatives).
GOALS OF THE PROJECT:
Allow students and teachers from 5 European countries to collaborate during a 2-year period, on raising awareness of environmental challenges and to forge a new generation of conscientious and responsible citizens with the help of actions in favour of biodiversity.
Our OBJECTIVES are organised according to their educational, social and cultural purviews:
o develop behaviours, practices and content favouring the preservation of the environment and the local actions in the benefit of biodiversity;
o encourage trans-disciplinary approaches (human and natural sciences, art , technology, foreign languages, history and geography);
o promote the spread of green projects in urban areas;
o protect and restore the environment in a sustainable way, in order to enhance the well-being of all communities by means of green spaces, agro-ecology and the use of eco-friendly materials like wood or vegetal fibers instead of plastic
o meet activists, artists and associations involved in the green movement;
o encourage the development of autonomous thinking, organisational skills, team spirit and accountability;
o enhance the respect of cultural diversity and promote linguistic diversity;
o develop cultural and cross-cultural dialogue through an artistic approach of nature and its diversity;

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES
o direct: 120 students (between 15 and 18 years of age, from general, professional and technological secondary schools, coming from different social backgrounds);
o indirect: 2000 people (students, parents, teachers, educational, regional or local economic and cultural communities);

The ACTIVITIES for preparation, evaluation and creation of end products: local activities for raising awareness of the results, 5 learning activities and 2 sessions of training for teachers.
These aforementioned activities will lead to two types of RESULTS:
o -intangible: aptitudes, knowledge, abilities and scientific, organizational, interpersonal, communication and intercultural skills;
o -tangible: power-point documents, photos, posters, websites, green spaces, artistic creations, travel journals, surveys and quizzes;

METHODOLOGY: debates, art and theatre workshops, sightseeing, trips and trekking in connection with this project, establishment of ecological/green spaces in school settings, posters, photos, videos).

METHODS: focus groups, class debates, surveys, quizzes, monitoring, researches, interviews, presentations, slideshows, videos.

The THEMES of the project is going to be addressed in three parts, each organized by a different partner:
o Natural social function: well-being and health, social connections and collective identity – Romania
o Environmental function: natural and environmental equilibrium (biodiversity, highway system, green graveyards, thermal control, air quality, soil protection) – Belgium and Luxembourg
o Tourist attractiveness, local and ecological produce, short supply circuits – Italy

The division of labour will be made according to the principles of equity, collaboration, mutual aid, synergy, of active involvement of all the participants in accordance with their area of expertise.

The IMPACT of the project will be quantifiable in terms of the participants of the establishments and of the local communities involved, especially in terms of the implementation of joint solutions for greening of towns and for support of green urban policies.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 154986 Eur

Project Coordinator

ITHCF gembloux & Country: BE

Project Partners

• Lycee Technique Agricole
• COLEGIUL NATIONAL CAROL I CRAIOVA
• EPLEFPA de Seine-Maritime
• Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “G.A. Pischedda”