Schools for the UN Sustainable Development Goals implementation Erasmus Project

Project Title

Schools for the UN Sustainable Development Goals implementation

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 : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Gender equality / equal opportunities; Health and wellbeing; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

When we submitted SUDEGO we had reflected that there hadn’t been enough debating about sustainable development so far, neither in the society. On a strategy of global sustainability, this topic plays a critical role and will be of great support in the future for the next generations. Towards the same direction have moved both the 2015 UN program, with its 17 goals to be targeted within 2030 -endorsed by the European Commission with an official directive on 22/11/2016- and the EU document COM(2011) 571 Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe document, dealing with the creation of a sustainable European economy within 2050.

We were confident that the world of education would be the right place to engage this debate and the final results have proved us right. The teachers, as well as the great receptiveness and enthusiasm of their students have been the right targets and beneficiaries of our project. They are the ones that can better spread this crucial information and promote best practices among their families and communities. SUDEGO has provided them with a innovative tool kit to create basic and advanced knowledge and effective skills about five out of the 17 goals of 2030 Agenda: Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being; Goal 5: Gender Equality; Goal 7: Affordable Energy; Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Goal 15: Life on Land.

The work was completed in 2 years by a partnership of 7 qualified organizations from 5 different countries (3 IT, BG, SP, FI, UK); all with great experience in either the education sector and productive or social field.

In line with the priority Relevant and High-Quality Skills and Competences, SUDEGO has provided a set of consistent information and a program of didactic modules for teachers of ISCED2 and ISCED3, intended to help them and their students create a different point of view and a positive vision towards 2030 Agenda. The project was organized in 4 different intellectual goals aimed at creating innovative materials and supported by different side activities to implement the smooth and effective project coordination (management, quality control, communication, dissemination & sustainability). The final results are available for free on the project’s web site and platform:
1) a report on the state of the art and best practices;
2) 5 ISCED2 level school didactic modules
3) 5 ISCED3 level school didactic modules
4) the SUDEGO e-book that sums up the project’s action and highlights its results. It’s made up by: guidelines, evidences, best practices, test analysis and the trend updates of the 5 goals in EU-28.

The methodology for the didactic modules was a tiered structure: 1) the core of the lesson, made up of slides, videos, multimedia and interactive materials; 2) the lesson book, i.e. a teacher manual with the plan of the lesson, further information on the presentation materials, teaching strategies, references; 3) an end-of-the-module multiple choice test with answer feedbacks.

The project was monitored by a Quality Control System to which all of the partners contributed; the assessing activity was focused on the results and was organized on a peer review basis and supported by the partners’ general consensus.

Thanks to the 5 meetings hosted in each of the countries and the positive climate that the staff was able to create, the project was supported by the absolute coordination among the partners. Not any friction, nor argue was ever reported, but a positive cooperation and fruitful internal and external communication; a massive action of dissemination was pursued by means of different channels (web pages, social networks, newsletters, contact and decision makers mailing lists, 5 multiplier events).

We noticed, with great satisfaction, that the information and suggestions that we shared suddenly returned a positive feedback: the large attendance during the events, the social actions taken by the schools, the first positive results (i.e. the aluminum bottle to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottles). Actually, thanks to the project, we eventually answered to the Goal 4 request “Quality Education”; as a matter of fact, UNESCO is convinced that only education can provide the so-called necessary core “Competencies for Sustainable Development”. According to this, although not funded, all the partners decided to run test activities and assessment procedures for the didactic modules, in their own country and on a volunteer basis.

It’s been estimated that about 3,500 people – mainly target groups, stakeholders and beneficiaries – have been directly targeted by the project and had the opportunity to test the SUDEGO materials. The partners have agreed to the creation of a sustainability agreement that will guarantee the project’s products to remain available on platform for at least three years, along with a supporting program. They will also keep up with the dissemination program, as well as being testimonials to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda principles.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 279828,16 Eur

Project Coordinator

Erfap Lazio & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile
• Consorci d’Educació de Barcelona
• GEMS Northern Ireland Limited
• CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
• Liceo Scientifico Statale Augusto Righi
• Turun kaupunki – Åbo stad