sustain.me Erasmus Project

Project Title

sustain.me

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Energy and resources; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

Sustain.me, was created by five secondary schools in Arles, De Panne, Hamburg, Rome and Seville to tackle sustainability. Making major changes in the way we live has become a vital necessity. Clarifying the concept is essential. Sustain.me focused on enhancing independent thinking, a creative space that encouraged students to work more autonomously. Participants exchanged teaching practices and methods successful at motivating, teaching and supporting all students including potential early school leavers (POTES). We worked closely with school boards, non-teaching staff, school-based social workers and special education staff to ensure optimal outcome. We aimed to encourage students from the 5 schools, to be passionate having a worldwide impact. Students found ways of making changes, firstly, on a personal level, later they spread their findings to others locally and globally.
This project was the pilot in all five schools portraying a new way of protecting and encouraging POTES to continue their school education. Every student is different so we had a chance to see the benefits of what a multi-level project can do for all types of students. POTES, aged 14-17, were involved. Some were assigned guides from the core group, acting as big brothers/sisters (ages 16-18). Together they worked on making sustain.me a great educational and enjoyable project that we all feel will lead to a long-lasting lifestyle (e.g. reducing meat consumption; shopping: being aware of working/labour conditions, product traceability, chemicals, etc.). Most countries managed to bring 1 or 2 POTES and a big brother/sister with them on mobilities. All have improved on their soft and hard skills. Close contact between students and staff was encouraged right from the beginning. Staff and students benefited from using English at all stages of the project, thus promoting CLIL (Physics, Art, Biology, Maths) and underlining the need for successful communication between the countries.
Benefits of sustain.me specific to POTES: improved motivation, a different classroom setting, mixed ages working towards one goal, confidence building, learning to learn with thanks to support from other students, feelings of accomplishment, taking responsibility… Some benefits of sustain.me specific to big brothers/sisters: managing others, guiding those with intellectual gaps, teaching each other, taking responsibility (See “POTES feedback survey” URL/attachment). By handing over responsibilities to students, they became significant members of their (school) communities.
Each country took between 4 and 6 students (aged 15-18) and at least 2 teachers on each mobility. Each mobility focused on a different sustainability topic: France/food; Spain/waste & renewable energy; Germany/clothing; Italy/tourism; Belgium/housing. Before mobilities, participants collaborated to prepare for upcoming visits by doing research, answering questionnaires, completing audits etc. requested by the host country. During each mobility we organised workshops, field trips, conferences, presentations, in-service teacher trainings and dissemination. A feedback survey was completed after every mobility, to improve on subsequent meetings. All participants tried to implement what they had learnt thanks to the newly gained expertise.
Thanks to varied activities (logo competition, surveys, interviews…) the students were introduced to multiple ways of acting on and expressing their thoughts and needs. The tools all students acquired will help them during their life-long learning. (language skills, ICT skills, interpersonal skills…)
Students’ entrepreneurship in conjunction with local businesses was also challenged. They were encouraged to come up with innovative solutions to make our lives more sustainable. Belgium managed to reduce their plastic waste by introducing reusable water bottles at school (+16 other district schools). The students chose the type of bottle, slogan and logo, negotiated with the company and organised further sponsoring with them and the parent committee. The other schools are in the process implementing the same.
Among the many outcomes, we noted behavioural changes and raised awareness. Many cross-curricular classes and activities were implemented. The teachers directly involved passed on their knowledge and techniques through in-service training. The way we conducted the project is a template for any project-based lesson plan. This project was the beginning of a potential change in all classroom situations when it comes to any project-based activities. It was made sustainable! Our schools will continue to implement most of the ideas. The project was just the start of a new way of thinking and acting.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 81600 Eur

Project Coordinator

Julius-Leber-Schule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Instituto de Educación Secundaria Martínez Montañés
• LICEO SCIENTIFICO “VAILATI”
• LYCEE MONTMAJOUR
• Immaculata-Instituut