The necessity and relevance of our common European project „Think Smart - Act Green“ is based on the urgency of taking action in the field of sustainability identified by the Agenda 2020. Urgent issues to be dealt with are the reduction of CO2 emissions, digital interconnectedness, the increase of energy efficiency as well as the idea „youth-on-the-move“. We have recognised that there are regions in Europe where the issues of the Agenda 2020 are relevant and can be improved by cooperation between students, regions and countries. Sustainability in the fields of ecology, economy and social responsibility can only be granted through cooperative actions. To ensure this, awareness among the younger generations has to be created and handed over to future generations. However, awareness alone is not enough. Awareness has to lead to sustainable actions. Thus, a long term change of and reflection on our own behaviour will be ensured in a continuous process of thinking and acting. These goals can only be achieved on a European level by intercultural exchange. The intercultural exchange will involve: - The creation of awareness for sustainable actions - Social responsibility beyond one's town, region and national borders - Taking cooperative action regarding individual problems in participating countries - Students' experience of making a difference through common effort - The use of English as a global language of communication, which will be practiced and improved throughout the project by all partners involved - Increasing of students' competences in various fields (students-teach students, use of modern media, personal as well as social, topic related competences and intercultural competences) With our team of five partners from different parts of Europe, there is a broad scale of economical, ecological and social aspects: - Simrishamn provides a location at the Baltic sea, cooperating with the maritime centre nearby. Fishing industry and water plant are also important aspects: „smart water“. - Thessaloniki as industrial harbour city nearby the delta of the river Axios combines urban and natural aspects: „smart river“. In contrast to the water-related partners, the project also includes areas further inland. - Bologna provides an urban region with sustainable living concepts, taking part in a „smart city“ fair. - Bragança provides the aspect of sustainable tourism (Via Augusta): „smart tourism“. - Wolfenbüttel provides the aspect of „smart consumer“, with economical and ecological factors (e.g. German energiewende). This selection of partners promises exciting and insightful activities, which will take place through the cooperation of the different European countries. Vital exchange and learning from each other will be ensured. Among these activities are: - learning outside school in every international meeting in form of workshops - students-teach-students on basis of clubs - field trips to external partners (e.g. NGO, companies, Asse, communities). - support of students' work through experts (school internal and external) - production and dissemination of visible results - cooperation with schools' communities and local region - evaluating and improving eco-footprint - permanent use of eTwinning for documentation and exchange - students' presentation of results of cooperation and working together (e.g. homepage, blog, open house, video documentation). - regular mobilities between participating countries and schools with high number of students Long term effects and use of our project are: - sustainable and interconnected work on local, regional and European level - student centred work, to ensure sustainable actions for future generations - awareness of issues and possible solutions on different levels - schools experiencing themselves as European schools with European responsibility for acting „green“ - through mobilities, a spirit of European togetherness is created - european cooperation will be strengthened, especially for those participants currently without any bilateral partnerships (Greece, Sweden) - the English language will be the vehicle of communication and thus be improved in the long run The continuous and interdisciplinary work of all participants within the context of our project is a goal to be achieved over these two years and to be carried out even beyond this period. In our opinion, this will lead to a sustainable realisation of the aims mentioned above: Our project will contribute to the creation of a more ecologically, economically, socially friendly and sustainable working together of European countries: Think Smart - Act Green!
Motivated by the EU 2020 agenda, we have chosen the need to reduce CO2, the changing world climate and the careful handling of the resources at our disposal as a project context. To sensitize students to sustainable action and to bring to their attention the significance of their decisions in a regional and global context were important objectives of the ThinkSmart project - ActGreen. Due to the project structure, the training of linguistic, intercultural competencies and the promotion of one's own responsibility are closely linked to learning and knowledge processes. A total of five schools participated in the project. The mix of rural / urban schools and the geographical spread was very profitable. Liceo F. Arcangeli from Bologna with a vocational focus in the field of handicrafts, the general secondary school Gymnasium in the castle Wolfenbüttel, the general school Nova Academy Simrishamn with a focus on digital design, the general school Agrupamento de Escolas Miguel Torga from Braganca and the general education school 32 GENIKO LYKEIO THESSSALONIKIS from Thessaloniki. The project "modular, with the aspects" river, ocean, tourism, consumption, city "has proved to be meaningful. The regional differences between schools and pupils, the different resources and ideas have enriched the project. A main activity is the preparation of the respective mobilities with regional aspects. Here the students have looked for regional examples of the subject modules and prepared presentations for them. These were the discussion points in the country presentations during the mobilities. Mobility is a key component of the project. The promotion of linguistic, social, and intercultural competences has been particularly taken into account here. As part of the promotion of self-responsibility, peer-to-peer elements were increasingly integrated into the workshops. In addition, thematically relevant excursions, workshops and discussions with a country-specific focus are to be mentioned as main activities during the mobility activities. As there was a close interlinking of all activities during the mobilities, a main activity for each mobility can not be identified. As outlined in the project design, the following overarching aspects can be named as main components during project implementation - learning outside school in every international meeting in form of workshops - students-teach-students on basis of clubs - field trips to external partners - support of students' work through experts (school internal and external) - production of visible results - cooperation with schools' communities and local region - permanent use of eTwinning for documentation and exchange - students' presentation of results of cooperation and working together (e.g. homepage, blog, open house, video documentation). - regular mobilities between participating countries and schools with high number of students All participating pupils have clearly developed in the areas of intercultural co-operation, social responsibility and willingness to communicate. This has also contributed to the stay in guest families. The awareness of the need for joint action is more pronounced among many students than at the beginning of the project. Interested students, parents and fellow citizens of the cities and communities gave us a positive feedback on the project. It can be assumed that an interested group of people in the school and school communties has taken the project idea and, if necessary, also discussed appropriate options for action. Quantification is not possible at this point.