Sustainability is about social as well as environmental change. It includes some of the greatest challenges of the present age, such as demographic change and ecosystem change, including the phenomenon of climate change. All of these challenges have wide implications for society: in particular, future generations need to increase their awareness levels on such phenomena, such as to contribute to the dissemination of more sustainable practices. To make this happen, educators in schools need to update their knowledge on sustainability and include in their teaching more interdisciplinarity, language skills, digital tools to make knowledge more attractive. Within this context, the new EU strategy (Europe 2020) aims to intervene in the areas of climate change and sustainability, as well as in the education and social emargination. The objectives of the STAR 2 (Sustainability: Towards the Appreciation of Resources) project are to reduce school drop-outs, differentiate the teaching content and methodology as well as increase in the european dimension at school. These more general objectives will be translated in objectives specifically tailored to the project content. First, knowledge and tools to manage sustainability will be acquired; second, CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology will be disseminated and CLIL didactic material on sustainability will be produced; finally, local case studies on sustainability, which will be compared internationally, will be studied. To implement project activities, three schools will be cooperating and coordinating activities. Project activities will be carried out over a time span of three years: during the first year, students and teachers will work on the context of sustainability (definition, main areas of sustainability, constrained resources such as water, energy and food); in the second year, students and teachers will focus on the management of sustainability (innovation, risk management) a well as on the new competencies and skills needed for management; in the third year each partner school will select a local case study to work on, using the knowledge and tools acquired previously. Work will be carried out using CLIL methodology and digital tools for communication among project partners and with target groups such as students, families, public authorities and private companies, other school staff, etc. Expected tangible project results are a glossary of terms on sustainability and an ebook on CLIL material on sustainability. Expected non tangible results are an increase in students’ motivation, in language and digital competences. Potential longer term benefits are linked with the use of CLIL methodology and CLIL material in the classroom, use of digital tools for didactics as well as the fostering of collegiality and interdisciplinarity among teachers.
We have to bring up future generations, we need to explain the changes and necessity of caring for nature and the whole environment. Erasmus+ is one of the greatest tools to connect pupils all over Europe and via getting to know different people, cultures, and environments to widen the spectrum of their view and understanding of the world and people. There were clear objectives of STAR2. The first task was to reduce school drop-outs, differentiate the teaching content and methodology as well as and increase the European dimension at school. When our students worked on a project, they were more interested and participated in the school organization, and even the municipality. Knowledge and tools to manage sustainability were acquired; second, CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology was disseminated. Pupils used their knowledge of the language in Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies. They produced a dictionary of eco terms, that is useful for their studies; finally, they worked on local case studies on sustainability, which was compared internationally. Expected tangible project results were a glossary of terms on sustainability and an ebook on CLIL material on sustainability. Last part of the project we had problems with meetings because schools in the Czech Republic and Italy were partially closed and communication could happen just online. Anyway, we have a glossary of sustainable terms. Expected non-tangible results were an increase in students’ motivation, in language and digital competencies. If you ask students to participate in Erasmus+, they are motivated and excited. The experience of common work is deep within their hearts, which is the most appreciated value for us.