"Ecological Footprint 2020 - Europe Go Green!" "EFP2020" What does Europe’s future look like? What are the prevailing problems in present and future Europe? Lately, the issue of climate change has been on everyone's lips. What do people think about their future? Are there small-scale solutions for large-scale problems? How can every country, every school or every European contribute to environmental sustainability? The ERASMUS+ project “Ecological Footprint 2020 – EFP2020” aims to develop approaches to address such questions. The partner schools are: 1.: Zespol Szkol nr 2 - Gimnazjum nr 2, Reda (PL) 2.: Goethe-Gymnasium Burgas (BG) 3.: Europaschule Humboldt-Gymnasium Gifhorn (D) One of the most important elements of the project is to strengthen the environmental awareness of all pupils, instructors, parents and all others involved. The project includes the examination of regional aspects by the partner schools (e.g. infrastructure of energy networks in Germany, rail infrastructure in Poland, tourist infrastructure in Bulgaria) but also international research priorities (e.g. European energy networks jobs in the “Industrial Ecology and New Technologies”, water and air pollution in Europe). During the first year of the project, we will concentrate on the theoretical background of environmentally friendly action. The implementation of environmentally friendly behaviors and attitudes will be the focus at the end of the first year and the beginning of the second year – thus, a continuation of the development of individual “small-scale solutions”, but also of European “large-scale solutions”. In the second year we will discuss use and benefit and continue to implement the first year’s solutions, possible alternatives and new approaches. By concentrating on regional distinctions, the project supports the knowledge and acceptance of other nations and thus fosters the European dream of successful integration. At first, pupils will investigate environmental problems in school and at home, to which they will respond with possible solutions. Afterwards, their solutions will be implemented in practice. Environmental protection in practice is the aim, which includes brainstorming ways to reduce the ecological footprint of students, teachers and perhaps even the school itself. In addition to the focus on environmental protection, the project also includes an important methodological focus on new media in the classroom (school development and improvement of teachers' professionalism). Teachers will work together to prepare a paper on the topic “Improving the Use of New Media in Schools”. In particular the use of smartboards and visual presenters in the classroom will be considered. Regarding future-oriented education of new and experienced teachers, the equipment of an entire school or individual departments (e.g. in Environmental Education, Geography, Biology, languages etc.) needs to be up-to-date in order to be effective. The improvement of the professional application of new media can transform the school’s conventional image into one of innovation. A common approach will be developed at the first teachers' meeting and evaluated in the course of the project. Our work on this subject matter will be concluded at the end of the second year; all partner schools will receive a copy of the paper in English and in their native language. The final step will be a multiplying meeting. At this meeting, teachers as well as students will discuss the achieved results of the last two years and summarize them in another paper. The result of the planned output is to produce a set of general guidelines for using new media in the classroom, which will be made available in all the languages of the project members. Furthermore, the project will contribute to the development of European integration. Environmental aspects are examined not only within the internal schools, regions and countries, but are also exchanged with all partner schools involved. A knowledge of developments, concerns and needs in other European countries is needed to strengthen the understanding and cooperation among all partners. English has been chosen as the working language. Daniel Ringkowski [email protected]
1st part: 2017-2018 The first year of the project included the first preparatory visit of the partners in Gifhorn and the meeting in Reda / Poland. At the first meeting in Gifhorn, we designed our first logo and had the problems of CO2 production in various lectures. These lectures were in English and for each group a first step towards understanding the problems to be studied. We visited the “Autostadt” in Wolfsburg, where we visited the VW plant and went through all the different steps of the production. Before our short visit to Berlin, we spent a night together at school. Puff pastry, pasta and other dishes were cooked together and experiences exchanged. In Berlin, we visited many different sights, such as the Holocaust Memorial, the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate was very interesting for everyone. Between the meetings, all schools dealt with the problems in the regions and created posters or PowerPoint presentations about the topic. There was an exchange of information between the teachers and the pupils on the state of the investigations and the progress of the posters. Each partner school has its own projects in the regions to obtain information and to gain experience in LOCAL. At our second meeting in Poland, we learned that the most economical route from "A" to "B" is not always the fastest, as our train was delayed by about 4 hours. That was not bad, because it is the best way to get to know about Europe while traveling. In Reda / Poland the students showed us the school and informed us about their projects concerning the CO2 problems. The next day we went on a trip to Gdansk, a large industrial town nearby that has environmental problems. The next day we visited a seal station, where we learned a lot about the problems and the rescue of the seas or the Baltic Sea. We also had some presentations about the footprints of different countries and how it would be possible to reduce them. In summary, the meeting was very interesting and made a lot of fun. 2nd part: 2018-2019 In the second year of the project there was a meeting in Burgas / Bulgaria and a final meeting in Gifhorn / Germany. At the beginning of the school year, there was an evaluation of the first year and a first planning of the second year of the project. We worked more on solutions and tried to implement them in the schools. In September 2018 (8 pupils and 2 teachers of the European School Humboldt-Gymnasium Gifhorn) flew to Burgas, a coastal city on the eastern shore of Bulgaria. The first days we spent with our guest students in the respective families. There we learned a lot about culture, language and environmental behavior. In addition, during our regular meetings at school, we worked on how we can reduce our CO² footprint. The lectures, which have been prepared every Monday in the AG, also dealt with the question of a more conscious and ecologically better lifestyle. We spent two nights a week together in the group and shared the results in presentations and workshops. There, too, we got to know the city better and made international friendships. Back in Gifhorn, the implementation and improvement of the group 's CO2 reduction was the focus. A few months later (March 2019) the exchange students from Poland and Bulgaria visited us in Gifhorn. Also this time, lectures were prepared and presented as we have improved our environmental footprint since the last meeting. We also prepared a city tour in Gifhorn for the guest students and teachers from Burgas and Reda and had a lot of fun in the implementation. Also a trip to Wolfsburg could not be missing. There we took part in a factory tour through the VW plant and then explored the Autostadt. We spent the night together in the group and attended the "fridays for future" demonstrations the next day, for which we had already produced posters together at school. In the evening we all cooked together in the school and had dinner. We stayed at the school and said goodbye to the guest students and teachers the next day. We had a great week together and were very happy to see everyone again. Our ecological footprint results have also improved and we want to continue to do something for our planet, respecting the environment and our future. After this successful second year of the Erasmus + project, the groups look forward to seeing each other again in 2019-2022. With new ideas and new partner schools we discuss the new topic: The Future of Europe.