The Project consists of combining management and control of the environment with education, applying it to the control of invasive alien species (IAS) with great incidence in the Canaries due to insular condition and people transit. The participants will be 15 students of the Environmental Education and Control studies of CIFP Los Gladiolos, Draco Soluciones Ambientales Consulting, University of the Azores, National Botanic Garden of Meise and the Regional Government of the Canary Islands. Mobilities are proposed to target locations in Portugal and Belgium in order to share tools and ways used in the control of relevant invasive alien species and the implementation of educational programmes related proposing common actions among the partners. In Portugal, training will be received by the students about methods used to control of IAS and application to environmental education plans to the Azores population. They will also receive information about the most relevant species in the Archipelago learning the use of possibilities of the on-line application and tools. In Belgium, training will be received by the students about control methods of IAS in the botanical gardens and their applications to the educational field for the public in general. Finally, all the learning materials and expertise will be shared jointly in Tenerife and proposals will be made to the local authorities with competences in environmental issues. Three teams will be made to work on different IAS in Tenerife and after the study a action plan will be proposed to the authorities. A training course will be tailored with all the methodolgy learnt during the process. The Project is aimed at creating through participation of the school community and expert counselling and advice of professionals a system or work method to raise awareness among the population of the serious risk of IAS as well as to facilitate management and training to the environmental technicians. This will be made by means of a training course with open license through the Tenerife local authorities addressed at the Environmental Education and Control studies of the applicant institution and any other technicians so that training on new techniques and knowledge used in other European countries can be updated by them.
1. Context The beneficiary institution has been lacking of international dimension. The school community’s interest in joining European programs has increased over the last few years, though only implemented in carrying out internships and practices abroad as CIFP Los Gladiolos cooperation activities have grown for students and staff within the Erasmus+ actions. The staff is interested in improving students’ quality training and new learning methods observing the real needs of the labour market and job providers in the environmental sector, specifically control of invasive alien species. And also in contrasting validation and qualification of professional competences a5. Results, impact and benefit El principal resultado fue la elaboración de un curso on-line con material de autoaprendizaje en inglés y español sobre especies invasoras, de libre acceso para estudiantes, profesorado, técnicos medioambientales y público en general. Se encuentra alojado en la web del CIFP Los Gladiolos, con garantía de estabilidad de 4 años y mantenimiento/actualización por parte de la institución coordinadora. Ha habido una transferencia de resultados puesto que los socios se encuentran incorporando dichos materiales a sus webs corporativas, y las instituciones socias con competencias en educación ambiental (Cabildo de Tenerife y Gobierno de Canarias) se han mostrado dispuestas a acoger las propuestas recogidas en dicho curso (bloque 4) e incorporar algunas de ellas a la gestión y, en su caso, normativa referente a especies invasoras a nivel regional. También se halla en proceso de creación la asociación profesional de educación ambiental Maresía, compuesta en parte por algunos de los alumnos participantes en el proyecto, que ha ayudado a poner las bases de dicha asociación. Finalmente, el CIFP Los Gladiolos ha sido galardonado por el Gobierno de Canarias como centro embajador ECIE por su trayectoria internacional en los últimos años, a la que esta asociación estratégica ha contribuido decisivamente. cquired through non formal education. Finally, the project is aimed at improving linguistic competence in English between professionals and users. The school community perceives the need for internationalization by enhancing experience in formative traineeships and mobility in Europe. And in the long run, to provide training offer in English in some studies (environmental) making use of the school’s autonomy as an integrated institution (CIFP) operated by law. The Project would contribute to develop international dimension through mobility and exchange actions by students in higher education institutions like the University of the Azores. Quality learning, employability and interaction between labour and learning would be available by means of validation of professional abilities acquired through informal, digital and open learning. 2. Goals - To promote quality and excellence in innovation and internationalization fostering transnational cooperation - To improve students’ competence and employability establishing links between labour and training - To foster language learning, linguistic diversity and cultural awareness 3. Participants’ profile a) Students: 14 people of both genders from environmental education (TECA) aged between 18 and 40, level of Baccalaureat or even college studies. b). Staff: teachers from the TECA department of the beneficiary institution. 4. Description of activities Two activities were implemented in Azores and Belgium: a transnational meeting and a learning activity (combined mobility) The transnational meetings were aimed at preparing the field program of the students’ mobility to be carried out later. In the second the participants were able to learn on site the invasive species issue. In Azores, through an expert panel, the students presented their experience on the issue in the Canary Islands as well as the methods learned at the activity. The Portuguese partner made available their expertise on invasive species through a smartphone application and the students will make proposals to improve control methods. The main outcome was the elaboration of an on-line course with a self-learning material in English and Spanish about Invasive Alien Species. The course is free and open licensed for students, teachers and environmental staff, and also for the general public. Allocated at the CIFP Los Gladiolos webpage with a 4 year-sustainability by the hosting institution. The results were transferred since the partners are incorporating the materials to their corporate webpages, and the institutions with environmental competences (Tenerife Island Council and the regional government) has shown interest in exploring changes in management or even regulations by studying the project proposals on invasive alien species. On the other side, a professional association for environmental education (Maresía) is being created partly by project students. Finally, the beneficiary institution has been awarded as an ECIE