Scientific studies show that foods enhance mental activity and cognitive development of balanced children which was found to be higher than that of unbalanced children. We are eager to create awareness to a healthy lifestyle and to raise individuals who are opened to innovation and have a healthy body and spirit in this project by using the STEAM methodology. STEAM is a new educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful at risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century. Under the light of this information, we started to compose this project by combining STEAM approach with healthy nutrition and it demands to improve the methodological and technical side, that we would like to fulfil within the partnership and school cooperation to sustain European cultural heritage. The project is based on the cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices and comprises 5 schools and 1 preschool educational institutions from six countries (Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Finland, Poland and Romania) with a total of 3400 students aged from 3 to15 years, including 350 students with fewer opportunities, and 237 teachers with a different experience, knowledge, beliefs but common objectives: -to introduce STEAM and CLIL pedagogical approach in a connection with healthy nutrition, European heritage and ICT skills, -to support critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity of students, -to develop methodological materials on teaching science in school and preschool, -to improve the quality of education in the participating organizations, -to improve teachers' and students' foreign language and ICT skills, -to strengthen methods, techniques and forms of work directed at students with special educational needs. -to create a better awareness of the education system in Europe and strengthen the profile of the teaching profession. Each partner has the knowledge and experience which is important for the project. When we planned the project we decided that we should carry out LTT activities in each partner country so that each partner will be able to transfer its experience and knowledge to the others and to benefit from the diversity of our diversity and be able to analyse as many learning areas as possible in order to implement the STEAM project method. In every activity, 22 teachers will participate, except in Spain where there will participate 20 of them. Each activity will last for 4 days and will carry out different workshops, seminars and meetings. A survey for the participants of the activity will be carried out on the satisfaction of the activity and their newly acquired experience before and after every LTT activity to measure its effect. The activities will address different topics: -Strengthening the Professional Profile of the Teachers Using STEAM (Turkey), -Healthy Nutrition through STEAM and Healthy Life through Sport (Spain), -Outdoor learning through STEAM (Finland), -STEAM and Cultural Heritage-Traditions (Poland), -STEAM and Cultural Heritage-Artistic Values (Slovenia), -Step By Step Towards a Healthy Nutrition (Romania). With the project we are going to achieve the following results: -an E-book with poems and stories on project’s topic, -project Web page for promotion and dissemination of the design activities, -Catalogue of Project and Inspiration, -a booklet with examples from other partners about healthy nutrition -a booklet with traditional cuisine recipes, -multinational calendar with traditions, -an exhibition with traditional objects, -a puppet show or a school play. When the project is over World Bee Day and Traditional Breakfast will be celebrated annually. The project will be promoted and continued through eTwinning platform after the project is completed. All the end products will be published on the project Web page which we ensure that will be available as much time as possible. The outcomes and teaching materials will be saved in the school library to contribute in the long term. Teaching scenarios and lesson plans will be created in PDF format so all the project partners will have the opportunity to follow the same educational practices in the future. We believe that thanks to the project teachers will have the opportunity to improve their understanding of the processes of education in Europe, take the best experiences and share them, improve their knowledge of healthy nutrition and European heritage of their and partners’ countries, improve their professional skills and communicate with teachers from other countries which will strengthen the their profession, motivate them to learn and teach in a innovative way.
Senses, Thinking and Education on Action for Mankind is an Erasmus+ project, a key action 2 for the exchange of good practices between schools. The project lasted 36 months from 1 September 2018 to 31 December 2021, with the project extended by 12 months due to the Covid-19 epidemic. The project united five partner countries from Slovenia, Finland, Poland, Romania and Turkey to develop relevant and high-quality skills and competences, as well as strengthening the profiles of the teaching profession. The project was coordinated by a Slovenian partner. With the project, we successfully introduced the pedagogical approaches STEAM and CLIL in conjunction with healthy lifestyles, European cultural heritage and ICT technology into the learning process of the partner organizations. We developed critical thinking skills, creativity, problem-solving, collaborative learning, teamwork, self-esteem and communication skills, promoted healthy lifestyles and implemented prevention against obesity, diabetes and dental health. We have introduced innovations in the use of ICT technology in the creation and dissemination of educational and didactic materials and promoted the learning of a foreign language among both pupils and teachers. Through project activities, we created different social interactions of intercultural dialogue and tolerances between pupils and reduced intercultural stereotypes. The project enabled the participants to learn about the culture, cultural heritage and traditional cuisine. It also strengthened the methods of working with pupils with special educational needs. The project activities allowed foreign and migrant pupils to present their culture and cuisine. At the time of the project, the following results were achieved: - pedagogical material on healthy nutrition and cultural heritage with STEAM and CLIL pedagogical methods; - e-material made by pupils; - poems on the theme of healthy nutrition and healthy lifestyle; - different pupils' products related to the project theme; - posters with educational content related to the project theme; - articles published in school and local newspapers; - project website; - project catalogue; - Twinspace online classroom; - e-booklet with examples of healthy lifestyles; - e-booklet with traditional recipes; - exhibitions of creative culinary products; - board games on healthy diets and healthy lifestyles - a calendar representing the cultural characteristics of the partner countries; - exhibition or museum of old objects; - performances of traditional dances; - puppet or school performances on healthy diets or healthy lifestyles. During the project period six learning, teaching and training activities were carried out, of which four were in person and two virtual. The project participants were teachers who were selected with the principle of equal opportunities. The participants were also school management and pupils aged 3 to 15, including those with special educational needs and fewer opportunities. The project also indirectly involved parents and grandparents of the children, as well as representatives of local authorities, experts and specialists, local craftsmen, farmers and food producers, health institutions and the local beekeeping association. All activities carried out were documented and published on the project website, in the Twinspace online classroom and presented in teachers meetings. The most important activities that made the project visible were mainly those planned and carried out by the pupils in cooperation with the local environment. The most resounding was certainly the contribution, which was broadcast on Slovenian national television, where the pupils presented the project work. The main target groups with which we shared the project results were pupils, teachers, parents, grandparents and the local community. Project dissemination was carried out in the following areas: School area (within the collective): - eTwining workshop for teachers; - presentation of work and survey results at teachers meetings; - dissemination of LTT activities; - articles of the project work in the school newspaper. Local area: - articles in the local newspaper; - a healthy stand and raising awareness among the local community about healthy lifestyles. Regional area: - presentation of healthy products at the agricultural and craft fair in the regional community; - presentation of the project work at the meeting of the mayors of the seven municipalities of the Gorenjska region. National area: - presentation of the project work in the Good Morning broadcast on Slovenian National Television; - participation in the Children's Theatre Festival. International area: - presentation of the project at the Valorisation Conference, organised by CMEPIUS; - presentation of the project work on the CMEPIUS social network during the epidemic as an example of good practice; - the project website.