Environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as ecological, economical and social issues, have become a defined goal in the last few years for both many a people and institutions. Also we as a school feel obliged to take these matters seriously and encourage and support our pupils to lead a sustainable lifestyle. We and our colleagues from our partner schools want to teach our students to commit to shaping the future actively and responsibly thus contributing to environmental awareness and sustainable development exceeding the school's boundaries. Environmental protection and sustainability are matters which make it necessary to think globally and cooperate transnationally. By exchanging ideas on international grounds, it is the project's goal to enable the students to reflect upon the responsible use of resources. The students learn in how far individual actions influence not only their direct vicinity but even matter on a European scale and how much leeway they have in fact shaping the future actively. We herewith build particularly on the lives of our students: by collaborating on the project, global relations become apparent and the pupils learn the consequences of their own actions beginning already in their everyday life. The estimated 80 participants, with a close affinity to intercultural exchange, environmental issues and sustainability, will create a joint booklet which will also be published on the schools' websites. In this exchange project, the students will expand their field of interest and their level of proficiency regarding the matters of sustainability and environmental protection. They will interact with peers from Germany, France and Poland. Furthermore, they will discuss these issues actively and creatively and assess important aspects for themselves as well as their social and ecological environment by taking part in workshops, tours, excursions and other activities. In addition to enhancing their capability to assess matters adequately, the students will recognize that sustainability is very much relevant to their own life and that they will want to continue attending this topic outside of classes, e.g. in form of trainings or possible future studies at university. They will learn that shaping questions regarding sustainability is not only important for their own (professional) future but also for society as such and that they can contribute significantly. Even after having returned, this experience will be advantageous as they will take on important roles in their classes and be members of task force groups. Furthermore, every participating student, teacher and parent will benefit from the intercultural experience as a whole.
Although the year 2020 was dominated by the Corona pandemic, the current efforts of the European Commission show how important our fight against climate change still is. Thus, many people and institutions have made environmental protection and sustainability their main goal. Also we as schools feel committed and obliged to educate our students to lead sustainable lives. With this project we and our colleagues from our partner schools wanted to contribute to environmental protection and sustainability, thus raising awareness in our students in order to let them shape an environmentally friendly and sustainable future in an active, responsible and committed manner, which shall exceed school life. It was the project’s goal to establish an exchange of topics such as environmental protection and sustainability across boarders in order to enable our students to deal with resources in a critically-minded and responsible way. The students have learned in how far individual actions impact not only in their own context but also on a European level, i.e. the conservation of natural habitats such as the Camargue or the marshes in Hamburg functioning as the city’s “green lungs”. Moreover, they attained an understanding of how wide the scope actually is in which they themselves can actively and responsibly shape the future. Unfortunately, due to the Corona pandemic, only one of four exchanges was able to take place on-site, namely in France, inevitably leading to reduced experiences. At least some aspects were offset by presentations from students. Despite them only having been presentations, the students were given a better understanding of a sustainable urban development demonstrated by the examples of Diablines (small electronic vehicles permanently circulating the city to transport the citizens of Aix-en-Provence), a debate about improving air quality in Aix-en-Provence, the “Hafencity Hamburg” hovering between the poles of economy and ecology, as well as the importance of parks for urban life. Other aspects, such as a sustainable mix of energy exemplified by Hamburg, were not able to be experienced live as a result of the Corona pandemic. At least issues like generation of energy and heat or water supply in the Camargue played a role. Also questions regarding the oceans (mudflats, plastic waste in the oceans, sustainable cruise line tourism) were only scratched on the surface by means of presentations, since visiting the actual mudflats or the Multimar Wattforum museum were not possible due to Corona. Nevertheless, with the help of engaging in this project, global interactions became clear to the students and they experienced the consequences of their own actions, which already initiate in their everyday life, e.g. separating and recycling waste. From our perspective, an important goal was reached: recognising that environmental protection and sustainability are issues that need to be tackled globally and that cooperating transnationally is of utmost importance. The 80 participants, who have a high affinity for intercultural exchange, environmental protection and sustainability, were supposed to create a joint brochure including short video clips. Sadly only partial results came to be, since, as mentioned before, by cause of the pandemic three of four exchanges were not able to take place. Notwithstanding, the students enhanced their interest in and their knowledge of sustainability and environmental protection throughout the duration of this project. After all, the students of the Coppernicus-Gymnasium interacted with their peers in France attending workshops, excursions and other joint activities as mentioned above. Consequently our students and the French students were able to grapple with issues which are relevant to them and their environment. Apart from improving their evaluation skills, they learned that sustainability is an issue of high importance for their own lives and that they want to continue dealing with it also outside of school, for example, in form of future vocational trainings or at university. They recognised that developing questions regarding sustainability is vital for their own (professional) future and that they are able to contribute effectively. Even after having returned home, the student benefit from the gained experience by now taking over important roles within their classes or in voluntary school activities such as the environmental club, for instance.