Context The most appropriate place to introduce EE to children is primary school, because at this level they have a holistic view of the environment and their stage of learning is not compartmentalised. Involving critical thinking and problem-solving approaches in primary school, especially in EE, is fundamental for students , this way they will become skilful in the identification and solution of problems of environment as students and later on as adult citizens and possibly decision-makers. This project is planned to have an impact inside and outside our schools, by involving cross-curricular activities in the classroom and local communities’ campaigns . As soon as children accomplished responsibility of fending for the environment, we tightly believe that they will have the compelling voice to accomplish their communities as well. We, primary school teachers, want to learn from each other, to present our success stories and challenges and t work together to impact in our schools and communities. Our project has the aim to link each other five regions, to get them involved in each local reality through enhanced school curriculum with environmental education. Objectives O1. interchange experiences and practices linked to EE among primary teachers from different European countries O2. allow the development of digital materials appropriate to the cross-curricular teaching of EE O3. develop students’ environmental awareness. O4. provide students individual and social responsibility O5. strengthen the role of the school in our local communities O6. popularize active citizenship and social responsibility Participants Our decision is to organize 5 LTTAs with a team of 5 teachers attending from each partner school. Therefore a total number of planned mobilities is 80. Participants are mainly primary teachers, but also teachers of Science, ICT, other subjects, depending on the LTTA. Activities Together work of/among teachers will create a platform where they will share cross-curricular EE lesson ideas to teach students from/in host school and to assess its strengths and areas of improvement. Participating teachers contributing to the analysis will attend all lessons. Each LTTA, beside the classes presupposes meetings with local NGOs , as well as cultural and thematic visits, workshops for cross-curricular teaching and local environmental campaigns with students. C1 – Exchange of practices and experiences related to EE; workshops about cross-curricular approaches to EE teaching C2 – Water – scientific approach (data, experiments), source of life, uses, water shortage, water pollution, rules C3 – Earth – scientific approach, problems, earth-related issues, deforestation, endangered species, rules C4 – Air – scientific approach, air pollution, the greenhouse effect, global warming, what the future may look like, acid rain C5 – Building a proactive attitude within pupils – Teacher training workshop, meeting with environmental groups Results The project is intended to produce both perceptible and imperceptible results. This will lead us to measure the attainments’ level of the suggested objectives . Imperceptible results: Environmental awareness and social responsibility of students will be increased , as it will be visible trough questionnaires and observation similarities and differences between systems of education and EE approaches would be better aware from teachers , it would be visible in the meeting reports, developing critical thinking and language skills, also developing team-work skills (visible through direct observation), strengthened cooperation between EU teachers (visible through the produced results and their quality ). Perceptible results: Three main environmental education topics are collected in digital collection of materials and lessons , involving students in environmental campaigns by specific methodology , presentations of school system of education , workshop materials , work of students , worksheets , lesson evaluation forms , observation sheets , campaign materials , students’ artwork , flyers , brochures , posters , management documents , reports , photos , videos. Impact The lessons produced and uploaded on the platform during EE classes of the project and after its completion will be used by all partners, which will improve the material basis of the schools. New courses for students using the materials produced in the project will arise. Teachers' cooperation and intra-institutional relations will develop a positive climate and better cooperation, which will profit all school actors. EE lessons will become more attractive to students when digital materials are included. Environmental awareness campaigns will be organized by students and their teachers in future years. They can organize also after-school clubs for volunteers and to turn the active citizenship into usual practice at the level of the school.
BACKGROUND Our partnership of five completely different and distant countries grew out of the desire of all the schools involved to contribute more meaningfully to the personal and professional development of their students by improving their critical and creative thinking, promoting a mindset toward environmental practices that will serve them and their communities in the future. This experience has promoted the personal and professional development of students and faculty by enhancing their critical and creative thinking, promoting a positive mindset toward environmental practices that will serve them and their communities in the years to come. In a century when creativity, innovation, critical thinking and digital skills are key to success, we felt it was our mission to guide and support students in their acquisition. We got to learn about environmental issues and local needs. Although we are part of the EU, we came from different places, where we encountered different social, economic and environmental contexts, needs and interests. This circumstance made the Erasmus+ experience even more meaningful, providing us with different approaches to environmental issues. PARTICIPANTS. With this initiative, we addressed a target group of 500 students aged between 7 and 15, including boys and girls, 20 percent of whom came from difficult backgrounds, low-income families, or broken families. The mobilities were carried out by teachers only, pen each mobility involved five teachers from each country. OBJECTIVES 1. enable participants to learn about new cultures and develop their intercultural competence in the environmental field 2. to develop students' environmental respect mindset by providing a context for the development of common ideas, thus improving the transition to the increasingly green world 3. improve students' soft skills to facilitate their professional development-critical and analytical thinking, communication, creativity, etc. 4. improve students' self-confidence in unfamiliar contexts and their language skills 5. improve the school's European dimension through collaboration with other schools and transfer of environmental best practices. MAIN ACTIVITIES Under this project we had 5 joint staff meetings, during which students acquired environmental skills, learned about the specifics of local issues, visited local ecological sites. The practical part consisted of the work of acquiring students' skills to produce innovative ideas in ecological and environmental fields. RESULTS. Outcomes were: presentations on local environmental issues in the 5 partner countries, e-book of best ideas on environmental practices, workshop materials, student testimonials, feedback forms for final evaluation, project website, eTwinning space certificates of participation, final report. Results consist of increased ability of students to integrate professionally into the field of ecological and environmental issues, increased competence of school educators in facilitating students' transition to the ecological world. IMPACT The project has had an impact on schools at several levels: - human resource development ; - development of partnerships with environmental issues; - development of European collaboration at institutional and personal levels; - promotion of schools in local and European communities; - improvement of project management capacity of all partner schools; and - promotion of the school as a key factor in students' career guidance.