Talking about environmental sustainability means examining man’s behaviour and the impact on the well-being of the territory and on the exploitation of its resources. It’s possible to talk about Sustainability just when, through the protection of the environment and the promotion of equality and economic growth, natural resources can be both respected and used carefully. The purpose is to preserve the resources of the planet where we live and which we depend on in order to ensure equal chances of development for future generations. Therefore, economic development must be made sustainable towards the environment and society. In 2015, the United Nations Agenda 2030 was adopted by world leaders, which constitutes the new framework for global sustainable development, to which the European Commission, in November 2016, agreed to illustrate its strategic approach, defining the objectives to be followed . From this analysis the project "BE HUMAN, BE ECO”: grow in a sustainable environment" comes to life then, strongly desired by the project partners who immediately shared the basic theme. The main objective of "BE HUMAN, BE ECO" will be that one of developing the critical thinking of the students coming from Italy, Romania, Portugal and Greece regarding the possibility of making the development compatible human and economic with the environment. The participating students will also be able to achieve further specific objectives such as knowledge of the territory of origin and of the European one; the development of critical awareness regarding environmental risks; the search for common strategies to make the economic and social development of the individual compatible with the ecological footprint; to know the objectives set in the 2030 Agenda; to develop soft skills and improve the knowledge of the English language and the use of ICT. Educational Institutes of Italy, Romania, Portugal and Greece have joined in a strategic partnership to offer the possibility to 128 students (8 for each partner Institute) of 3rd classes of Secondary Lower Schools and of the 1st year of the High School to take part in 4 short-term foreign mobility actions (4 days excluding travel days). Security guardians of pupils in the mobility will be 2 chaperons teachers for each partner School. In the selection phase, in order to include the weakest groups, the reserve of 50% of places for students with special educational needs will be guaranteed. The students will participate in LTTA that will allow them to develop a critical awareness of social-economic development risks. The students will be able , furthermore, to carry out practical activities aimed at the knowledge of the expected objectives within the Agenda 2030. of human activity and the search for strategies to make the ecological footprint and socio-economic development compatible. The participating students will also be able to carry out practical activities aimed at getting to know the objectives set within the 2030 Agenda. The works of genius created during the mobility phases will be the object of exchange for dissemination purposes. Learners who will not benefit directly from the mobility will be involved in LTTA through the use of the e-Twinning platform. At the same time, an e-Twinning project will be carry out and it will allow schools that are not in possession to receive quality certification from the National Agency, the e-Twinning School Label. Gli Istituti potranno creare un corso/laboratorio sul tema della sostenibilità non solo ambientale, ma anche economica e sociale. "BE HUMAN, BE ECO", will be a moment of cooperation for the exchange of good practices and it will be a starting point for schools to create extra-curricular courses on environmental sustainability, thus enriching their educational offer. The Schools will be able to create a course / laboratory on the sustainability topic that will be not only environmental, but also economic and social. Furthermore, the exchange of good practices and ideas for lessons with both teachers and students is expected to continue on e-Twinning. Each institute may decide to join a new partnership or present its own project proposal, in order to continue the undertaken path of ‘Europeanization’ . Communication in a foreign language will lead at least 50% of school staff to start a linguistic refresher course . The use of new strategies will allow students to improve effectively their scholastic results. In the long term, schools participating in “BE HUMAN, BE ECO” are expected to continue the inclusive path they have started, strengthening the sector of support for young people with disabilities or special education needs.
The project “BE HUMAN, BE ECO: grow in a sustainable environment” was carried out according to what had been set during the planning activities and in full compliance with the required contents. All the project took into constant consideration the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as their interconnectedness. The results we have achieved both as experiences and products seems to be quite satisfactory not only for the students but also for the teachers involved in the project. It must be said that even if the most of the actions were carried out during the peculiar period of Covid19 pandemic, the partners were able to keep in touch and decide together to ask for a delay of 12 month. They also worked together to identify the right ways to carry on the activities in person required by the project. Among the four partners there has always been a very collaborative and friendly relationship, which showed they developed a great team spirit. The project involved 128 students, some of whom economically disadvantaged. The programme allowed these young people to visit Italy, Portugal, Greece and Romania. One of the main aims of the project was to develop the awareness about the need to make human and economic development more sustainable for the environment. During the first mobility (10th -15th February, 2020) the contents proposed by the Liceul Teoretic "Tudor Arghezi" of Craiova in Romania were focused on the Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development: “17 Goals to Transform The World”. During the days spent in Craiova, the partners showed the works they had previously made. Among those there were some videos made by the students in which they presented the characteristics of their schools and their countries. In addition to these they also shared some products made during the interesting group activities concerning the 17 Goals proposed by The United Nations which have the aim of promoting the planet prosperity and preservation. During the activity “The Month Goal”, students from different nations, gathered in groups, proposed possible solutions actions through the writing of a story that showed their critical thinking. Moreover, students made posters portraying 17 Goals of the Agenda 2030 as well as simple actions that everyone can share in one’s daily life to support the Goals for the Sustainable Development. In Italy, the coordinator country, the activities carried out during the second phase of mobility involved a certain number of teachers and 50 students from the two different levels of schools. The event took place from 10th to 15th January 2022. During the days dedicated to a single theme of debate, the other partners focused their attention on “Human Footprint versus Nature”. During this second mobility particular attention has been paid to the special conditions caused by the pandemic emergency, with particular reference to the safety of the participants, both in the activities of organization and carrying out and both indoors and outdoors. During the workshops, many works have been collected and published by the students; they dealt with pollution, green policy, solar energy, sustainable tourism and so on. The partners joined tours to sites of historical, economic and environmental interest, such as the excavation area of Grumentum, the oil extraction area and the Viggiano Oil Centre, the Enviromental Observatory in Marsico Nuovo and The Parco della Val D’Agri. They also visited Matera, Città dei Sassi. The activities of the third mobility took place in Portugal from 2 to 7 may 2022, by the school “Agrupamento de Escolas de Alfândega da Fé”. They involved 50 local students, several local teachers. The theme dealth was “Sustainable Paths” with the participation of some local institutions and conservation groups, such as “Ciência Viva” and “Geoparco”. Moreover, the partners had the opportunity to see the region and the local projects connected with the green energy production, such as the Douro Valley, the Sabor Dam and wind farms. The fourth mobility took place by the “5o Gymnasio di Rethymnou” in Crete, from 23th to 28th May. The activities involved 50 students. The workshop carried on in small groups dealt with the issue of “Social responsibility for sustainable development” with the collaboration of the local institution and environmental organizations such as “Archelon” and “Centre di Educazione Ambientale Archanes”. The four mobilities have fostered the exchange of ideas among the participants gathered in transnational groups. The initiatives carried out allowed all the students to know places and cultures different from their own; the project improved the participants linguistic skills and enhanced their learning motivation. These experiences led to several benefits for the students; they represented a precious opportunity to gain awareness of the value of cultural exchange about the different aspects of sustainability; moreover, the experience stimulated their interest in the Agenda 2030 Goals for the Sustainable Development and finally led them to contribute to look for possible solutions. The materials produced during the mobility have been used for educational and informative purposes; they have been exhibited in common areas of the partner schools; they have been put on the social accounts, on eTwinning and on web sites in specific section devoted to the project.