Back to search

Europe's natural treasures in the past and future

2020-1-AT01-KA229-0780942020School Exchange PartnershipsfinalizedGood practice
Countries: AT|BE|FR|CZ|LV · Grant: €168,358.5
ICT - new technologies - digital competencesEnvironment and climate changeAccess for disadvantaged

Project summary

Through this project, we want to provide teachers and trainees with high-quality information on European cultural and natural heritage. Through various meetings and activities, we will develop the skills and competences to keep and further support these heirs. Climate change is changing our way of life. Horticultural professions in particular are severely affected by the consequences of climate change. Climate change does not stop at the natural resources in our countries. In the course of this project, we would also like to deal with the changes caused by climate change in this area. The students must be prepared to always be open to new things, but not to forget the “old" things. It is precisely these aspects that are addressed in the project. It aims to sensitise teachers and learners to the handling of the natural heritage of their homeland and the problems caused by climate change, to be able to govern this change in climatic conditions, to expand their expertise and to impart skills, knowledge and skills in dealing with climate change. The objectives of this project lie in the area of climate and environmental protection, namely the provision of information and competences that serve to protect and conserve these European natural resources. Raising awareness of the challenges posed by climate change to European and natural and cultural heritage, but also to horticultural professions. The content of this project will support the development of key competences and the improvement of their ICT and language skills. However, it is also important for us to involve disadvantaged pupils in this project. We will give them special attention and support so that they, too, have the opportunity to participate in this international project. Teacher training is also part of this mobility. These serve to strengthen the profile of the teaching professions. In this project, 182 mobility applications are submitted. The participants are students and teachers of the partner schools. The age of the students is between 14 and 21 years. During the mobility, European natural monuments will be visited and participants will develop skills and competences to maintain and protect them. The students create videos about their professional experiences. In the course of teacher training, the school systems of the countries are compared and analysed. The videos of the pupils will be supplemented with teaching materials, so that there will be teaching packages for European natural resources in several languages, which can be used in the classroom as well as for further education events. The results of this project will be made available to the teachers of the partner schools so that they can use them in the classroom. Further dissemination at local to regional level is done through the media. In doing so, reference is made to the websites of the participating partner institutions as well as to the EU dissemination platform. The publications in various gardening journals are aimed at colleagues and specialists in horticulture. Colleagues who become aware of our publication can use them in their lessons thanks to the experience reports or the provided teaching packages with videos and work files. Another target group at European level are teachers and trainers from other European horticultural schools not participating in this partnership. Through the website of the Association of European Horticultural Teachers www.hortiteach eu, we will also offer the teaching materials and make them available to an even larger group of interested parties. All these measures will ensure a longer-term use of the results.

Final report summary

Through this project, we conveyed high-quality information about European cultural and natural heritage to educators and apprentices. In various meetings and activities, we developed their skills and competencies to preserve and further support this heritage. Climate change has altered our living environment, with horticultural professions particularly affected by its consequences. The natural treasures in our countries have not been spared either. Within the framework of this project, we extensively explored the impacts of climate change in this domain. Students were prepared to embrace new ideas while not forgetting the "old." These aspects were emphasized in the project, aiming to raise awareness among educators and learners about managing the natural heritage of their homeland and the challenges posed by climate change. The goal was to enable them to respond to changes in climatic conditions, expand their expertise, and develop competencies in dealing with climate change. The project objectives extended to the realms of climate and environmental protection, as well as the dissemination of information and competencies for the preservation of European natural treasures. The focus was also on raising awareness of the challenges that climate change poses to European natural and cultural heritage, as well as horticultural professions. The project fostered the development of key competencies and the enhancement of ICT and language skills. Special attention was given to disadvantaged students, who received particular care and support within the project to facilitate their participation in this international initiative. As a result, 28 students from this group actively participated in the mobilities. The mobility application included 182 mobilities, involving students and teachers from partner schools. In total, 189 mobilities were implemented. The age range of the students was between 14 and 28 years. During the mobilities, participants visited European natural landmarks, acquiring competencies and skills for their care and protection. Students documented their professional experiences in videos, and teacher training sessions were conducted to compare and analyze the education systems of the participating countries. The videos were complemented with teaching materials. The project results were provided to teachers at partner schools for integration into their teaching. Additional dissemination occurred at the local and regional levels through various media, highlighting the websites of the participating partner institutions and the EU dissemination platform. Professional journals were utilized to reach colleagues and professionals in horticulture. On a European level, teachers and trainers from other European horticultural schools, not part of the partnership, were reached through the learning platform of the Association of European Horticulture Teachers (www.hortiteach.eu). There, the teaching materials were offered to a broader audience, ensuring the long-term utilization of the results.

Project partners (6)