Everybody should be conscious of the damage we are causing to our planet: what happens in one part of our planet is affecting the entire world. We can find the solution for serious problems of the present days starting from EDUCATION, and in this frame the teaching staff is directly responsible of education. As an oriental proverb says: "If you want prosperity for a year, plant some rice, if you want prosperity for ten years, then plant some trees. But if you really want prosperity for a whole life, give education to the new generations". Aiming at whole lifelong prosperity, Environmental Education helps students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, builds knowledge and skills necessary to address complex environmental issues, as well as ways we can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future. Our focus is starting FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD because Learning begins even before a child walks through the class-room door. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE, from now on) is the foundation of lifelong learning. ECCE is a right for all young children. And up skilling onto primary education. Our project addresses ECEC and primary education teachers and pedagogical coordinators involved in working with pre-school and primary education children. An indirect target audience are therefore children, aged 3-6 and 7-11 years; Schools and other educational institutions; experts in the field of environmental and values education, organizations and associations of experts, etc.; policy makers and decision makers like regional/national authorities and the general public, to raise their the awareness of the importance of environmental and values education starting from early childhood as key to build a better world to live in. Our Project has been designed according to a LOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH in which the pursued objectives will be achieved by specific activities that may lead to planned results. Our project will: - Implement a Transnational curriculum for ECCE and primary education teachers in the partners’ countries, complemented with a short review of the current provision for 3-11 teachers regarding learning about Environmental Learning based on Values Education - Design innovative materials and open educational resources (OER) for 3-11 school education teachers and educators in the field of Environmental Learning based on Values Education, developing and promoting innovative learning approaches; - Develop a handbook for teachers explaining clearly the proposed model of Environmental Learning based on values education with an aim to enhance the professional development of those working or active in the school education sector by increasing the quality and range of initial and continuing training. - Create an Innovative Knowledge Hub for informing, uploading and downloading OER materials aimed at increasing the awareness on the importance of environmental sustainability and social values so as to strengthen its educational structures in a system of values supported by all relevant stakeholders. - Promote the development of the ELVE network to increase the project outreach and raise the awareness of using environmentally and inclusive approaches in preschools and primary schools supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG from now on) the blueprint to reach a better and more sustainable future for all. The project aims to reach out: - At least 60 3-11 teachers and stakeholders to participate directly in the project development; - More than 10.000 EU citizens informed about the project; - More than 500 organizations and institutions informed about the ELVE platform, invited to participate in the network and be provided with a handbook to integrate the ELVE model in their educational settings. The consortium of ELVE is formed by 6 project partners from 5 different EU countries which come from a wide range of backgrounds including the World Association of Early Childhood education, Universities, Training, research and development centres and Associations, and SMEs. ELVE is in full alignment with the priorities, objectives and aims of the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnerships call for Schools as it envisions in 3-6 and 7-11 teachers up-skilling and provision of transversal skills, providing access to Open Educational Resources based on ICT, link continuous education and training and implement awareness campaigns.
The needs answered in the previous question resulted in the implementation of the following objectives: ELVE achieved the implementation of a transnational curriculum for ECEC staff reviewing current provision for 3-11 teachers on Environmental Learning; it includes 31 OER materials for teachers to promote innovative learning approaches, a handbook to enhance professional development, and an Innovative Knowledge Hub to download materials and increase awareness on sustainability and social values. Also, a network that was created during the project lifecycle and will continue to exist after the end of the project will increase project outreach and awareness of environmentally and inclusive approaches for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with ongoing exchange and cooperation. The project aimed to reach out to at least 60 3-11 teachers etc. to participate directly in the project development; we reached 582; to more than 10.000 EU citizens informed about ELVE; we reached 163.974; to more than 500 organisations & institutions informed about the ELVE; we reached 190. Via individual contacts we were probably able to reach out to the set 500 organisations.
Everybody should be conscious of the damage we are causing to our planet. Solutions can be found in education, therefore teaching staff is directly responsible. Environmental Education helps students understand how their decisions & actions affect the environment, builds knowledge & skills necessary to address complex environmental issues. The focus was starting from early childhood. Early Childhood Care & Education (ECEC) is the foundation of lifelong learning. ELVE directly contributed to the European horizontal priority of social inclusion & aimed at creating habits in the children that will determine their performance in the future, a transfer of inclusive & environmentally respectful values. A need was seen in fostering development of social, intercultural & critical thinking competences in early childhood related to environmental learning through formal & non-formal learning activities. Another need was seen in developing high quality ECEC systems by supporting initial & continuing professional development of the staff involved in ECEC, creating & testing tools to foster participation of all children in ECEC by developing competencies & raising awareness of both ECEC staff & parents related to environmental & climate goals.