In order to be serious about environmental and climate protection, you have to critically question your personal behaviour and think outside the box. Our Erasmus+ project accesses the dealing with natural recourses, reflects our behaviour and makes Europe a little greener. The most important aim of our project is that the students develop their environmental and climate awareness interdisciplinarily as well as holistically. Moreover we want to encourage the young learners to improve their social commitment and strengthen the European solidarity by taking part in our project’s activities. The European Union set the aim to be the first climate neutral continent by 2050 in order to improve people’s quality of life through cleaner air and water, better health and a thriving natural word. Together with our partners from Hungary (Debrecen) and Estiona (Voru) we would like to contribute to this ambitious aim. We take action by reducing the amount of waste both at school and at home, by critically questioning our consumer behaviour and by minimising the consumption of water and electricity. We have planned to do four mobilities over the project’s time. This will include a short-term job shadowing activity for teachers. We will enable 10 students at the age of 12 to 15 and 2-3 teachers to take part in each of the mobilities. Needless to mention, we would like to give the chance for everyone to participate by including students with special needs. During the project we would like to do excursions to national parks, upcycling challenges and workshops on topics such as waste reduction, consumer behaviour as well as school gardening. Through education young people to become “climate detectives” we aim to elaborate guidance on a local level that can be transformed to a global level. With innovative ideas for dealing with natural recourses and reusing packaging we will be able to accomplish a change of thinking not only by the students, but also by their parents. Due to our project, we will strengthen the European community and root the European idea in the participating schools. Today’s school prepares the young learners for tomorrow’s requirements. That is why it is important to us, that we consider the development of the labour market towards sustainable jobs, by forming the students’ key competences in that matter with our project. For the long-term we make sure that older students will pass on the project’s activities to younger students. The eTwinning website, which will be used as a communication tool between the students during the project, enables the digital exchange between the schools’ participants. Thus, the students will be able to continue the communication between them, refine the European climate protection and ensure the cohesion of the European citizens.
If you are serious about environmental and climate protection, you must critically question your own behavior and not only act on a regional level. Our Erasmus+ project addresses developments in the handling of natural resources, reflects on them, and contributes to making Europe a bit greener. The overarching goal of our project is for children and young people to develop their climate and environmental awareness across subjects and holistically so that we can contribute to the implementation of the "Green Deal." Additionally, the social and civil engagement of the students is to be promoted to strengthen European cohesion. The European Union has set the goal of being the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Together with our partner institutions in Debrecen (Hungary) and Voru (Estonia), we contributed by, among other things, jointly reducing our waste at school and at home, critically examining our consumption behavior, minimizing electricity and water consumption, and breaking down mental barriers. In total, we carried out four mobilities. We started with a kick-off meeting with the respective project coordinators in Debrecen, where we finalized our plans for project goals and activities. Due to the pandemic situation, we had to revise our plans, leading to a digital mobility with students in spring 2021. In October 2022, we were able to travel for the first time, allowing the learners in Debrecen to get to know each other and conduct workshops on the topics of upcycling and recycling. Our next mobility took place in May 2023 in Voru, where participants explored local energy supply, nature conservation in the Karula National Park, and conducted research on sustainable environmental practices with waste, water, and energy. The conclusion of our partnership was the exchange in June 2023 in Oschersleben, where students examined the facets of water as a habitat, recreation area, and energy supplier. The project activities have contributed to promoting, involving, connecting, and empowering young people. By training "climate detectives," the students were actively involved in the project process and encouraged to take responsibility for climate and environmental protection. The partnership with schools in Hungary and Estonia promoted intercultural exchange and allowed students to build friendships across national borders. This strengthened European cohesion and encouraged young people to actively work towards a more sustainable future. Post-project, it is evident that the memories, friendships, and insights gained during the partnership have profoundly influenced both students and teachers. At the institutional level, we anticipate that teaching methods and activity content will be integrated into the school's internal curricula, promoting a sustainable educational approach. Additionally, schools can utilize the established network to continue European collaborations.