The climate summit in Paris aimed at empowering people / nations / actors of that same civil society, to collaborate and take measures to sustain a sustainable world with a particular emphasis on energy, global warming and durability. It is for this purpose that we firmly believe that all the goals we established for our partnership are completely justified in the international sense, where all participants from the countries involved will exchange experiences and collectively instill a respectful and sustainable behavior towards the planet and environment in students. The U.N. Sustainable Development Target 6's newest priority applies to ' clean, available water for everyone. ' The teaching / training practices of our collaboration along with the results described above will set new standards for this crucial priority and our aim is to meet the targets of the U.N. Sustainable Development. We want to demonstrate how schools and local communities around Europe can take the lead in achieving Target 6. As educational suppliers, we, teachers, couldn't be naive about the threatened future which water holds, we need to take concrete steps to protect water supplies for the younger generations as well. We agree that a very powerful way of achieving this and behaving proactively is by designing the most relevant educational-to-project that will serve as the curriculum that will teach students about its strategic and critical role in life for both the short and long term. In this context, the aim of our collaboration is to establish an integrative as well as a multidisciplinary, realistic and clear teaching method, which can only be accomplished and supplemented by the assistance of all the project partners who will apply the knowledge, experience and competence they possess in different fields of school education. The fundamental goal of the collaboration unfolds around the central objective of collaborating together with teachers from five different countries to produce a methodological compilation of ' good practices` - which in fact will b e a well-designed and well-bonded curriculum for students aged between 15-18 years that will focus attention on supporting and enhancing interdisciplinary education. The program will be structured to help students become conscious of the value of water in fully supporting all life on earth. But nowadays it is also of crucial importance to enable the young generations-beginning with our students-understand how important it is to cultivate, sustain and encourage safe water consumption behaviour. A high priority is to allow students to realize how fragile water supplies are, how rapidly the amount of such a natural resource declines, and to work together to identify means to ensure sustainable management of water. In addition, the students would also realize how fruitful it is to work together and solve problems or find solutions to a general, fundamental, universal subject, one that creates and preserves living on Earth - water; Water is our reciprocal, global source of life as oceans or any other water source, it also traversing the boundaries of a country into another country, the same `water` being therefore administered by people in different countries. Throughout this collaboration, we wish to approach the problem of 'water' seen from different angles as a crucial natural component for life, with the help of various school subjects. Whilst doing so we want to raise awareness among students of all ages about the need for responsible as well as sustainable environmental attitude and behavior. The project would also provide students with the ability to obtain a concrete and practical knowledge that will eventually help them develop a deeper understanding of science, which otherwise could sound too complex and academic for them in certain respects. OBJECTIVES: O1. to raise direct participants` and members of local community`s awareness of the core problem of the endangered natural global resource-water O2. to raise awareness of responsible consumption and sustainability of the environment within students and regional communities O3. to establish an online instructional base — educational resources O4. to strengthen the transversal and cross-sectoral abilities of students, along with their agility, and to properly help them in becoming successful young learners, qualified for productive future careers O5. to boost teachers ' and students ' ability to develop their ICT, communication, and intercultural skills; O6. to increase students ' participation in classrooms, educational activities as well as support them to be more personally engaged in their educational process, contribute with ideas and overcome specific challenges O7. to foster European values as well as promoting intercultural awareness and unity among Europe's people
BACKGROUND "The climate summit in Paris aimed at empowering people/nations/actors of that same civil society, to collaborate and take measures to create a sustainable world with a particular emphasis on energy, global warming, and durability. It was for this purpose that we firmly believed that all the goals we established for our partnership were completely justified in the international sense, where all participants from the countries involved exchanged experiences and collectively instilled a respectful and sustainable behavior towards the planet and environment in students. The U.N. Sustainable Development Target 6's newest priority applies to 'clean, available water for everyone.' We demonstrated how schools and local communities around Europe could take the lead in achieving Target 6. As educational suppliers, we, teachers, could not be naive about the threatened future which water holds; we behaved proactively and took concrete steps to protect water supplies for the younger generations by designing the most relevant educational-to-project that served as curriculum meant to teach students about the strategic and critical role of water in life on both the short and long term. In this context our collaboration established an integrative as well as a multidisciplinary, realistic, and concise teaching method, which was accomplished and supplemented by the assistance of all the project partners who applied the knowledge, experience, and competence they possessed in different fields of school education. The collaboration produced a curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary education for students aged 15-18, fostering awareness of water's value and promoting responsible consumption. Students learned about water's fragility and worked together to ensure sustainable management. Also, they realized that Water is a global source of life, transcends borders and necessite cross-country cooperation. The project integrated various subjects to foster environmental responsibility and provided practical knowledge, deepening students' understanding of science. OBJECTIVES O1. Direct participants and local community members are now more aware of the critical issue surrounding the global water crisis. This newfound awareness serves as a crucial foundation for informed action and advocacy. O2. Students and regional communities have gained a heightened understanding of responsible consumption and environmental sustainability which equips them to make informed choices and effect positive change in their respective spheres. O3. An online instructional base for educational resources has been established, facilitating access to learning materials. O4. Students have developed transversal and cross-sectoral abilities, enhancing their readiness for future careers. This holistic approach to education has equipped them with skills and competencies to thrive in an ever-evolving global landscape. O5. Both teachers and students have improved their ICT, communication, and intercultural skills. O6. Student participation in classrooms and educational activities has increased, with greater personal engagement and contribution to the learning process. O7. European values have been fostered, promoting intercultural awareness and unity among the people of Europe. IMPLEMENTATION The project implementation faced significant challenges due to the pandemic and the political situation in the region, notably the war in Ukraine. Additionally, two institutions, including ours, from two of the four countries participating in the Erasmus+ project, embarked on such a project for the first time in school history. However, with the collective efforts of the project team and exceptional collaboration with partners from Italy, Romania, North Macedonia, and Turkey, along with support from national agencies, we overcame these obstacles and transformed them into opportunities. The pandemic necessitated virtual activities for the project's first year, including the inaugural joint staff training. Despite the withdrawal of Spain from the project, we successfully adjusted the timeline and redistributed activities with support from national agencies and collaboration with partners. Coordinators collaborated to reorganize mobilities, and the idea of extending the project duration arose due to travel restrictions in participating countries. In the second project year, the first physical mobility occurred in Tetovo, Northern Macedonia, followed by a blended event in Romania due to parental concerns about proximity to the Ukrainian war zone. Feedback indicated successful engagement, and educational resources were disseminated publicly. The third year saw two physical mobilities in Istanbul, Turkey, and Mesagne, Italy, focusing on project topics "Water as Means of Communication" and "Water as Lifeline," respectively. Progress in learning activities and increased confidence in using foreign languages were observed among teachers and students. Additional project outcomes included a multilingual water dictionary and the Water Saving Chart. Regular Zoom meetings among country coordinators and constant collaboration via a WhatsApp group ensured timely updates on project results across various media platforms, including the project website, Instagram page, eTwinning page, and school websites. IMPACT All the outlined objectives were successfully achieved: O1. Awareness of the critical issue surrounding the global water crisis as foundation for informed action and advocacy: the figures resulting from the final questionnaire indicate a notable increase in the usage of social media platforms for disseminating information about the project, rising from 37.4% to 50.7%. This demonstrates a substantial uptick in the utilization of social media channels as a means of spreading awareness and engaging with audiences regarding the project's objectives and outcomes. Additionally, there is a slight increase in the incidence of Official Institutions serving as a source of information. While the rise may be modest compared to the significant surge seen in social media usage, it still signifies a growing recognition and involvement of official bodies in communicating information related to the project. These findings suggest a shifting landscape in how information about the project is being shared, with social media platforms playing an increasingly prominent role, alongside continued engagement with Official Institutions. Involving families in all the activities extended this awareness to a broader audience, including individuals of different age groups and backgrounds. Increased awareness was a critical first step towards achieving the objective, as it laid the foundation for understanding and action. O2. Throughout the activities, participants were encouraged to reflect on water-related matters in their daily routines, heightening awareness of responsible water consumption and environmental sustainability. In fact, discussions on water conservation among students have become increasingly prevalent, rising from 53.9% to 79.8%, indicating growing interest in the topic. Moreover, the figures of the questionnaire show a sensible growth of the number of respondents that, at the end of the project, agree they have made changes in their water habits during the lifespan of the project by taking more responsible habits about water consumption, from 39,9% to 84,6%. Additionally, the questionnaire data reveals that the water issue is consistently engaging not just students and teachers but also parents. Discussions about water conservation are becoming more prevalent between parents and children, with positive responses rising from 67.9% to 87.0%. Furthermore, respondents reporting attendance at events focused on local water issues have increased from 31.0% to 60.8%. Participating in cross-country debates and meetings with stakeholders facilitated valuable information exchange and mutual learning. These interactions provided insights into consumption's environmental impact and the importance of sustainability, fostering a deeper understanding among students and communities. Responses to the questionnaire regarding concerns about future water availability and the importance of protecting water resources consistently showed an increase in agreement over time. O3. An online educational repository has been established for an easier access to learning materials. Partner schools have committed to promoting water resource conservation through a signed Water Saving Chart, ensuring a stable foundation for their dedication in the awareness that students play a pivotal role in fostering sustainability within communities and driving positive change. O4. Many activities have actively involved the students who have developed transversal and cross-sectoral abilities, namely: the construction of the educational materials, brochures, infographics, radio interviews for dissemination, conferences with the participation of local bodies responsible for water management; all these activities have enhanced their readiness for future careers and, have equipped them with skills and competencies to thrive in an ever-evolving global landscape. O5. Both teachers and students have improved their ICT, communication, and intercultural skills. O6. Student participation in classrooms and educational activities increased, with greater personal engagement and contribution to the learning process. O7. Active participation in water awareness discussions and activities during mobilities extended to families and local communities, equipping everyone with both knowledge and motivation for positive change. The creation of a 5-language dictionary furthered the promotion of European values and enhanced intercultural awareness and unity among Europeans. In conclusion, the successful fulfillment of these objectives underscores the effectiveness and impact of our collaborative efforts.