We wanted to support primary teachers in providing quality environmental education that was consistent with the modern dimensions of the topic and contributed to the development of environmental literacy among the younger generations. We proposed the creation of a training course for primary teachers to address current topics at the European and international levels, as defined in key documents such as the EC Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course was to be base on a theoretical practical model for green education for teachers to help them further understand the global green topics, the relationship between them, and the main challenges and stages of implementing the concept of "green schools," which promoted the development of a comprehensive environmental culture within the school community. It aimed to help teachers create their individual strategies for teaching.
The topics related to ecological/environmental education had long traditions in the educational systems of all three partner countries – Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania. They were presented in various forms, such as extracurricular activities, interdisciplinary topics, and subjects at all stages of preschool and school education. Teachers had access to different qualification opportunities to develop and improve their teaching contents and methods. However, the overall observations of our daily work with teachers on all levels suggested that ecological education at the school level, especially in primary education, lagged behind developments in the field. This was evident both in terms of thematic content and, more importantly, methodologies engaging students in practical activities. Ecological education mainly emphasized knowledge acquisition, but to cultivate eco-systemic awareness and sensitivity and foster proactive environmental citizenship, there was a need to move one step further. The project consortium, consisting of 3 influential teachers' trade unions, represented the 3 neighboring countries in an attempt to address this need.