We establish three main objectives in this project: 1.Find varieties of ornamental plants that need less water to reduce their environmental impact. To select these plants we have been inspired by xerophytic plants which grow on the beach and live from environmental humidity. Therefore, we have studied mediterranean xerophytic plants, such as thyme and rosmarinus, in different conditions to determine the ones that allow plants to optimize water, reducing watering. 2. Increasing the motivation of students in risk of school dropout and its feeling of belonging to school. These students who learn in the “open class” have generated wealth at school since they built an external school garden and a greenhouse. This work increased its motivation and helped acquire the essential competencies for school success. 3. Increasing the students’ scientific-technological competencies being reflected in the external basic competencies test students perform at the end of the compulsory school stage.
Pineda de Mar Secondary school is located in a coastal town of the area of El Maresme in Catalonia. It has about 500 students, aged 12-18, and about 50 teachers. The educational project fosters ICT since 2007, developing the digital competency and a good use of screens. PCs, digital books and ICT resources are the tools students work with. Another singular complementary program of the educational curriculum is the creation of audiovisual products, and we have a room equipped with recording and editing materials. Since 2018, there is an “open class” for students aged 14-16 with learning difficulties. They learn the curriculum through competent projects, such as a vegetable patch. This Erasmus project aims to promote the knowledge of botany of these students working on xerophyte plants and potentiate brilliant students, making a study of how these plants manage the hydric resources in different conditions. Our objective is to generate an environmental conscience of the need to save water through pants. A cutting company and a vocational training school of agricultural activities have collaborated.