The aim of the project was to make students aware of the importance of sustainable development for a region, which requires the active participation and involvement of the local community and the cooperation of all productive actors from all sectors of production (primary, secondary, tertiary), as only through cooperation can sustainable development be achieved. There was a need for both students and school teachers to be trained in environmental education and sustainable development, to realize the importance of a Geopark or a National Park, to visit other cities in European Union countries, to study good practices adopted in these areas and to look for ways on how they could possibly be implemented in our region. Another important objective was to train teachers and students in the use of geo-information systems (such as Google maps, ArcGIS), as well as other digital tools and platforms, which will help to improve communication and cooperation with partners abroad, as well as to improve their digital and language skills.
At the 2nd EPAL Rethymnon there are two Sectors, the Sector of Management and Economy which prepares executives who will be employed in various economic and tourist enterprises of the region and the Sector of Agriculture, Food and Environment which prepares technicians who will be employed in agricultural and livestock enterprises, in manufacturing enterprises with emphasis on the protection of the natural environment. These two sectors are inextricably linked to the economic development of our region, focusing on sustainable development. The aim of the project was through training seminars for teachers to acquire the necessary theoretical knowledge on environmental education and nature education, as well as to shape and enrich their teaching with digital tools, oriented towards the sustainable development of the region and the protection of the cultural heritage of the place. The students had the opportunity to visit cities and protected areas (Geoparks, National Parks) in different European countries and furthermore to document good practices followed to achieve sustainable development and to promote and protect cultural heritage.