This project had two goals. The first one was enhancing the health and motivation of students by introducing ecological content. We wanted our students to feel comfortable in their school environment and to realize the importance of spending time in nature, working on their mental and physical health, and actively taking part in the protection of the environment. These goals should be taught through all subject areas. We wanted to place learning into a realistic and concrete context and the learner at the centre of educational process. The second goal was improving our teaching through interdisciplinary collaboration and new methods of teaching. Since we can feel the lack of educational opportunities because of relative geographical isolation, we have come to conclusion that there was a need and space for improvement in our teaching process. We wanted to learn more about new teaching methods in order to motivate all participants involved in the educational process and make it more meaningful and concrete.
Primary school Petar Kanavelic is the biggest school on the island of Korcula for the children aged 7 to 15. In the year 2023/24 there are 424 students, 39 teachers and 2 teachers in special education department. There are also two district schools in nearby villages and a music school with 102 students and 12 teachers. Being relatively isolated, we were not quite aware of the danger caused by the modern way of living and its influence on the environment so, consequently, ecological content did not have the part it deserves in our teaching. Only few teachers and students were interested in the impact of a man on the environment and climate. Our green areas were not used enough. In recent years, especially during the pandemics, we have become more aware of the importance of the time spent outdoors and our environment. Our natural surroundings is ideal for applying eco contents and developing healthy habits. Also modern teaching approaches were not included enough (PBL, flipped classroom, ICT, outdoor learning). In our opinion by introducing modern teaching methods and interdisciplinary cooperation we can create better educational environment, increase motivation and improve overall health.