Green Crossroads

Our journey together started long before this project in hand, and as a matter of fact this GREEN CROSSROADS project could be seen as a continuation to the ROOTS project, in which we worked on cul...

This project alongside with its two end results, the memory game and the Little Green Toolkit, is our attempt to change the direction we are heading, our attempt to make a difference, and we decided that the best way to do so is to change the attitudes of the grown-ups of tomorrow, our students. In the start we had very ambitious goals: 1. To transform our schools to zero-waste schools by reducing, reusing and recycling. 2. To adopt green habits into our schools' daily lives. 3. To reduce energy consumption and implement a wiser water management at our schools. 4. To test, evaluate, adopt or adapt methods of the past and present generations for a sustainable way of life. 5. To adopt practices that preserve and restore biodiversity in urban and agricultural spaces (depending on the physical environment of each participant’s school). 6. To find methods and means to motivate and inspire learners as well as teachers to begin the path towards a more sustainable way of life. 7. To support the skills of teachers in active use and implementation of environmental topics into daily teaching. 8. To produce a toolkit on climate change and environmental education including theoretical background, innovative teaching resources and worksheets.

All the six partner schools were active and innovative primary schools with students aged from 3 to 15. The students, teachers as well as the whole school staff and society took part in a large number of different tasks and activities according to their age and capability. All of the schools worked on learning and adapting greener, sustainable habits already, and got to know the concepts of environmental thinking and sustainable way of living. First of all we introduced the project, its topic, background and objectives to the whole school society in different ways. We continued by evaluating the current state of environmental thinking in the schools and at homes (e.g. the part of the environmental education in the curriculum, and how the waste management and energy consumption work), and started to learn more about each topic, analyze the background and choose the possible ways to continue. We began designing the memory game and the toolkit in an early stage Participants, both students and teachers, gained a deeper understanding of environmental issues through hands-on activities, discussions, and the development of innovative solutions. By engaging in various eco workshops, outdoor learning activities, and theme days and weeks, they became active agents of change, embracing practices such as waste reduction, energy and water conservation, and biodiversity preservation. Environmental topics and STEAM were incorporated into subjects such as biology, geography, foreign languages, maths, languages and art, and by the means of modern technology there was a chance to enrich the curriculum with real-world applications. The teachers enhanced pedagogical skills by utilising innovative teaching methods, such as project-based learning, collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning and STEAM approach. They developed digital competences and language skills, and the project equipped them with practical resources such as the Little Green Toolkit and the memory game, which both can be used in different subjects and for students of different ages. In addition, teachers exchanged their experiences and innovative methods during all the LTTs and TPMs. The students worked with peers from different cultures during the whole project and especially in the LTT in Poland and LTT in Slovenia. They enhanced teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Working on the project at school integrated students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from migrated families. For the participating organizations, the project acted as a catalyst for institutional transformation. Partner schools analyzed the current state of sustainability, learnt about the theoretical background and possibilities, and adopted structured waste management practices (for example developed proper recycling facilities, and produced less food waste, paper waste as well as e-waste) and introduced biodiversity-friendly initiatives (planting trees, plants and herbs). These efforts not only reduced the environmental footprint of schools but also created model environments for sustainable practices. Most of the activities and products were defined by different keywords related to climate change. These were topics such as * refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and then recycle * energy consumption * water management * biodiversity * paper * wood * land * animals * bees * waste * plastics * wool * herbs * fabric Concrete examples of the tasks and activities were the following: - observing different ecosystems - building a garden and a beehouse - visiting waste plants, apiary, libraries, farms, nature trails and reserves, science centres etc. - taking photos of nature in the hometown - counting and measuring the waste produced in the classroom, in the school canteen, and comparing the results - using, creating and promoting multi-purpose products - making different presentations on environmental topics - organising displays about the work (e.g. photo display) - making recycled products for a flea market and the bazaar - clothes exchange - writing a blog - writing an environmental diary - hosting the mascots at home - arranging recyling competitions - working a green agents (e.g. surveillance of the food waste or the recycling in the classes - cleaning and collecting trash from the surrounding areas - picking berries and mushrooms - cooking traditional foods - getting to know organic farming and products