Innovative SusTainability Education for Prosperous Schools

In the project, we wanted to focus on introducing key issues and education for sustainable development at ISCED 2 level in general education schools – such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction and sustainable consumption. Our school ZŠ J. Palárika is a supporter of enviro education. This is an opportunity to share experience, modernize and systematize our efforts to ensure the integration of sustainable development education into curriculum, targeted strengthening of the competences of teachers, with the support of transnational partners with expertise that differs from ours. Our partners from the CZ and BG are motivated by the need to replace the subject-oriented approach to sustainable development topics with a cross-curricular one, thereby ensuring relevant key competences for students. Partners from the university, the pedagogical department, the publishing house and the Slovak obesitological association are motivated by the opportunity to serve the school education sector in a meaningful way, in line with real needs. In SVK, BG and CZ, there is still no whole-school approach to education for sustainable development (ESD) or systematic effort at the policy level.

To improve key competences of lower secondary school students and teachers (personal, social and learning citizenship, including the ability to reflect on oneself, manage information effectively, remain resilient, cope with uncertainty and complexity, promote physical and emotional well-being) through the development of an innovative cross-curricular curriculum and free online platform for Education and Development (ESD), which should impact at least 150 students in Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic during and after the project. To improve teaching ESD as part of the curriculum by implementing a cross-curricular approach through an online ESD course, pilot training of 15 teachers from these 3 countries and supporting the continuous education of European teachers through the further use of the course as an open and free resource. To promote SRE at school level as the most effective solutions to environmental and climate challenges, through the development of innovative resources, as well as by reaching 2500 stakeholders from across Europe by sharing and promoting the benefits of integrating SRE into teaching. We wanted to create 3 main outputs - Students resources, Guidelines for teachers, Teachers Training on platform.

We designed activities to allow everyone free equal access/ opportunities to use the results – any school interested in integrating STEM in lower secondary level, teachers, students, students w/ special needs, school communities. Project activities provide opportunity for schools with less experience for transnational cooperation. Innovative Steps was a 34 months project, which started in Nov 2022. With regard to project management activities, we designed and launched project website, social media channel, conducted 8 transnational project meetings, provided 5 internal reportings, published 6 newsletters. One external evaluation was conducted on our project results. The mutual work on the project results started by designing the format, structure, layout and topics of the Students Materials, followed by the same process for Methodology and Teachers Training. Versions of all outputs were translated into SK, BG, CZ and ENG, tested, consulted and piloted on 150 students/15 teachers of 3 countries, than after feedback corrected, final versions developed. All outputs were digitalized and published on project platform.

Sustainability Education Program main outputs– educational Resources for Students, Methodological guidelines for teachers, Sustainability Education Platform (all in 4 languages) – OER e-learning platform with free access to the programme, and to the Teacher Training course - online course on how to integrate sustainable development into the teaching practice. Extensive online dissemination campaign, face-to-face promotion, multiplier event in SVK for local and international stakeholders. 150 students with improved ESD key competences. 15 teachers with improved pedagogical competences and professional development. At least 2500 stakeholders with increased awareness of the importance of integrating VED at lower sec. level, addressed through 6 newsletters, 14 internal staff meetings, 6 focused discussions, 8 transnational meetings, multiplier event for 100 delegates, project website, social media pages. 3 schools with increased transnational cooperation directly benefiting from project results. 1 university acting as an agent of change through direct cooperation with schools, 1 teacher education provider, 1 publishing house and 1 association with increased offer and services for teachers, students, schools, society in general.