Together Towards Improved Quality of Environmental Education
▶Summary
The project aimed to: 1) Enhance the quality of environmental education in Estonian and Finnish non-formal institutions by revising existing national quality assessment tools by May 2024. 2) Promo...
▶Objectives
The project aimed to: 1) Enhance the quality of environmental education in Estonian and Finnish non-formal institutions by revising existing national quality assessment tools by May 2024. 2) Promote circular economy principles and sustainability practices by developing, piloting, and improving an interdisciplinary study program, making it available online by October 2024. 3) Strengthen collaboration between Estonian and Finnish partners in sustainability education by organizing webinars and on-site trainings to co-create project outcomes by December 2024.
▶Activities
To achieve our objectives, we: 1) Revised quality assessment tools by conducting a comparative study paper of Estonian and Finnish environmental education QA systems, identifying gaps and best practices, and presenting our findings in a recorded webinar. 2) Tested and improved the peer review process through a webinar and two on-site trainings in Tartu and Helsinki (16 participants funded by the project, plus three additional from EEEA/LYKE and 4 interns at that time). 3) Developed two interdisciplinary circular economy study programs by designing, internationally piloting, and refining those programs for grades 7-9 and 10-12, ensuring they met high-quality standards and were accessible online. 4) Strengthened Estonian-Finnish collaboration by co-creating project results through joint training sessions, knowledge exchange, and discussions on sustainability education and the circular economy. 5) Shared project outcomes widely through a dissemination webinar during the European Week for Waste Reduction, platforms like LearningPlanet, Mappa.fi, and Keskkonnaharidus.ee, as well as UNESCO ASPnet, Eco Schools, and project partner websites.
▶Impact
Outputs: 1) Reports & publications: Comparative analysis of Estonian and Finnish QA systems with improvement recommendations. 2) Quality assessment tools: Revised, tested and translated into English, Finnish, and Estonian; including translating the EEEA’s competency model. 3) Circular economy study programs: Developed and awarded the Cloudberry label, with programs for grades 7-9 and 10-12, translated into three languages. 4) Training sessions & webinars: Two on-site training sessions in Tartu and Helsinki and a dissemination webinar during the European Week for Waste Reduction. 5) Resource sharing: Project results shared via LearningPlanet, Mappa.fi, Keskkonnaharidus.ee, UNESCO ASPnet, Eco Schools, and both partners' websites. Outcomes: 1) Enhanced education quality: Improved programs through revised QA tools, peer reviews, and competency-based teaching. 2) Increased accessibility: Translated materials ensured broader access for educators across Estonia, Finland, and Europe. 3) Strengthened collaboration: Fostered closer cooperation between Estonian and Finnish institutions, supporting future joint projects. 4) Greater awareness: Promoted circular economy and climate education among educators and students