ECO-SCHOOL. Ecology Education Course for Teachers and Educators
ERASMUS K1 PROJECT
about the course
course description
Are you wondering if your school is green?
Many buildings and working environments are not built according to innovative “ecological and environmentally friendly” criteria. In addition, schools are still located in old buildings that often do not have access to green spaces. Some are located in big cities, European capitals, small towns, or rural areas, all of them with their advantages and disadvantages. What does it mean to be an ecological person? Is it about knowing scientifically what is happening in the interaction between nature and humans? Is it about knowing how the world is changing and how we can contribute to that change with our lifestyle, and for the better?
These questions would already be enough for a long debate to formulate valuable answers. There is something else that we underestimate when it comes to ecology/environment topics: Namely, the need for more education. Which we can call “ecology”, “environmental education”, and “sustainability education”.
Many teachers and students of the new generation are already environmentally conscious, especially in 2019 and 2020, when the influence of Greta Thunberg shook us all up, for better or worse, and opened our eyes to the fact that, even if the debate between scientists, ecologists, and other stakeholders – does not clarify the global direction in which we are heading – each of us can do small acts every day to save the planet. The fact is, we do not have a Planet B. Schools are the first place where children are educated to be good citizens of the future and learn how to achieve their life dreams. This course was only recently planned (2020) and was created with the idea of transversal competencies in mind.
Ecology, eco-friendliness, recycling, reusing, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, EU Climate Action… All these are key themes of the course “ECO-SCHOOL”.
Science or geography teachers are not the only ones responsible for teaching ecology.
All teachers, from language teachers to subject teachers, and especially School Directors, have the opportunity to teach “more ecologically” or introduce the “green transversal subject” into their teaching method and teaching contents.
This course is based on sharing and discovering together among educators and teachers, creating a common base of knowledge and terms to change the classical teaching methodology used in schools, more formal and static, for a more outdoor, non-formal, and innovative setting.
The topic of ecology is integrated into each subject through practical new lesson plans which line up with other trendy methods used among European teachers. Technology is also used to create a bridge between nature and the digital world.
Eco-Schools is a democratic and participatory program that provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to experience active citizenship in school. It brings many benefits both to schools and the wider community.
1. Empowering every learner
(Knowledge and understanding, Building confidence and life skills, Developing ethics and intelligence, Creating responsible citizens)
2. Positive Environmental Change
3. Increased Environmental Awareness
4. Improved student performance and success
5. A stronger sense of community
LEARNING GOALS:
- get a general and a specific understanding and awareness about ECO-SCHOOL practices and methodologies
- know the guidelines of the European and the Global frameworks of ECO-SCHOOL
- develop skills needed to apply new practices in the school system based on local needs and contexts of work
- learn how to plan educational activities that include ECO-SCHOOL principles
- strengthen outdoor education competences
- widening the ability to engage students with interactive activities that foster cooperation and active learning
Target Group
Any teacher at any level of education working in a public or private school or educational institutions
program/Training Modules
INTRO/METHOD
Like all our programs, the present one is flexible and adaptable to special requests, depending on the subject taught or on the starting level of the participant.
Furthermore, in line with the JUMP Academy method, our courses are based on a strategic balance between formal and non-formal education, indoor and outdoor education and the team takes care of a very important aspect of international mobility which is the intercultural learning which we develop with short excursions and facilitating the interaction with local partners, businesses and citizens of our territory. Each local context has its own economy so it’s always useful, in training programs, to get in contact with concrete examples (experiential learning and real based learning).
We always try to connect our learners to local teachers and students to cooperate in developing innovation and networking for future projects. If possible, inside the program, a morning is spent inside a local school, visiting, observing, and cooperating in the realization of one or more lessons. The proposed program JUMP works, in European dimension and with an international spirit, at the local level and, according to the period of the training along the year and the weather, it is possible to change some sessions and add visits and meetings, in cooperation with our network of partners including schools involved in European projects).
WEEK DAILY SCHEDULE
Saturday or Sunday:
Arrival of participants, transfer and welcome. Lodging and logistic support. Depending on the arrival time the participants are helped to have a meal or fulfill any other need.
Monday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Meeting in the lobby of Villa Gabriella International, welcome, first briefing by the organizers, presentation of the team, logistics information, gadgets distribution and start of the program. Walking down to the city center. Outdoor team building game “The Mission Impossible in Soverato by JUMP”. Getting to know the important places of the city, orientation points, traditions and cultural elements, getting in contact with local citizens.
12:30 end of the morning activity with a debriefing and logistic info
Free time for lunch or to enjoy the beach
Organized lift from the city center to the Villa.
Monday afternoon session: 15:00 – 17:00
“Experience Calabria. A place to live, a place to love”. Presentation of JUMP and of the most important cultural elements of the region. Participants are asked to present themselves quickly and introduce their school in a creative or digital way using the internet and our screen.
Dinner organized for all the groups in a local restaurant.
Tuesday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Meeting on the terrace of Villa Gabriella.
First outdoor ice breaking game to get to know each other and create a good working climate.
Division in small groups and start of the indoors or outdoor sessions with the JUMP trainer.
Introduction to Module 1: EU Policies and Trends in Education.Focus on Ecological/environmental education. Terms and definitions
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Tuesday afternoon: 15:00 – 17:30
1st excursion to develop cultural knowledge, strengthen team building and socialization among participants.
“Walking tour to the old village of Soverato Superiore, visit to the Church of “La Pietà” of Gagini and exploring the narrow streets. Interacting with local people.
Free evening to enjoy the city center
Wednesday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Module 2: Outdoor, ecology, and environmental education, differences and similarities.
Module 3: ECO-SCHOOL, a concept, a structure, what do we mean? The networks.
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Wednesday afternoon session: 15:00 – 17:00
Module 4: Practices around the world of Eco-schooling
Thursday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Module 5: European and global challenges. A new political framework to follow.
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Thursday afternoon is (usually) free time.
The staff will provide some suggestions for possible activities or excursions. For example to Catanzaro city, Capital of the region
Friday morning session: 09:30 – 11:00 (shorter morning lesson).
Module 6: Design my own learning and teaching pathway.
On Friday – at an agreed time – usually in the afternoon – it’s organized as an excursion in a beautiful and unique old village with a final dinner. The staff enjoys it and there’s a professional guide with us.
Depending on the season the excursion starts in the morning or in the afternoon. From July to September it’s usually in the afternoon-evening for the high heat.
Saturday morning session: 09:30 – 12:00
Closing the course: Evaluation and delivery of formal certificates/Europass and admin documents.
Saturday afternoon:
Free time and last moments all the participants together for socialization.
Sunday:
Departure of participants.
The indicated times may suffer some changes depending on the season (earlier in the winter time and later in the summertime).
TRAINING MODULES
Module 1: EU Policies and Trends in Education.Focus on Ecological/environmental education. Terms and definitions
Module 2: Outdoor, ecology, and environmental education, differences and similarities
Module 3: ECO-SCHOOL, a concept, a structure, what do we mean? The networks
Module 4: Practices around the world of Eco-schooling
Module 5: European and global challenges. A new political framework to follow
Module 6: Design my own learning and teaching pathway
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this course, the participants will have
- improved their understanding and awareness about ECO-SCHOOL practices and methodologies at the EU and the Global Level
- developed skills needed to apply new practices in the school system based on local needs and contexts
- learnt how to plan educational activities that include ECO-SCHOOL principles
- strengthen outdoor education competences
- widened the ability to engage students with interactive activities that foster cooperation and active learning
certification details
JUMP certifies 36 hours for 6 days course (6*6) or more if extra hours, per day, are needed. Or 30 hours for a 5 days course (6*5).
The course can be also extended to a 2 weeks course with the option 10 days or 12 days course if asked and agreed, depending on the project of the sending organization.
10 days are excluded from the weekend (5+5), and 12 days are from Monday to Saturday morning (6+6).
At the end of the training, JUMP delivers a formal certificate of attendance and the team is at the disposal to fill the Europass certification document according to the EU model template and other needed documents for reporting to the sending institution.
Certification details
Our courses are in line with the Erasmus+ Quality standards for courses under Key Action 1 (learning mobility of individuals)
Costs
The cost is fully covered by the Erasmus grant. Write to info@associazionejump.it to ask for information on costs and the services provided to plan your mobility project in Soverato with JUMP.
How to apply
For info and registration about the course fill the form below or contact us to our mail.