My Eco-School and
Sustainable Development

greenschools

Preparation:

The course provider will send to the participants a list of materials related to the course topic that they can read in order to prepare for the course. The course provider keeps in touch with the participants and tailors the course according to their specific needs. The course provider offers support if the participants need any information related to accommodation, plane tickets or other details necessary in organising the course.

Course description

At present climate change is affecting every country on every continent. It affects the quality of our life and it will continue to do so, unless we try to educate ourselves and our children to make changes in our lives that will impact the environment less.
‘My Eco-school and Sustainable Development’ course addresses teachers and educational staff who want to develop in the area of environmental education, management and sustainable development. It is a training course for pre-school, primary and secondary school teachers, as well as for management staff and educational staff. During this course you will become more aware of the environmental issues our world and your region are facing and how this affects our lives and society.  You will also become familiarized with the principles and techniques of the education for sustainable development.
On the one hand, the teachers will focus on ways to include sustainable goals into the school curriculum and how to adapt materials to their context of teaching. The management staff will use the grid of indicators of a sustainable school to evaluate their institution and get ideas for future actions/ projects to turn their schools more eco-friendly. Participants will also get ideas of how to get involved at their local level and on an international level to promote sustainable development goals. 

 Methodology:

     The methodological techniques include:
  • Team – Building Sessions;
  • Ice – Breaking and Warm – Up Sessions;
  • Group Discussions;
  • Debates;
  • Questioning;
  • Goal – Setting sessions;
  • Brainstorming;
  • Questionnaires
  • Case studies and examples of good practices
Learning Outcomes

  • Familiarize with the principles and techniques of education for sustainable development
  • Become aware of the environmental issues that our world/ region is facing now
  • Become aware of the necessity to take action to turn one’s school more eco-friendly
  • Be able to set objectives and design educational programmes for sustainable development
  • Be able to use and adapt materials to your own context of teaching
  • Familiarize with different teaching techniques and activities
  • Understand and be willing to implement the principles of the sustainable school
  • Make a plan to implement changes in your school in the next six month

Follow-up

Trainees will be given soft and hard copies of all lesson materials, which they can present  to their colleagues at their own organizations to generate interest in the strategies learnt during the training course. In addition, a mailing list of participants will be created in order to exchange ideas/experiences. Self-evaluation materials will be provided. At the end of the course the participants will fill in a questionnaire in order to get a detailed feedback for the effectiveness of the training event.

Programme of training activities day-by-day:

Day 1 – MONDAY 

  • Welcome and registration;
  • Introduction to the 21 Century Skills: Active citizenship
  • Our World today: Climate change and Environmental Issues
  • Plans for a better future: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • Focus on UN Goal 13: Climate action

Day 2 – TUESDAY 

  • What is Sustainable development?
  • Teaching Sustainable development: principles and techniques and activities
  • Focus on: Energy
  • How can you get involved as an active citizen?
  • Case study

Day 3 – WENDESDAY 

  • How can you turn your school more eco-friendly?
  • Sustainable development as an interdisciplinary approach
  • How to integrate sustainable development goals in your curriculum
  • Focus on: Water
  • Examples of good practices from EU 

Day 4 – THURSDAY 

  • Your School and the local community: together for a green world!
  • Teaching outside the classroom: outdoor activities
  • Focus on: Waste management
  • Examples of good practices

Day 5 – FRIDAY 

  • It’s a global effort: Working with institutions outside your community
  • Focus on: Agriculture and food production
  • Management of an eco-friendly school: projects and ideas
  • Indicators for a sustainable school - understanding the self-evaluation grid

Days 6/7 – SATURDAY and SUNDAY Workshops and Cultural/Sightseeing Activities

Day 8 – Monday 

  • Sustainable development beyond the school walls: a change in life-style
  • Focus on: Single use products
  • Re-fill & re-use - minor changes in our daily lives

Day 9 – Tuesday 

  • European policies and examples of good practices
  • How to get involved at international level?
  • Cooperation - the key skill for sustainable development
  • Using short videos in your lessons to teach sustainable development

Day 10 – Wednesday

  • Adapting and using sustainable development techniques in your own teaching context
  • My 6 month plan to turn my school more eco-friendly
  • Evaluation of the course
  • Awarding certificates

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