GREEN THINKING 2018

Topic(s) addressed

• sustainable development of the environment

• sustainable personal lifestyles

• schools as vectors of innovation

• cooperation between educational institutions and businesses

• inclusion and equity

Target groups

102 VET participants from the following sectors: 

• industrial

• eco-sustainable agriculture

• social welfare 

Methodologies

• The multidisciplinary approach (technology/biotechnologies/social disciplines/organic production) used for dealing with the issues of environmental and social sustainability. 

• Work experience and training provided by companies abroad resulted in developing key skills such as interculturalism. 

• Cooperative learning, during the preparatory activities, has involved even disadvantaged participants. Accommodation and workspace sharing stimulated peer collaboration.

• The internship programs were prepared according to ECVET procedures, with recognition of the LOs even in the main disciplines; this methodology has been applied to internships in Italy, thus standardising and making the assessment more transparent.

Environments

The school has been innovating through:

• the use of new multimedia and laboratory technologies;

• enhancement of human resources: the constant presence of former company employees in the school laboratories, in order to make the school acquainted with the currently required skills, also stimulating innovation in the curricula;

• foreign companies as learning environments: internships in e-waste companies (recycling/reuse), laboratories for the prevention of environmental contamination, research institutes and agricultural experimentation;

• promotion of dialogue and civic, ecological and social sensitivity with the opening of school facilities for the community;

• the adoption of virtuous behaviours: separate collection, reduction of disposable plastic, dematerialization.

Teachers

The project has encouraged cooperation among teachers in the consortium, who have:

• developed skills (through the selection, preparation, evaluation and recognition of LOs) which were then stored up and transferred to other ESF / POR and PON projects;

• developed suitable and personalized preparatory activities for disadvantaged participants, encouraging teamwork and peer-to-peer collaboration;

• optimized the organizational internship procedures: on the basis of a preliminary investigation with the host bodies on the availability of suitable companies, the flows were created ad hoc, with very satisfactory results both for the participants and the companies;

• made the project sustainable by bringing the know-how into the subsequent design experience.

Impact

The project had an impact on:

• participants (and their families): raising awareness on environmental issues, stimulating the growth of key and professional skills, encouraging cultural openness, building trust in the School (highlighted by participation in initiatives);

• sustainability of the project: extending cooperation, re-using skills, increasing the number of applications in the next project, with 25% of ErasmusPRO;

• inclusion and social cohesion, with paths for disadvantaged participants, stimulating tolerance and cooperation in the other participants;

• local companies, which have been engaged in the ecological transition and continue to offer training interventions, scholarships, internships;

• consortium: the results pushed towards accreditation, obtained in 2020.