KEY ACTION 2 – Challenges, Choices, Changes: Our Mutual Footprint

Das Projektlogo wurde von Gesche von Elling, Klasse 10i, entworfen und hat die internationale Ausschreibung am 12.03.2021 gewonnen.

Check out our digital advent calendar:

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(Projektlaufzeit 2020 – 2023)

While „Challenges, choices, changes – our mutual footprint“ is a first-time application, the KGS was the coordinating school of a Comenius project with Poland, Sweden and Hungary in 2002/03. Schneverdingen and Barlinek, also being twin towns, have maintained a school partnership since 2003. With Eksjö, Schneverdingen has been twinned since 2001 even though recently there haven’t been any activities, neither on school nor on municipal level. This project enables the KGS to strengthen its ties with these two schools as well as establish new international contacts, in this case with Kinsale.

Unsere Partnerschulen in Irland, Polen und Schweden:

https://www.kinsalecommunityschool.ie/

https://sp1barlinek.edupage.org/

https://eksjo.se/forskola-och-skola/grundskola-och-fritidshem/alla-grundskolor/prastangsskolan-eksjo

In an increasingly united Europe, it is of priority and major importance that nations discuss different approaches to current European topics such as fighting climate change and cooperate eventually. We are convinced that our project supports this idea and that all four schools will benefit from participating in a European project like the present one, as it leads to tolerance, awareness, and open-mindedness amongst students, teachers, parents and even other organisations and the local municipalities. Our project “Challenges, Choices, Changes – Our Mutual Footprint” focusses primarily on the topic „environmental and climate goals“ but also addresses the areas of „ICT“ and „European awareness“.

Our students, schools and countries have experienced consequences of global warming themselves and students show their great interest in protecting the environment by taking part in „Fridays for Future“ activities and of course, use their (mobile) electronic devices whenever they can. Thus, the present project with its goals is highly motivating for them. We also believe that we can successfully fight climate change if we take responsibility in transnational cooperation. In short, we want to:

1) accept the CHALLENGE to fight for environmental protection

2) make a CHOICE about what should and can be done/changed by us

3) effect CHANGE

4) be strong and efficient in working TOGETHER transnationally.

Thus, in times of climate change we consider our approach to first, explore our living environments and see the importance of their preservation and second, analyse and compare different aspects of climate change – waste, water consumption, food and renewable energies -, to be effective and an appropriate way of dealing with this challenging topic. Using mainly digital tools to present our findings and results, this cross-cultural communication will not only support our students and schools in developing abilities linked to environmental topics; it will also improve our students’ digital, presentation, language and intercultural skills as well as support their self-development and responsible, sustainable behaviour; the project work will help them become active European citizens who think outside the box. In total, we want to enable at least 32 and maximum 128 students – depending on whether mobilities will be done by different members of the local clubs or not -, aged 14 to 16, of all four schools to participate directly in CCC – OMF.

During our project, we will address five major environmental topics: nature conservation, waste, water consumption, sustainable food and renewable energies. Each LTT activity introduces one special landscape – the Atlantic Ocean, Hunsnasen Lake, Luneburg Heath or Primeval Forest – and the necessity of preserving it, plus focusses on one of the other four topics regarding their presence, handling and importance in the respective region. Thus, avoiding waste, waste separation, recycling, renewable energies, energy saving, water treatment, different types of food production, eating habits, seasonal and local food, (food) packaging and different ways of farming will be aspects our students will look at and reflect on. They will experience new learning environments, e.g. when visiting local energy suppliers or farmers, new ways of communication like eTwinning and will be actively involved when it comes to researching water quality, creating fashion made of waste, growing local and seasonal crops, or learning with and about nature trails.

Our project’s results are manifold: First, there will be tangible outputs such as our Eco App, our glossary, tutorials or the memory game for younger students. Second, the project will have a great impact on the school communities as well as the municipalities: Raising the participants‘ awareness of sustainable living, understanding that everyone can make a change to help preserve our environment and cooperating Europe-wide are the matrix for a more conscious, effective and active living. Third, the events carried out throughout the project, like celebrating different international environment days, project days, exhibitions, or the fashion show will display how important it is to live green(er). Fourth, CCC – OMF will hopefully lead to our four schools creating new or strenghening old school partnerships, which could be extended to the local level and will stand the test of time. Last but not least, the inclusion of our objectives in our schools’ curricula will guarantee a long-term benefit for our students and schools.

All in all, we are convinced that working together in fighting the global threat of climate change is a very sustainable investment in our future as there is no planet B. „Challenges, Choices, Changes – Our Mutual Footprint“ will be a motivating and valuable tool for our schools to internalise sustainable behaviour in the significant areas of “environmental and climate goals”, “ICT“ and „European awareness“.

Our core groups at KGS Schneverdingen in 2020/21 and in 2021/ 22:

Im März 2021 hat die Erasmus-Gruppe in der Schulgemeinschaft der KGS Schneverdingen eine Umfrage zum Thema „Ernährung und Nachhaltigkeit“ durchgeführt. Die nationalen Ergebnisse können hier eingesehen werden:

https://freeonlinesurveys.com/r/eDzi015w