Our school has been granted acceptance for the Erasmus KA220 School Partnership Project titled "Act Eco-Locally to Change Into Eco-Globally," collaboratively authored under the coordination of Poland, alongside Portugal, Romania, Croatia, and Greece, particularly due to the efforts of our English Teacher, Efsane Akar.
Schools play a pivotal role in enhancing citizenship skills and competencies and in aiding the new generation to realize an inclusive society with common problems, as well as in implementing democratic and citizenship education. Throughout their formal and non-formal education, young people need to develop various skills to become active citizens of the EU. Through international meetings, they can develop a European identity, citizenship, and values that cannot be fostered without visiting other countries, observing different ways of life, and making comparisons. Although more people are becoming ecologically conscious by the day, many young individuals still lack proper ecological and consumer habits. They are not aware of the importance of ecological actions, protecting the environment, and being green. In our project, we aim to develop key competencies (such as digital, linguistic, entrepreneurial, active citizenship, cultural awareness, etc.) and skills necessary for society, including complex problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, coordination with other colleagues, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and creativity in our students. We will equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to be the problem solvers of the future, nature lovers, eco-friendly consumers, and simply better EU citizens.
The declaration of the projects approval:
https://akcakocaataturk.meb.k12.tr/icerikler/erasmus-ka-220-okul-ortakligi-projemiz-kabul-edildi_14162451.html
Climate change is a global issue. The world is getting warmer, and even small changes can make a significant difference in global warming. Environmental education is rarely used in high school curriculums in many European countries, especially in technical and vocational schools, thus necessitating further research. Ecological education means providing students with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed to contribute to sustainable development and to organize or participate in ecological actions that develop communicative and social skills. According to the "EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change" strategic document, students should be better educated on climate change, and through our project, participants and school communities in the 6 partner countries will expand their knowledge on the subject. Protecting the environment is not an individual but a collective issue; it is an investment in the future of our planet. The primary goal of having this partnership project is to raise awareness that the current environmental problems we face in today’s world are global. Global awareness, rather than local awareness, is needed. Therefore, students must learn how to act eco-locally to change globally, discover new ways to protect the environment, and realize that the only way to save our planet is to change our lifestyle. Hence, we need to unite our forces not only at local and regional levels but also at national and European levels. Our voice must be heard, and our actions must be felt. Different countries are moving together for a healthier Planet!