REPAIR THE WORLD

<< Background >>We applied for the REPAIR THE WORLD (RED) project because:• Climate change was accelerating – the last two decades were record warm, and the effects of warming also affected our communities.• Schools lacked practical materials; climate content was scattered and too theoretical.• Teachers, students and geopark staff needed new competencies in clean energy, recycling and biodiversity protection.• Understanding geoparks as “living laboratories of the Earth” was a wasted educational opportunity – there was a lack of programs showing their unique geology and role in monitoring climate change.• Dialogue between schools, geoparks and local communities was weak; ongoing cooperation and knowledge exchange was necessary.• There was a lack of open, multilingual educational resources that could be scaled internationally.The RED project responded to these needs by creating a set of materials and digital educational tools, strengthening teachers’ competences, integrating schools with geoparks and building a cooperation network supporting the decarbonization process.<< Objectives >>By implementing the REPAIR THE WORLD (RED) project, we wanted to contribute to limiting the effects of climate change, which is why we aimed to develop a climate education program that would connect schools and geoparks in international cooperation.When planning activities, we wanted teachers, students and geopark employees to acquire specific ecological skills - from proper recycling, through the use of clean energy, to the protection of forests and endangered species - and implement them in everyday educational practice.We linked these goals to the priority of supporting the teaching profession, the development of geographical education and the EU goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 55% by 2030.We also aimed to develop specific results, such as: a set of lesson plans, digital games, films, articles, a catalog of four geoparks, materials promoting green activities, as well as Climate Action Clubs for schools and the website and space of the eTwinning project.Four international training courses (in Italy, Spain, Poland and an online meeting in Turkey) provided participants with the knowledge and experience necessary to develop these materials.<< Implementation >>Project management:A Management Team was established for each partner, an internal agreement was signed and a schedule of activities with a budget was established.Constant online communication (Google Drive, e-mail, WhatsApp) and regular meetings of teachers were ensured.LTT mobilities:• C1 – Madonie Geopark, Italy: participation of 4 teachers from each school and experts; workshops on the forest as a CO₂ sink, observations of flora and fauna, landscape photography.• C2 – Valencia/Manises, Spain: participation of 4 students and 2 teachers from Poland and Turkey and geopark staff from Italy; carbon footprint, visit to a wind farm and the Molina-Alto Tajo Geopark.• C3 – Rzeszów, Poland: participation of 4 students and 2 teachers from Spain and Turkey; issues of recycling, zero-waste, composting and a visit to the Świętokrzyski UNESCO Geopark.• C4 – Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye (online): “Smart Green Homes” workshop, creating prototypes in Tinkercad, discussion on geothermal energy and environmental pollution problems.Local activities:• Workshops, competitions and field actions (cleaning, tree planting) organizedin each school.• Educational trips to national geoparks and RES installations: Kula (Turkey), Alto Tajo (Spain), Świ<< Results >>The project developed and implemented:• 12 ready-made lesson plans on climate, renewable energy and recycling;• 3 digital educational games for students;• a catalogue of 4 UNESCO geoparks and an e-booklet• a short film promoting the project and numerous graphic materials (posters, mugs, bags, brochures);• activity in social media and a public website of the project;• Climate Action Clubs were established in each partner school;• 3 LTT mobilities were carried out in Italy, Spain and Poland and one virtual event in Turkey;• workshops, exhibitions, competitions and seminars were organised for local communities;• project results were disseminated through local media, social media, Erasmus+ Project Results Platform and international events, project website: www.repairtheworld.zsp6.rzeszow.pl