THINK GREEN, LIVE GREEN

<< Background >>We applied for this project because we identified a strong need to raise awareness of sustainability and environmental responsibility among our students and school communities. Climate change, waste reduction, and the efficient use of natural resources are urgent challenges, and we wanted to empower students to understand these issues and take active responsibility through concrete, hands-on activities such as school gardens, recycling projects, and water conservation.Another important need was to strengthen intercultural collaboration and European identity. By working together with partner schools, we aimed to exchange good practices, learn from different approaches, and provide both students and teachers with opportunities to develop language skills, intercultural competences, and collaborative ways of addressing common challenges.In short, the project responded both to the educational need of equipping young people with knowledge and skills for sustainable living, and to the institutional need of making our schools more international, innovative, and environmentally conscious.<< Objectives >>Our objectives were:- to maintain, protect and improve the quality of environment, as a contribution to the protection of human health and safeguarding the ecological balance. - to utilize resources in a prudent and rational way- to follow the way in which each individual will be able to, by his own behaviour and action contribute to the protection of environment- to improve management of environment and provide satisfactory solutions to environmental issues- to provide opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the environment- to encourage pupils or members to examine and interpret the environment from a variety of perspectives: physical, geographical, biological, sociological, economic, political, technological, historical, esthetic and ethical- to arouse pupils' or learners' awareness and curiosity about the environment and encourage active participation in resolving environmental problems- to make environmental education closely link to the other cross circular themes of other subject areas- to improve communication skills, numerical skills, study skills, problem solving skills, personal skills, social skills and information technology skills<< Implementation >>During the project, we implemented a wide range of activities combining communication, collaboration, and hands-on environmental work:•Created project logo and established communication channels, including a project website•Arranged an organic garden at our schools•Installed rainwater collection bins there, connected to roof downpipes, and used collected water in school gardens•Collected fruit seeds and cultivated vegetables, herbs, and flowers•Set up compost systems in the school gardens•Produced natural pesticides from eco-friendly ingredients and applied them in gardens. Bottled and shared these natural pesticides at school events/ charity events•Watched documentaries on sustainability topics with students, held follow-up discussions on the content, students wrote reflective essays on the issues presented•Organized a city-wide photo contest: students submitted one positive and one negative environmental-themed photo; results were showcased in an exhibition during Climate Week•Visit to water treatment plant•Environmental cleaning: collecting waste in school area and surrounding area•Planted saplings•students created recycled objects from typical household waste and exhibited them<< Results >>In addition to activities at each partner school, the major highlights were the international project meetings held with teachers and students at the partner schools.During these meetings the following topics were addressed:FRANCE: Environmental challenges and how to take precautions.TURKEY: Organic gardeningGERMANY: Reducing food waste & green cookingPORTUGAL: Diversity and the protection of wild area1)Established school gardens in our schools, installed collecting rain water system, planted sablings, grew vegetables and flowers 2)e-book of climate change impacts (FRA)3)e-book of organic gardening (TUR)4)e-book of green cooking (GER)