Impact
One of the main aims of our project BeYouropean was Sustainability. In fact, during the carrying out of the project, the commission in charge of this aim traced back some of our most traditional dishes and proved with several examples that including seasonal products from local farm shops contributes positively to their health and environment. It is also a way to support your local economy and producers. Students also elaborated a seasonal product calendar and got tips on how to prepare seasonal foods.
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But this was not the end of our research. As an important impact on our school we enrolled in The Eco-Schools programme promoted by CRIF Las Acacias and has been engaging our students ever since in taking positive actions that have transformed our school and lives. This Program aims to promote environmental education for sustainable development and environmental management, and eventually certifies the school at an international level.
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Its holistic, participatory and learning approach make it an ideal Program for schools to embark on a significant process for the improvement of their environment and the local community, influencing life and involving the community: the entire educational community of the school including students, teachers, families, administrative and service staff, etc. At the same time, it favours the involvement of local authorities, requiring their collaboration so as to be able to achieve the aims inside and outside the school
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The Program encourages students to develop an active role in their schools and shows them how to improve and benefit their local environment, by taking decisions with respect to the use of WATER, ENERGY and WASTE at school and also at a global level to fight climate change. Students and teachers take part in decision-making processes, and raise their awareness of environmental issues like Responsible Consumption, International Cooperation and Fair Trade in their daily lives. It is also a good vehicle to introduce the education in values​.
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Among the actions that took place in our school we have:
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…created and Eco-Wall which is modified every day according to the activities related to the project as well; as well as an online wall in Teams that was the channel of communication between teachers and students when it was necessary to carry out an audit or broadcast events and news related to our community.
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…located containers to recycle trash in every class, corridor and also outside school. This has been accompanied by an Awareness Campaign consisting of the projection of movies and documentaries like The Boy who Harnessed the Wind or The History of Things by Annie Leonard.
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…created Infography and posters that we have hung around school to raise awareness
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…collaborated with one of the local schools in the recycling of writing instruments together with Terracycle, an international recycling business.
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…created shoebox dioramas with recycled material and exhibited them in the school corridor’s.
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…participated in different eco-friendly actions like recycling mobile phones with Chimpamig@s, waste collection in collaboration with El Molar’s Council for the programme Libera 1m2, and in the Planting Tree Day by Pedrezuela’s Council.
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…promoted the use of bicycles by creating a park lot for bikes inside school.
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…created an Edible Forest based on permaculture and located several compost containers. We even included a butterfly oasis and sent he pictures to Zerynthia Association, which included our school in their web.
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…won 1st prize after presenting our work to 2022 6th Edition Endesa’s Educational Eco-innovation Contest.
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For all these reasons, we think this Erasmus project has been worth and has transformed the life in our school, IES CORTES DE CÁDIZ, and our students' mentality. As a result, the meausres that have been taken will stay for long.
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