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BACKGROUND |
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Many of the local schools
in Galati city proved interested in the ECCG educational
programme, and got involved in concrete projects along
the last five years. An informal Green School Network
was, gradually and constantly, supported by ECCG to
develop better educational programs, their managers,
staff and students being more and more committed to
ensuring environmental standards and norms to the school
activity. The increasing demand addressed to ECCG for
both counselling and educational materials provision
generated the particular need to design an overall EE
concept proposal to incorporate the separate components
ECCG developed along the years.
The main objective would be provide to the schools involved
clearer and common understanding of the sustainable
development concept, and, thus, to have the school involved
as co-ordinating centres in the larger community movement
towards ecological sustainability. |
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Main activities developed
during 2004. |
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12 school units got
enlisted within the ECCG project -assigned area. These
units were evaluated, special attention being particularly
paid to the criteria whether the school was/is: |
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A welcoming place |
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Clean and well maintained |
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Whether the parents'
and neighbouring communities are involved in managing
it |
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A safe and healthy
place |
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Managed in a sustainable
way (Wastes/Water saving/ Electricity Saving) |
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The historic, cultural
features are conserved |
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Development of a Green
School Curriculum in the schools involved in the ECCG
EE programme area. Stress was laid on the: |
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Need for more flexibility
within the school schedule |
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Improved cooperation
with the teachers in decisions related to timetable
and contents; |
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Key competence, including
cross - curricular and social competence. |
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The interdisciplinary
approach that needs to become prevalent and cease to
be a lip service in reporting to higher authorities.
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Outputs:
In its contribution to the designing of the objectives
of the Natural Science Curriculum for the 3rd to 6th
grades, ECCG has helped the students to: |
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Become better equipped
in observing and interpreting the natural processes
that take place in the environment |
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Understand the impact
of the natural processes on the human activities and
the other way around |
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Be encouraged to assume
Environment-related responsibilities and cooperation
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Understand the consequences
of damaging the environment |
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Identify various forms
of environmental damages, understand the irreversible
transformations, and select conclusive examples |
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Elaboration and multiplication |
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of the specific educational
materials and of the guidelines for environmental management
in schools (Indrumar pentru Gestiunea Mediului in Scoli).
In the 45 pages of the guide the wastes, water, energy
and toxic substances issues are presented for the use
of the schools managers and administrators, each chapter
containing a short description of the related environmental
or health problems and a presentation of simple alternatives
and solutions. |
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Development of two
training modules for 57 teachers, in total. |
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This aimed at improving
the quality of the environmental education classes,
and, also, their ability in developing environmental
projects: start up, implementation, evaluation, and
follow up. These were: |
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March
10-13, ECCG has developed the EE 12-hour training
module, organized in the frame of a partnership with
the Galati Teachers' Association. |
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Results:
27 teachers participated from 17 schools: 10 Primary
School teachers and 17 Secondary and High School levels.
The ECCG project assigned staff (4 persons) allocated
105 hours to secure planning, preparing the materials,
running the courses, and evaluating.
The topics were: |
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ECCG presentation: mission,
objectives, projects |
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Eco Modules on: Air,
Water and Soil Pollution; Waste Management; Sustainable
Development; Compost |
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Project presentation:
ECO SORT and ZERO PAPER WASTE; BLUE DANUBE |
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ECCG Green Library Service
-presentation |
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Project designing, implementation
and evaluation: 5 working groups were established to
help them design realistic project proposals planned
to be developed in the forthcoming months. |
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Follow
up: Under the ECCG guidance, all the participating
schools developed practical projects on EE issues, mainly
connected to an environmental event, such as the World
Water Day, Earth Day, Climate Protection Day, and the
World Environment Day (WED). The ECCG staff did the
evaluation, and awards were granted on the June 5, WED.
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On
June 3-4, two seminars, 3 hour-long each, were organized
at the ECCG HQ' on " EE - from Theory to Practice".
Participants: 30 educators, trainers- Petruta Moisi
and Mirela Leonte. The topics were: |
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Co-operation between
ECCG and the schools- an evaluation report |
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Evaluation report regarding
the governmental "Clean Romania" Program launched
by the Ministry of Waters and Environment Protection
in April 2002, success stories, failures, constraints
and recommendations |
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Evaluation report of
the "Zero Paper Wastes Campaign" -successes,
constraints, and recommendations. |
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Expectations for the
2003 -2204 school year! |
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Results:
a final 3-page report (activities developed within
the Green School Award project, the respective results
and the recommendations), was distributed to all the
local responsible governmental bodies and the school
boards too. |
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October
2, Teachers' Training Workshop on water- related
issues. |
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The educational "Zero
Paper Waste" Campaign turned to be one of the most
successful components developed within the Green School
Award program. |
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Results:
An evaluation Poster for all the 26 schools active within
the paper recycling campaign was designed and distributed
to all the schools so the children could see what results
were achieved from June 2002 (when the first paper drive
was organized) until May 2003. The Poster shows that
nearly 50 tones of paper have been collected, equivalent
to 813 trees that would have been cut, otherwise. |
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Demonstrative Workshops
on Composting were developed together with teachers
and students from two schools: No. 13 - "Stefan
cel Mare", and no. 38 - "Grigore Moisil". |
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Results:
80 participants, all students, accompanied by 7 parents,
and 5 teachers, got actively involved in the activity
coordinated and supervised by 2 ECCG staff and one volunteer,
Alicia Peres, from Spain. ECCG provided the material
needed for composting to both schools. |
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"Greening
The School" Campaign |
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1200 trees were planted
within the school yards thanks to the partnership between
ECCG local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): ECCG
contacted 35 school units; 24 identified their needs,
and 12 units got the trees and got them planted in due
time. |
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The Volunteers' training
course on EE-related topics. |
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This course was developed
on August 13 with 17 participants, and included topics
such as the EE database, press release, preparation
of an EE exhibition module, and the water-related module.
A number of 34 volunteers got involved in the ECCG-led
programme. Note: more volunteers are needed to get involved
in other ECCG- led EE projects. |
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ECCG paid great attention
to the documents referring to the FIFTH MINISTERIAL
CONFERENCE "ENVIRONMENT for EUROPE (EfE), KIEV,
21 -23 MAY, 2003.
ECCG trainers presented the chapter 'Environmental Education'
to the participating teachers on June 5, and the recommendations:
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Quotation:
" We invite all countries
to integrate sustainable development into education
system at all levels, from pre - school to higher education
and non-formal as well as informal education in order
to promote education as a key agent for change. WE endorse
the Statement on Education for Sustainable Development
and invite Education and other relevant Ministers to
take an active part in the development, in close co-operation
with UNESCO, of the Strategy for Education for Sustainable
Development by 2005" |
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SOURCE:
"Declaration by the Ministers of Environment
of the region of the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)".
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The Romanian version was
made available to the ECCG Library visitors, the NGO
working group on EE, and the partner school units. It
was incorporated in the ECCG produced educational materials. |
