LTTA Latvia

International Erasmus+ Experience Week in Latvia: 12 Teachers from Turkey, Romania and Italy Join Us

From May 12 to 16, Andrejs Upits Skriveri Secondary School hosted an Erasmus+ mobility week as part of the project 2024-1-IT02-KA210-SCH-000243956 “Our Sustainability and Eco-School Adventure with GreenWeb Games”. Twelve teachers from Turkey, Romania, and Italy participated in this second international activity of the project. The aim of the week was to promote awareness of sustainability, environmentally conscious thinking, the importance of biodiversity and international cooperation among educators.

Monday began with a warm welcome at school. Our guests enjoyed a student concert, took a tour around the school, and participated in a practical workshop where they learned how to make recycled paper.

On Tuesday, the teachers visited Latvia’s capital, Riga, and explored its rich cultural and historical heritage. The day included visits to the University of Latvia, the Latvian National Opera and Ballet building, the Freedom Monument, the Old Town, and the National Library of Latvia.

Wednesday was dedicated to environmental education and nature exploration. Environmental science expert Agate Albekeite gave a talk about biodiversity and its importance, offering teaching ideas that the visiting educators could use in their classrooms. Afterwards, participants explored the Skriveri Dendrological Park and took a guided walk along the Sūnu Trail to Kalnmuiža Lake, discovering the wooden sculptures inspired by Andrejs Upīts’ story “The Boys of Moss Village” and explored the Skriveri Dendrological Park an in the evening, they attended a school choir concert in Aizkraukle, where singer Renārs Kaupers also performed with the children.

On Thursday, guests joined outdoor sustainability workshops together with students from grades 1 to 4. Children visited various learning stations where they created nature artworks using natural and found objects, measured tree circumferences, learned how long different types of waste take to decompose, got to know Latvian animals and birds, mimicked animal sounds, and enjoyed a tasty soup prepared outdoors. Later in the day, the group visited Koknese, including its park, castle ruins, church, and the Garden of Destiny.

Friday concluded with educational online games related to biodiversity and responsible food consumption. This was followed by a heartfelt farewell party with the folklore group “Dimti”. In the afternoon, the guests enjoyed a boat trip on “Baltā kaza” to visit the nearby town of Jaunjelgava.

This week was filled with valuable experiences, inspiration, and meaningful collaboration. Our school community was delighted to host international colleagues and share knowledge, values, and culture. We are proud to be part of such a significant international initiative and look forward to future meetings within the Erasmus+ programme!

Latvia’s Erasmus+ coordinator, Santa Mārtinsone

The second transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ project "Our adventure in sustainability and eco-school with GreenWeb games" in Latvia, held from 12 to 16 May 2025, offered the four teachers from the Secondary School Ghimbav - Cristina Nicolaescu, Ioana Costea, Oana Mihalcea, Gabriela Nonoșel - new professional experiences and an inspirational model for modern ecological education. The activities targeted ecological education through examples of good practices: first of all, visiting and observing the eco-school in Skriveri, the paper recycling workshop, exploring nature and ecological education, outdoor formative and educational activities carried out by primary school students and sessions on the use of digital games in forming responsible attitudes towards the environment and last but not least, cultural aspects that were focused on the connection of the Latvian people with nature. The meeting provided opportunities for authentic learning, international collaboration, and professional development for teachers, providing an inspirational model for modern ecological education and ensuring sustainability. (România)

ITALY REPORT OF ACTIVITY

 Composting & Biological Diversity and GreenWeb Games in Latvia

12-16.5.2025

The second LTTA of the Erasmus+ project KA 2024-1-IT02-KA210-SCH-000243956 Our Sustainability and Eco-School Adventure with GreenWeb Games took place in Skrīveri, Latvia, with the participation of all four countries: Türkiye, Latvia, Italy, Romania. The Italian teachers participating were: Marta Maria de Lucia, Stefania Lovino, Caterina Stasi, Antonia Giulia Tangari.

This report aims to describe the LTTA held in picturesque Skrīveri, Latvia, and in other rural communities near the river Daugava. Participants experienced a unique blend of local landscapes, flavours and nature through community learning and hands-on education. The event offered a variety of workshops, educational tours and interactive labs focusing on the environment and green web games. This approach not only provided practical skills, but also contributed to a shift in perspective regarding the ecosystem, with a focus on sustainability and on community and school involvement.

AIMS 

This mobility aimed to:

-  provide an overview and evaluation of past project activities up to this point;

-  lay the foundation for activities to be carried out until the next mobility;

-  prepare the infrastructure for our sustainability-themed work;

-  increase the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence applications;

-  create and share biodiversity-themed GreenWeb games.

 ACTIVITIES:

 During our five-day stay in Skrīveri, we took part in practical activities and learnt about responsible consumption and environmental awareness. A key feature was testing the learning model and set of workshops developed on different topics, with a particular focus on (re)connecting with local farmers, nature, outdoor activities, sustainable consumption, recycling, and green web games.

 Monday, 12.05.2025

 On the first day, the coordinator met the group at the hotel and accompanied them to the Andreja Upīša Skrīveru vidusskola. The first official meeting began at 9:30 am in the school auditorium. During the opening ceremony, the headmistress and the project coordinator, Santa Martisone, greeted the guests with a welcome speech and introduced the school choir and its director. Immediately afterwards, the students performed some traditional Latvian dances. After the coffee break two students gave a presentation on the school activities within the framework of the Eco Forum, which involved the entire community and focused on sustainability and the reduction of food waste. These initiatives earned the school several

awards. This presentation was followed by a workshop on recycling paper to make new paper, in which participants made bookmarks. After lunch in the school canteen we visited the local factory “Skrīveru Saldumi” and took part in a workshop on hand-wrapping sweets. Then we went to “RaDaDa”, a local design and textile printing studio.

 Tuesday, 13.5.2025

 In the morning we reached Riga by train. We began our walk through the city streets, passing the university and the Latvian National Opera House on the way to the Freedom Monument (Brīvības Piemineklis), a symbol of Latvian independence. Next, we visited the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, strolling through medieval streets lined with historic buildings. Highlights included the majestic Riga Cathedral, an architectural masterpiece with a long history and an impressive organ, and the House of the Blackheads, with its ornate façade telling the story of the merchant fraternity. Finally, we ended the morning on the top floor of the National Library, where we enjoyed a spectacular panoramic view of the city.

Wednesday, 14.05.2025

 We spent the whole morning outdoors. Environmental science expert Agate Albekeite explored the concept of biodiversity with us and suggested ideas for some activities with children. We walked among proud trees, standing in an endless web of life and resilience. We immersed ourselves in this extraordinary ecosystem, a place that enchants and invites reflection. It reminds us of the immense value of the planet's green lungs. We then reached Castle Mound and visited the dendrological park in Skrīveri. In the afternoon we reached Aizkraukle to attend a concert featuring Renārs Kaupers and the local schools choirs. We enjoyed an engaging performance, which really impressed us all with its technique, sensitivity, and expressiveness.

Thursday, 15.5.2025

 In the morning, we joined pupils in Years 1–4 at Park in front of the Andreis Upītis Museum, where there were various stations offering games and activities related to environmental sustainability. We also had the opportunity to taste a soup that had been prepared on site for pupils and teachers to enjoy together. In the afternoon, we visited Koknese: the Park, New Castle Ruins, the medieval castle ruins and the Garden of Destiny. Established as a national gift to celebrate Latvia's centenary, the garden symbolises the connection between the past, present and future, and represents the resilience of the Latvian people. The day ended with a convivial dinner at Rudolfs Restaurant.

 Friday, 16.05.2025

 On the last day, we reviewed the project, shared our experiences from the previous days and discussed the next steps. We also tried out some biodiversity games. The Dimti folk group enlivened the farewell party with music, songs and dances involving all the delegations. The party ended with the presentation of certificates of participation. Our final lunch at Café Skrīveru Mayas aldējums gave us the chance to sample new flavours and recipes made with local products. In the afternoon, after saying goodbye to our Romanian colleagues who were leaving, we went to visit Jaunjelgava by boat.

IMPACT:

 The transnational teacher training event in Latvia was educational, demonstrating the transformative power of ecological literacy in everyday life and taking a step towards building more aware and resilient communities. Sustainability was a recurring theme throughout the event, with activities focusing on responsible consumption and fostering healthy community connections, particularly with local farmers, as well as promoting ecological activities in schools. These activities were complemented by discussions on reducing food waste, demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility.