about the project

Context

Information

Project Title: RIVERS

Project Acronym: RIVERS

Project Start Date : 01-09-2020

Project Total Duration: 24 months + 12 months (extension)

Project End Date: 31-08-2023

National Agency of the Applicant Organisation: IT02 Agenzia Nazionale Erasmus+ - INDIRE

Main objective of the project: Exchange of Good Practices

Background

Objectives and impacts

The project starts from the current environmental pollution global warming focusing its attention on the impacts of human activity on the river basin. Furthermore, it provides the necessity to introduce skills and knowledge about this issue at school speaking also about the environment, pollution, and climate change. They represent worldwide issues, and many students leave school without extensive knowledge about these problems. Moreover, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development calls on us to develop holistic and integrated responses to the many social, economic and environmental challenges (ED/GEMR/MRT/2019/C/2), and the challenge on river basin pollution is very important. Several reports (EEA Report 2019) show critical situations; 62% of river districts are contaminated because they pass where places have high population density. This situation needs new management models by GIS system, and “RIVERS” represents within this scenario the solution to debate into the school and its community these problems. The survey made within the work-group gave us the possibility to structure this project, and the results stressed the importance to take a position on the matter (61,4%) recognising the negative impacts of industries on natural contexts (70% -90%). Moreover, all participants have not used GIS at school (85,9%) and for them, GIS represents an implementation of their ICT skills (100%).

In order to sustain these needs, the project aims to the implementation of students/teachers’ competences developing multicriterial-interdisciplinary skills and active citizenship oriented to protect and manage from the bottom our natural resources, designing new policies applying ICT/GIS systems. Our target group includes 400 students (aged 15-18 years) and 50 teachers who have low skills on these matters. Our project will learn how to design bottom-up strategies to mitigate these impacts in line with Agenda 2030 and thanks to the collaboration of private/public actors. The basin will be studied taking into consideration 6 values: HISTORICAL/INSTITUTIONAL, HYDROGEOLOGICAL, LANDSCAPE, RECREATIONAL, FLORA and FAUNISTIC values. The main result will be a research/dossier made on real basin where students and teachers will apply their ideas to mitigate these impacts. It is an exercise which gives us an active role in the territory servicing the public utility. Other aims are: 1) the implementation of external partnerships; 2) the implementation of collaborative learning and critical thinking; 3) the development of communication skills in a foreign language; 4) the development of active European citizenship.

Planned activities

A) a GIS laboratory in each school partner, where students, teachers, and experts develop the dossier; B) Online meetings by Twin Space; C) eBook, Logo, 6 Dossier, Movie and 2 RIVERS’ Fairs; D) Online Magazines to promote the project; E) Tours/Trails, Posters, eTwinning/Twin-Space, Website, Social (FB-Instagram-Youtube), and participation to UN World-International Days; F) Submission of dossiers to the local municipality.

Workshop themes in mobility activity

LTTA in Palermo - Sicily - Workshop about GIS and technical management of a research including the analysis of rivers and how to interact with the geographic information system to manage maps and data. Workshop about Environment and Cultural Heritage in terms of resources to be preserved in order to impacts coming from human activity. Workshop about the design of a dossier and how manage the data coming from GIS activity to create outputs taking into consideration the objectives of the project. Workshop about how to create an ebook, online magazines, shoot and edit movie, but also how to organise a local fair.

Ramnicu Valcea - Romania - Workshop on how to develop creativity: How to organize an interactive map. Workshop about methods and strategies used to develop a touristic strategy of promoting Vâlcea region in Europe, taking into consideration the recreational values of Olt river.

Ierapetra - Crete - Visit the Environmental Center of Education, workshop and seminar for the protection of the local fauna.

Torroella de Montgri - Spain - workshop to do along the upper course of the river called Ulldeter, where teachers and students will be employed to take Physico-chemical samples collection.

Torres Novas - Portugal - workshop and debate about GIS analysis with data referring to landscapes values - Output 4 (O4). Analysis of the real situation of Almonda and Tagus river in terms of impacts and proposals to reduce these impacts.

Palermo - Sicily - Workshop on landscapes values taking into consideration the activity and the materials (photos and short movies) took during the trip on the Oreto River.

Malacky - Slovakia - The flora of the Danube river, rafting on the little Danube. The mobility participants will participate in rafting on the river in a canoe while monitoring the flora in the river and on the riverbanks. The flora and its usage. A bike tour going along the Danube aimed at monitoring the Danube biome. A workshop aimed at basket-making.

RIVERS Project results

RESULTS AND IMPACT ON

STUDENTS

we have the development of their capacities-increased sense of initiative towards the natural resources; to improve their language and digital skills; the development students’ personality through engaging the soft skills into project activities; for more favourable attitude in taking initiative and risks; a better understanding and recognition of European competences and qualifications.

RESULTS AND IMPACT FOR TEACHERS/SCHOOL STAFF

the increase of the professional development opportunities, motivation and satisfaction in daily jobs; the development of pedagogical, planning and project management competences; the improvement of the image through the promotion of the school at European level; the diminishing of the students’ school failure and the increment of their motivation and relationships.

RESULT AND IMPACT ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

the contribute study bottom-up strategies to reduce the river pollution rate, to increase the quality of education at the local level, and more interaction between the community and school programmes. As concerns the benefit in the long term we have effects between school offer and demands of job thanks to the implementation of skills and competence.