"""Communication Is the Key"" started from the need to improve communication skills, interaction, behavior, tolerance and civic responsibility for 3500 students from 7 partner schools. We noticed frequent manifestations of aggressive behavior among students within the schools area. We had a questionnaire applied in the 7 partner schools, about violence and aggressive behavior among students. The questionnaire confirmed: students need to improve their behavior. This created the necessity for a project dedicated to developing students personality in a positive way. Objectives of the project: improving communication and foreign language skills, interaction skills, self control, mind development, emotional awareness, self awareness, self esteem and positive attitude, social integration, mentality, responsibility, civic behavior, tolerance, management of conflicts, multi-cultural dialogue, ICT, reducing aggressive behavior and early school leaving. Participants: direct beneficiaries 3500 students from 7 partner schools in East European and Latin countries; and estimated 9000 indirect beneficiaries (parents, siblings, teachers, local authorities, mass media representatives, members of community from 7 countries, also online national and international audience from 44 countries reached online). People involved in project implementation: school teachers with psychological and pedagogic knowledge, school psychologists and counselors, managers and other staff. There was cooperation with other local institutions: orphanages, homes for elderly people, special schools for disabled students (in Romania, Poland, Spain), and local authorities. Activities focused on improving positive communication and personality development, social skills, solidarity, tolerance, acceptance of diversity, improving civic responsibility, team work and group integration. Activities in 2 years: group activities encouraged tolerance, integration and cooperation; games developed team spirit, solidarity and a sense of belonging to a group; workshops focused on specific areas of communication and interaction; individual study on history of communication and types of communication around the world; power point presentations and essays on specific subjects related to project objectives; short plays and simulations of personal and social interaction; group discussions on the topics of mind development and management of emotions, reactions and self control; ICT activities, online communication; social interaction in real situations; pro-ecological activities increased environmental responsibility; creative activities (drawings, paintings, making objects from recycled materials); visits to orphanages and meetings with disabled children for improving tolerance and empathy; community voluntary actions encouraging solidarity; discussions and questionnaires about ethic principles, human rights, civic behavior, laws, making decisions, the importance of education for progress, social inclusion and success, the importance of action-consequence and the negative consequences of aggressive behavior. Methods: non-formal methods, games, outdoor team activities, brainstorming, discussions, workshops, creative activities, counseling sessions, questionnaires. Results: 1. tangible (printed or electronic) Project Magazine (4 issues); Guide for Communication (a manual guide for counseling classes improving behavior); videos of group activities on improving empathy and cooperation; European civic passport for students - a little brochure; a brochure about human rights and responsibilities in social interaction and for the environment; articles about non-verbal communication; a collection of manners and customs around the world regarding human interaction; a brochure about tolerance; essays, power point presentations, drawings, posters, project website, project facebook page, students blog. 2. qualitative abstract results: improved communication skills; improved behavior and positive interaction; improved management of emotions and self control; improved social integration; increased empathy, cooperation, tolerance; evolved mentality; increased interest for education and personal progress; reduced aggressive behavior; improved responsibility about others and the environment. Impact on target group: 3500 students from the 7 partner schools benefited from improved communication skills and foreign language skills, better ICT knowledge, better interaction and social skills, improved civic responsibility, tolerance, empathy, cooperation, multi-cultural knowledge, interest for learning, self control, positive attitude, politeness, reduced aggressive behavior.Impact on indirect beneficiaries: the social media page of the project reached 3850 people from 44 countries, speaking 25 languages. Long term benefits: better communication and social / civic skills with more chances of social integration, personal progress, better citizens, a better society and life."

"Water is one of the most essential elements of any kind of life on Earth and we are facing a difficult period in the upcoming decades. Clean water bases are diminishing while the demand for water is increasing. Water is a cross-cutting issue that affects all aspects of development, including health, food security, economic development, ecosystem services and biodiversity. The particular focus on water, climate and resilience aims at cooperation and initiatives in the area. The latest objective of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 is about ""clean, accessible water for all"". The teaching and training activities in the project and their outcomes were to set a standard for this very important goal. We wished to show how educational institutions and the local communities behind them across Europe could promote Goal 6.As teachers we could not sit back and watch the future of water, we had to be proactive in its preservation for the upcoming generations. The educational methods and approaches we used in our project were varied and as modern as possible as we felt the traditional classroom methods may not be sufficient for such a wide topic. That is why we aimed at creation of a multidisciplinary and hands-on approach to teaching that could only be achieved when discovering the various spheres that our partners could offer based on their special skills/expertise.The basic priority behind the project was to lay the methodological foundation of ‘good practices’ together with the teachers involved in the project.We aimed to create a methodological model, which enabled us to make an interdisciplinary educational program for the ages of 13-17 at secondary level as this age group was the main focus range of our project activities. With the help of the programme students could understand the importance of water, and how much it intertwines all fields of life. It was also essential for students to comprehend the vulnerability of water bases and the diminishing quantity of resources as well as the need to find ways of sustainable water management. Furthermore, students also realized how important it is to work in a multinational project. They also learnt a lot about culture of other participating countries and found out that their peers from the other countries face the same challenges and problems as them. Great friendships were formed during the project not only among the students but also among the participating teachers. They had great possibility to talk to teachers from the other countries about their work and gain new experience in the field of methodology and teaching.The international work was called into life with a clear intention of seeing the participating teachers become better educators, as they shared the knowledge from their own expert area with others. The educational areas, subjects that we aimed to develop were language skills, language teaching, history, geography, biology, chemistry, economics, environmental studies, water management studies, and maths.Throughout the two years we have managed to create a set of MM teaching materials which were used in classrooms of participating schools. These materials are closely connected to water, water supplies in participating countries, water treatment and management. Students have learnt how similar and also different are approaches to water issues in participating countries. They have also learnt a lot about the ways we should treat water to ensure sustainable water management. That reflected in creating of the Water Charter that includes ideas from all participating countries. Apart MM teaching materials a set of playful materials was created. As all students enjoy games, it was the way how to motivate them to learn more about the project topics. They were able to enlarge their vocabulary connected to the project topics due to creating of the multi-language dictionary. The dictionary includes terminology we have learnt on international meetings. All the project results have been disseminated on e-twinning and school project website. In this way not only the schools but also the local community and local authorities have learnt about the project and its results."

The ‘Use of Energy Effectively - Green Energy’ project is a reflection of an important global issue, the solution of which could be found for a given region with the participation of at least several countries. Common issues unite people and motivate them to look for common solutions. Harmony between the human creator and the human being is needed. The primary objective of this project, which includes five schools from five different countries, is to help form an ecological attitude towards nature. The participants will focus their efforts on modern man and make him change his attitude to the habitable world because the trouble of modern man is that he has become a consumer of nature. This is a project that will raise the question for the responsibility to the next generations. Its aim is to help young people change not only their attitude towards nature, but also to make adjustments to ethics and their value systems. Therefore each partner will explore the renewable energy sources in his region or country and will present them to his project partners and all of them together at a round table will look for answers to questions like: How to save energy at home and at school, what and how to recycle, how to store energy? This is a project that aims at alarming as many people as possible in Europe. That’s why we will make an interactive map of the renewable energy sources in the region where students live, in order to stimulate their interest in green energy. During the trainings we will visit a photovoltaic or a wind farm in the given region to find out about the benefits of this energy. This will also help form a civic position and a desire for coping with the apathy of modern man, who lives with the thought that this does not affect him and nothing depends on him. In addition, we will make sure to include students with special educational needs to find their place in the project and not to feel isolated, unworthy and a burden to society. They will gather materials for recycling and disseminate brochures. Our project will act as a call for help and as a result we expect to educate young people with an active civic position. Once the project is completed, students’ participation in civic initiatives for the promotion of renewable energy will be the proof that we have achieved our primary goal and have signaled that there is still a chance for the Earth to be saved before it is too late. The project will encourage multicultural education, tolerance and will also provoke desire in each participant to preserve nature and seek alternative energy sources. We hope this desire to be contagious and to attract more and more people to the ideas of the project. One of the best activities will be publishing students’ essays in a collection. The beginning that we set for our ‘green initiatives’ will be followed by new similar acts that will be spread like a domino. Learning, teaching and training activities will bring together pupils and teachers from different European countries, and this will help the collaboration of people belonging to different cultures. This cooperation will definitely be very useful and innovative and will help build trust and respect among all participants. After each training meeting, where students will demonstrate the acquired skills, we will give them a certificate ‘Responsible for the Future’, certifying the following skills: creativity, active citizenship, defending a position and making quick decisions, logical and creative thinking. Each creative product will receive a certificate. We will try to teach our students to think creatively and critically about issues related to alternative energy sources. Students will gain confidence that they know and can be responsible and that they are part of the future of the world. It is becoming more and more evident that conventional education can no longer provide optimal knowledge for modern society. Therefore, we will apply new, interactive practices at our training meetings which operate on a principle, different from the one so far. We would also like to apply an alternative approach to the learning process. We will cooperate with non-governmental organizations, local student parliaments, local formal and informal institutions and schools in the region to disseminate the project results and products. The sustainability of the project will be ensured by shooting films during meetings which will be available on CDs for each participant. The products from recycled materials will be distributed after project’s end, too, because we believe that perseverance and tenacity are what is needed for the successful realization of our common goal.

The aim of the ACT GREEN Erasmus+ project is to get students aged 9 to 12 to understand the impact of human activity on the balance of nature and to make them use more practices supporting sustainable development. The second goal of the project is to develop participatory education methods and, as a result, enhance pupils’ self-esteem, sense of appreciation, school motivation and social skills. When these goals are achieved, pupils become socially active actors, which for its part reduces the risk of exclusion. The project includes two schools from Finland and one from Romania, Greece, Italy and Portugal. The most prominent results of the project are developing pupil centered lesson plans and producing ideas for sustainable development in educational establishments. We hope our project raises inspiration and develops and processes our products forward.

<< Background >>A number of studies and EU reports have highlighted the need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals in near future for sustainable growth and development. However, despite the need for STEM jobs, the reports and studies also indicated that the young learners do not want to pursue a career in STEM fields. Similarly, in the mentioned reports and research, we are facing global issues which are connected to the lack of STEM specialists. The global issues such as pollution and climate change that we have to face are complex problems, and the solution of these problems needs interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.Developing and increasing an understanding and taking action against the environmental problems and climate change are more needed than reading them from the textbooks. The students know that we should save our planet and that climate change is a vital problem for our world, but almost all of them do nothing to reduce their carbon footprint. Thus, the main aim of this project is to develop STEM-related skills and competencies for our children through STEM activities-inspired environments. In line with the aim of the project, our partnership is focused on developing students' skills and academic success in STEM disciplines while enabling them to create STEM solutions for environmental issues and to fight against climate change. As emphasised in the programme guide and the European Green Deal Communication, our schools have a key role for a successful transition to become climate-neutral by 2050. The project is also focused on developing our students' skills and awareness of environmental sustainability through designed STEM activities. Thanks to this project not only our students, but also the whole school community including parents will be aware of how individual consumption, habits, and lifestyle affects the environment and climate change. European Commission aims to strengthen “basic skills” and “key competencies” in EU member states for sustainable development and educational growth. In line with this strategy, regardless of the background and abilities of the children, we aim to improve our children’s “basic skills” as literacy, numeracy, science, and technology and “key competencies” such as knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help learners to find personal fulfillment and, later in life, find work and take part in society. The project is not only aimed to develop key competencies, but also 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, cooperation, communication, creativity, adaptability, and media literacy, which are vital for individuals.The problems such as climate change, pollution, poverty, epidemic diseases that have arisen in the 21st century are becoming increasingly complex. Therefore, these complex problems can be solved by individuals with 21st-century skills and interdisciplinary thinking. As a result, with this project, we aim for our students to have the competence to solve these complex problems.<< Objectives >>In recent years, STEM education as an educational approach has come dramatically to the forefront in many countries, as in the EU. Apart from meeting the increasing need for engineers and scientists for economical growth, the STEM education approach offers important opportunities for educators and learners. One of the opportunities is to develop STEM activities by using environmental issues and climate change in real-world settings. STEM education can help students to develop their key competencies, systems-oriented thinking skills as well as empathy towards environmental problems in these learning environments. Students can collect data through observations in a natural environment and analyse it to identify problems and research the solutions for the problems through engineering design. Moreover, they can develop solutions and test them, and share the solutions with their peers as well. According to the needs analysis we conducted in our schools, our science and mathematics teachers think that our students' level of success in this field is insufficient. Supporting this, our students’ results of local and national exams of science and mathematics are lower compared to other subjects. In addition, they do not enjoy learning from a textbook inside the school walls, so we should carry out the learning activities outside of the school walls. For this reason, we believe that STEAM education can be a solution to make science and mathematics lessons more meaningful, enjoyable for our students and improve students' achievement in this field. Also, developing environment-inspired STEM activities can support green initiatives and a sustainable future in general, positively. In this context, the main aim of this project is to develop STEM-related skills and competencies for our children through STEM activities-inspired environment. In line with the main of the project, specific objectives of the project are following: Students;-improving attitudes and interest STEM disciplines and STEM career -raising awareness and pursue taking action against environmental problems and climate change (“take the future in your hands”)-developing key competencies and transversal skills through STEM application (megatrends of the world today)-improving and expanding their understanding of STEM.- increasing STEM literacy, supporting lifelong interest and participation in STEM -improving communication skills while working in an international team (development of sustainable cross-border cooperation.)Teachers- educational leaders:-developing professional skills to practice new learning approaches in order to facilitate an innovative learning approach in their lessons (future skills)-exploring formative students' assessment methods for STEM education outcomes-developing communication skills in a foreign language while exchanging good practices-improving organisational skills by implementing seminars, dissemination and LTTA’sParents-İncreasing awareness of environmental issues and climate change-Reducing carbon footprints at least -Contributing recycling at their home and work<< Implementation >>-The STEM Education activities which are designed in an environmental context: We will apply STEM activities not only in our classroom but also we will apply the activities in an out-of-school context. Environmental issues and climate change will be used as a common theme for our activities. Thus, while students are learning, they will develop knowledge and awareness about environmental issues and climate change. The students who participated in developed activities will work in a team and develop solutions for environmental problems. They will work as scientists and engineers to understand the problem and develop solutions for the problem in a real-life context. Environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource waste, as well as climate change, can not only be solved by interactions of a part of our society. Therefore we will involve parents and NGOs in part of the activities of the project. Participating in these activities will develop our students' key competencies as well as 21st-century skills.The joint activities that we will apply in each partner schools: -Reduce your carbon footprint: Students will calculate their carbon footprints with their parents. They will calculate and reduce to carbon footprint every month. Also, each school set up a STEM-based project for reducing energy, water and stationery consumption and recycle. We will compare the amount of consumption before and during the project. - Save the planet with STEM solutions: The activities focused on developing solutions for environmental pollution such as water, soil, light pollution, and fighting against climate change. Students will develop STEM-based solutions for environmental and fighting climate change. - Design by Nature(Biomimicry): The students will develop STEAM-based models-prototype, solutions, eco-friendly products which are inspired by nature to save nature. - Robotics Course: The students will work in an international team in order to develop technological solutions ( such as smart irrigation systems, smart energy systems, etc.)-Take action for nature: Students will develop action plans against pollution and fighting climate change in their region. Leaflets will be prepared to raise awareness in the school/local community.-STEM career days: Professionals from the STEM field will be invited and/or the students will visit the STEM workers at their job. -STEM fair: Students will exhibit the STEM project every six months at their school. The neighborhood schools, community leaders, and parents will be invited.We will organise 2 TPM and 5 LTTAs to reach our aims. The first TPM will be organised in order to make clear each step of the activities and the second will be organised for the evaluation of the project and to disseminate and remain sustainable. The LTTAs will be organised to improve our students' understanding and develop their STEM-related skills as well as to develop 21st-century competencies.<< Results >>The project will not only increase the awareness and competencies of our students, teachers, education leaders and partner institutions in the field of STEM but also increase their awareness of environmental problems and climate change. Not only our target group but also parents, teachers and organizations in the neighboring schools will indirectly benefit from the results of the project. In order to increase the impact of the project and influence wider audiences, dissemination activities have been planned at every stage from the beginning of the project and beyond the project. All activities in the project are aimed at developing the key competencies of the participants in line with the European values and goals, as well as ensuring that the participants become democratic European citizens embracing European values. Also, the project will enable us to carry STEM disciplines out of the school walls to in an environmental context. While participants learning science in a different context, they will have the chance to experience hands-on activities. We are expecting ;We are expecting our students will be interested in science and also they will be able to read scientific news to think critically on scientific issues. To make them ready for the 21st-century and its complex problems we are expecting our students to develop their key competencies as well as 21st-century skills by attending the activities in this project. The project activities also designed and support the team working in collaboration. The mentioned complex problems need cooperation to be solved. All activities that we are going to apply allow to students working in a real-life context. Thus, the students will develop their competencies such as digital, creativity, self-confidence skills. Moreover, we are also expecting them to develop their awareness against climate change and reduce their carbon footprints and become STEM-literate democratic citizens of the EU.