<< Objectives >>This project seeks to create safer and healthier schools, and development of skills to achieve the entire state of physical, mental, and social well-being in harmony with nature.Objective 1. To improve the capacities in School Environmental Health.Objective 2. To promote behavioural changes in consumption habits and lifestyles to fight climate change and environmental degradation.Objective 3. To expand knowledge, appreciation, and respect for other regions of Europe.<< Implementation >>There are two educational organisations, three associations and nine primary schools from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany, involved in this project.Activities:Face to face:Transnational Meetings ( 2 in Spain and 1 in Portugal, Italy and Germany)Training Activities in each partner countryMultiplier Events (1 in each partner country)On-line:Participants organisations on-line meetingsWebinars with teachers and pupils.Online exchange of experiences with pupils.<< Results >>- An online Baseline Assessment for schools.- An online Baseline Assessment for staff, pupils and families. - A joint document on pedagogical methodologies and learning materials on key competences and green skills for teachers.- A joint document on learning materials for families with interactive participation of pupils.- A joint document on didactic materials and digital resources for pupils - A 'School Good Practice Guide'- A 'School Environmental Quality Seal'.

Context/background of project:The conception of the project stems from the Covid 19 world pandemic and the challenges (and opportunities) that everybody across the world is facing presently. 'The Face behind the Mask' idea was conceived as a creative means for learners to acquire skills and competencies that reinforce creativity in education, as well as boost quality, innovation and creative potential. Through international school partnerships with schools and creative partners, this project will foster innovative participatory and intercultural dialogue which links education and training with the cultural and creative sectors. These partnerships will in turn increase resilience through the creation of jobs, sustainable development and social inclusion through the arts.Schools and educational organisations have long recognised the importance and need for creativity in the curriculum and have ensured the delivery of rich, experiential learning opportunities to develop learners' knowledge and skills. This has been achieved through creative and forward thinking leaders and inspirational teachers who have had the vision to experiment with the curriculum and be innovative in their approaches through participation in action research. They have achieved this by making connections in different curriculum areas, choosing themes and topics that supports creative approaches, encouraging learners' independent thinking, engaging with their community and working in partnership with outside agencies and creative experts. Objectives for the project:The focus on creativity and the arts has never been more important than it is in today's climate. Learners need to find ways to deal with the challenges of Covid 19, to learn how to increase their resilience and what it means to have an identity in a fast changing society that has been hit by a deadly virus. More importantly, learners need to be equipped with the skills and competencies that will enable them to express themselves clearly, confidently and coherently and play an active part in society as 21st century global citizens. Learners need to understand that by going beyond the limits of geographical borders and developing a greater understanding of rights and responsibilities that can be shared collectively, they can fully appreciate what it means to have a common vision for humanity. 'The Face Behind The Mask' project will by its very essence, unite together schools and creative partners in an innovative action research project to explore what it means to be human, to develop resilience and to have a sense of identity both locally and internationally so that individuals can make decisions and know how to behave when faced with complex decisions and circumstances . This will be achieved through the process of sharing ideas in transnational meetings both virtually and physically, carry out research on creative approaches which focus on dance, drama and art, explore different cultures, languages and heritage and receive expertise from creative partners who will lead learning, teacher training events in three countries: Wales, Italy and Spain. Three intellectual outputs will be developed throughout the life of the project:IO1 - A good practice resource guide on creativity to support teachers with the development of effective strategies on the expressive arts across the curriculumIO2 - A Drama Performance Resource on the development of learners' creative and higher order thinking skills - This resource will be an online training resource for teaching drama, dance and experimenting with the use of masks for different scenarios accompanied by learners sharing their performances.IO3 - A good practice guide using action research and reflective practice for the development of creativity - This guide will set out the rationale for the project, the aims and the objectives, the methodology used to conduct the research, the qualitative and quantitative approaches, reflections from professionals (teachers and drama experts) and learners' responses to questionnaires before and after the project completion.The methodology which will be used to shape the project will include: questionnaires for baseline data at the start and end of the project, diaries and reflective journals, field notes and participant observations, peer assessments, photographic and video evidence, school data and interviews with teachers and creative agents.

"The project is designed to develop new teaching methods and strategies, to promote innovative models of digital and entrepreneurial education; to facilitate curriculum integration; and to build basic skills. It will equip teachers with new skills and strategies, to help them to deliver high quality learning opportunities, and meet the needs of their students. The project will use a system of teaching known as the ""Rolling Role” model of education. This was conceived originally for use in secondary schools; it was designed, in particular, to address the fragmentation of the school curriculum at secondary level, and build cross-curricula planning and integration between subjects. The system fosters multidisciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches, and integrates the teaching of basic skills (maths, science and literacy). In this way, it supports the development of transversal skills (applied across different subject areas). The “Rolling Role” system is also an enquiry method, and a child (or student) centred approach to learning. In this way, the system addresses key entrepreneurial skills.In recent years, educators and organisations have recognised the potential in using digital technology in “Rolling Role” projects. Online platforms can be used, not simply to develop a project between educators in the same organisation, but in different organisations – even in different parts of the globe; so enabling geographically dispersed groups of participants to create work based around a common context – and share it online with each other. The digital application of the system means that “Rolling Role” can be used in a variety of educational contexts. Our aim is to embed the use of the system in partner countries; and to develop and extend its use, at primary and tertiary, as well as secondary levels. One outcome of the project will be the development of new and innovative curricula and educational methods. Partners will produce ""models"" of the system in practice, together with teaching resources and schemes of work that can be used in the future by other teachers in their own schools. The resources will be suitable for use in multilingual classrooms. The project will be used in partner countries as a model of good practice, and integrated in teacher training programmes. The project will target the following groups:(1) students from disadvantaged backgrounds (2) students from diverse ethnic and migrant backgrounds (3) students with learning difficulties and low achievement in basic skillsSome 500 students in different organisations will participate in the project; with 280+ estimated as falling into the above categories.The project will bring together education providers at different levels. The partners are: two UK arts and cultural organizations (Midland Actors Theatre / Bertz Associates); a UK primary school (Woodrow First School); a combined primary & secondary school in Italy (Istituto Comprensivo via Ferraironi IC Simonetta Salacone); a secondary school in Spain (Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Padre Juan de Mariana); and a university in Poland (University of Lodz).Partners will plan schemes of work together, which they will then deliver with their own students. The project will pioneer a model of digital and entrepreneurial education, and curriculum integration, in schools and other institutions. It will also target young from disadvantaged groups. A project website will be created, and afilmed record of the project will be made; it will be edited, and project videos will be posted online. The films will show planning meetings, interviews with participants, and project delivery in classrooms in different countries. We will also produce a Teaching Guide, and Schemes of Work and teaching resources, so that other teachers can use the project in their own classrooms. The project will have a wider legacy. It will be rolled out and embedded as a teaching programme in a number of schools/colleges in partner countries; and it will also be incorporated in teacher training courses. We will raise awareness of the project through national and international networks, We believe that it will have an impact on educational policies in partner countries, and on curriculum development, in its promotion of an innovative model of digital and entrepreneurial education, and its emphasis on curriculum integration. It will also offer educators new ways to address diverse needs in the classroom, as a child-centred and enquiry-based form of pedagogy."

Climate change is one of the main challenges our planet is facing and its effects became extremely visible to all. Transport accounts for a quarter of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and its share continues to grow. This project aims to foster the development of active European citizens who are aware of the relevance of their individual choices as triggers of change, by introducing in the daily life bicycle as transport mode to schools. The specific objectives of the project are:● to promote raising awareness about environmental challenges and a better understanding of the importance of individual choices as factors of change ● to promote sustainable urban mobility principles among pupils and the use of the bicycle as the most effective means of transportation● reinforcing the development of key competences in pupils, such as communication in foreign languages, digital competences, social and civic competences, including climate actionTo achieve these objective, the RIDE&SMILE partners will produce the following outputs:- RIDE&SMILE Interactive Learning Platform (ILP), which is supposed to boost and support the Bike to School Cycling Challenge involving school pupils from all over Europe. Through an effective game-based approach already tested by the project proposers on themselves, the BTS Challenge is aimed to foster the use of the bicycle among the pupils, who are going to contribute to the points collected by their teams (school classes) in terms of run kilometres and saved CO2. This will be done by going to school by bike and adding the corresponding distances on the ILP, thus directly impacting on families’ habits and allowing them to discover a better and healthier solution for daily displacements, also contributing to the well-being of the community.- RIDE&SMILE educational activities on environmental awareness: the innovative aspect of this output is the integration of environmental and sustainability issues in a complementary way to the other subjects. Furthermore, the environmental issues will be weaved together with other important learning paths such as active citizenships and aware behaviour. Teachers will definetheir own needs and build tailored learning paths.- 5 multipliers events will be organised by partners to promote and diffuse the main project outputs, including huge final events in Rome and Brussels. In addition, as one of the most outbreaking activities within the whole project, the RIDE&SMILE partners aim to do something that nobody has ever been doing within a European project, a symbolic bike trip from Rome to Brussels: a zero-emission 1.600 km ride on two wheels across six countries to bring the project results directly to the heart of the European Union.- 3 Joint Staff Training Events will be organised by partners as key steps in the process leading to the production of the intellectual outputs as well as for the achievement of the project objectives The main TARGET GROUPS addressed by the project are:- Primary school pupils and their families/tutors will benefit from new learning methods and tools improving civic engagement and environmental awareness through a game-based learning approach- Teachers and primary school staff will benefit from innovative didactic activities adapted to the needs and scope of primary schools- Non-formal educators involved in school education, NGO’s and associations’ staff will benefit from strengthened cooperation between formal and non-formal education and will broaden the local/national perspectives concerning climate actions.The project is promoted by a composite consortium aiming at consolidating the cooperation between schools and civil society and synergies between formal and non-formal education. In particular, the consortium is composed by 3 primary schools, 3 associations/NGOs experienced in collaboration with the world of school and dealing with sustainability and environmental issues, a European association (Eurogeo) committed with environmental issues and the University of Salzburg, providing a fundamental scientific and technical expertise.The global scale of the environmental challenge cannot be tackled under a local or even national perspective. The promotion of cycling must be spread all over the continent starting from the youngest generations, which represent the future of the European Union. Change must start from the school, because it is in the school where individuals shape their identities and develop a sense of belonging to a wider community. This project aims to foster the development of active European citizens who are aware of the relevance of their individual choices as triggers of change. Within this context, the exchange of good practices and international cooperation is fundamental to stimulate a behavioural change in the daily habits and in sharing formal and non-formal teaching approaches.