Description
Environmental education is an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable development. The objective of the project "Nature in the City - I Can Help,Too" is to develop key competences and skills of the lower grades primary school pupils in the area of environmental education and awareness. The town(city) is the key environment and pupils will be thus actively involved in the protection and restoration of nature in the city. We aim to increase their contact with nature and help them to learn how behave responsibly towards the environment. The outcomes of the project will be introduction of topics aimed at environmental protection in practical activities, school activities- Nature through the children´s eyes - creation of an environmental mascot, photo contest with the theme of environmental protection, excursions to places where environment protection measures have already been applied, an information brochure will be released and a special ENVI-DAY organized.
Summary of project results
Nowadays when most people live in towns they more and more lose contact with real nature and they gradually lose relationship to it. It is important, especially with children who grow up indoors accompanied by computers and technology, to show again that nature can be found even in towns and it is worth protecting and taking care of. Though environmental education is given high attention at schools these days, it is not always possible to practise and prove the acquired knowledge, which seems very important for children. The main aim of this realized project was to initiate lower grade primary school pupils into the secrets of nature protection in Klatovy, and especially make them acquire responsible attitudes towards the place they live in. Through active involvement, experience and visual contact the kids were led to ecological thinking and activities leading to environment improvement. For such purpose an all-year-round educational programme Nature in the City was introduced. The emphasis was put on four main topics, chosen under the co-operation with the Department of Environment Protection of Municipal Council of Klatovy – vegetation, wildlife in the town, waste management, environment frienly household. During the project the teachers had a“swap meet“ of twelve activities at thein disposal which they could choose from and combine freely. So the kids under the assistance of experienced lecturers toured local parks, helped planting municipal green spaces, planted a balcony garden, visited a recycling premises or a handicapped animals refuge. They also made objects from recycled or natural materials, learned to measure energy leaks or learned how to prepare healthy meals. An overall number of 1,500 children joined the project activities. The final part of the project ,held at Secondary School of Foood Processing and Farming, was the ENVI-DAY, open to the adult public as well as the school children / approx 200 participants/. The project topics have been incorporated into a 27-page-brochure and 900 prints were distributed to the teachers and the public.
Summary of bilateral results