Description
The effects of climate change represent a major problem in Romania. In the past few years floods, extreme temperature, desertification, abundant precipitation become more and more frequent. The project addresses the lack of education on climate change among young people, who are the most vulnerable to the effects of this phenomenon. The main objectives are to develop the knowledge level of students and teachers in climate change theme (causes and effects of climate change), to raise awareness in local communities on climate change and to influence public policy on environmental education. During the project implementation 16 teachers will be trained and will become information multipliers, over 300 students will be educated, over 1500 people will be informed on local level and over 5000 people on national level. At least 8 local and 5 central decision-makers will be involved in making positive decisions on environmental education and fighting climate change. The project target groups consist of students, teachers, general public and education authorities.
Summary of project results
Lack of education on climate change and the fact that children are the most vulnerable to climate change effects are the two main problems the project is addressing. Lack of education makes children more vulnerable both on short term but also on the medium and long term because they will continue to face the causes and effects of climate change. More than that, in Romania the level of solidarity, information and support manifested by youth regarding important current environmental issues is relatively low. The project contributed to the education of a number of teachers and students on the topic of climate change, helping them understand and interact with their communities and with local and central authorities. Important steps have been made in order to introduce in the national curriculum an optional course regarding Education for Environment and Sustainable Development, which also contains an education component on Climate Change. The main activities of the project were: educational activities for teachers and students, thematic contests for students, awareness raising campaigns at local level and an advocacy campaign for introducing education for environment in the curriculum, at central level. These activities impacted the main target groups: students and teachers, as well as the general public and local and central authorities. During the project, a total of approximately 1,000 students became familiar with notions about climate change and learned about how they can tackle its causes and effects, which further contributed to rising awareness among other students and citizens from their communities. The cumulative number of students which were involved in the project in various activities such as competitions, marches, awareness campaigns etc. exceeded 2,300, and more than 250 teachers participated in various phases of the project. During the advocacy campaign at central level, numerous meetings and interactions with decision makers from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environment took place, as well as meeting with parliamentarians and even with the Presidency. A first draft of the protocol of cooperation between the two ministries (Education and Environment) for developing a national curriculum on Education for Environment and Sustainable Development, one that never existed until this moment between the two institutions, was developed.
Summary of bilateral results