Description
The importance of effective environmental education for small children to form responsible attitudes towards the environment has been proven by research. Today, kindergartens, which reach most of pre-school children in our country, miss especially long-term environmental education challenges, with proven educational impacts and broader parent and community engagement. Our goal is to change current situation by opening international well-proven Eco-Schools programme to all kindergartens in the Czech Republic showing interest. We will support teachers through trainings, workshops, developing new methodological materials and close supervision. Running Eco-Schools in kindergartens will lead to cooperation of kids, their teachers, parents and community members on projects to improve local environment, decrease kindergarten’s ecological footprint in the areas of waste, water, energy and food and most of all, empower all participants towards environmentally responsible citizenry.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the relatively limited offer of services for kindergartens connected with environmental education in the CZ. These days there is a deficit of targeted support and teachers miss especially tutorials for conceptual long-term activities they can do with children. There is a lack of complex programs that would growth thought school curricula, connect kindergartens, parents and local community and in practical way lead to the better environment in kindergartens and the surroundings. The main goal of the project was to develop a responsible attitude of preschool children, their parents and teachers towards the environment through expansion of established international Eco-school program to Czech kindergartens. During the first months that the Eco-school program started to be available to the kindergartens, more than 90 Czech kindergartens entered it. Moreover 13 schools asked for evaluation visit that is necessary before receiving the international Eco-school title. Interest and engagement of schools overcame initial expectation and project aims. As a part of the project there were 12 seminars for teachers and consultants, the manual for teachers was created and children received a poster that helps that better understand the international 7 step methodology. There were many discussion and consultations with teachers that help to better adaptation of program to schools and the opposite way. Clear criteria were established that help schools evaluate the quality of Eco-school program realization in their school. The regional support centres started to be available to schools (Olomoucký and Moravskoslezský region, Zlínský and Jihomoravský r egion, Prague and Středočeský region). Many media published information about the project – for instance Moderní vyučovaní or Buletin MRKVIČKA. Due to this fact also partners from commercial sector started to be interested in the project. The Eco-school program affected more than 90 kindergartens in the CZ. As it is the program involving the whole school, participating schools had to change the established procedures in many ways. They had to improve and enhance the cooperation with parents, implement emancipatory approach to cooperation with kids, focus more on the process than just results; and also keep searching the answer for – WHY they do it, WHY they chose certain approach. 13 schools had come that far that they fulfilled the level that is needed to receive an international Eco-school title.
Summary of bilateral results