GEO-WATER
Start date: Sep 1, 2015,
End date: Aug 31, 2018
PROJECT
FINISHED
-GEO-WATER project: Context/Background
The concept of the GEO-WATER project of Marne College and IVN was accomplished in May 2014. For all main school partners Marne College and IVN provided project information, based on their 7 year cooperation with these kind of school projects. All schools in the project are familiar with internationalization and student exchange programs.
-GEO-WATER project: Two main approaches/Objectives
1. Educational innovation/Education innovation
.Implementation Schools for Sustainability method,
.Professional development of teachers and management by multi-day trainings,
.Cooperation between beta school subjects encouraged, linkages with gamma subjects improved,
.Professionalization of project content through local, regional, national and international external partners,
.Entrepreneurship promoted through cooperation with higher education, non-governmental organizations, business and government,
.Entrepeneurship pupils within consultancies.
2. Water themes
.Aquaint pupils with sustainability and water issues,
.Water modules and real life questions provided by external partners,
.Adaptation of ICT applications for research and communication (eTwinning),
.Exchange good practices/Transfer innovative knowledge via internationalization.
-Methodology, participants, profiles
The GEO-WATER project is based on the Schools for Sustainability method. Pupils work on real assignments from real clients (external partners) and cooperate with pupils from different schools in an international context to find solutions for their clients.
1. Main partners (6):
-IVN - Expert sustainability questions, provides Schools for Sustainability method, evaluation tools and teachers/management trainings,
-Main school partners (5) - Specialized in (bilingual) pre-university, general secondary and pre-vocational education, main focal point of all the schools is internationalization.
2. External partners (15):
-Non-governmental, business, government and higher education, are expert in various fields related to water-issues,
-Main water issues/themes: Water quality and biodiversity, water and environment, climate change and water safety.
-Activities and results
.2015-2016 school year: exploring
In the exploring phase of the GEO-WATER project several transnational activities are organized for the management, coordinators and subject teachers. These meetings make the implementation of the GEO-WATER concept possible. In this way the development and introduction of GEO-WATER modules in a triangular way (external partners - IVN - main partner schools) is achievable. Possible new school partners (1 per main school partner) are informed and embedded in the GEO-WATER project.
Real life questions (part of GEO-WATER modules) are answered and worked out by pupils in consultancies in the period April to June assisted by teachers and aided by the expertise of external partners. In June 2016 presentations of project results take place at the participating schools in attendance of foreign pupils via a carousel exchange.
.2016-2017 school year: establish growth
Through several (transnational) evaluations GEO-WATER modules and real life questions are (re)formulated by the partners in a triangular way. The first version of the GEO-WATER method is introduced and used by all the school partners.
After solving the real life questions presentations by pupils take place at the main partner schools (June 2017), again attended by a foreign school partner. In both years (exploring/establish growth) pupils present their project results at primary schools.
.2017-2018 school year - Results
In the final year of the GEO-WATER project a multi-day transnational meeting of managers and coordinators in November 2017 will evaluate the project and describe goals and qualifications to implement the GEO-WATER method in the curricula of the schools. The final version of the GEO-WATER method is established after consulting the external partners and will be presented during the International Youth Water Conference in the 'European Centre of Water Technology' Leeuwarden in June 2018. Project results of all the participating schools will be shared via workshops and assessed by external partners.
Impact and longer term benefits
-The desired impact for the participating schools in the GEO-WATER project is that the project will open more possibilities in general in working with real clients and real assignments for their pupils.
-A wonderful result would be, that in the future all over Europe schools are using the GEO-WATER method, working together with local/regional clients and providing real assignments for their pupils. Real life problems lead to real life solutions.
-The GEO-WATER project longer term benefits are based on the continuity and transferability of the GEO-WATER method and concept, the maintenance of the network of schools and external partners via the GEO-WATER website.