We and Nature We live in a century which demands drastic changes in the education system regarding the environment. In both the Romanian and the Bulgarian education systems the way natural sciences and the environmental problems are taught does not entirely reflect the major objectives of preserving and conserving the environment, of improving health through the use of alternative medicine or of training skilful specialists who could face the harsh problems raised by the environment whose protection against pollution should be a major concern of our society nowadays. Human beings’ behaviour and activities are responsible not only for the state of nature itself but also for the many current problems of the environment. Therefore, to participate actively and intelligently to the process of administration, development and protection of the environment, people need to be educated ever since early school years. Thus, the project ‘We and Nature’ answers young people’s need to develop an ecological conscience, to inform about the preservation and conservation of the environment and to learn about the efficient and rational use of natural resources. The project ‘We and Nature’ is a bilateral exchange project between two partner organizations, CAROUSEL PROJECT Association from Romania and ‘Nadejda 1871’ Narodno Citaliste from Bulgaria. It will last for 11 months (01/02/2015-01/01/2016). The purpose of this project is to promote the creative and entrepreneurial potential of the Romanian and Bulgarian youth through the knowledge and protection of the environment, the acknowledgement of the beneficial role of plants in improving the quality of life and through the identification of possible solutions for personal and professional development using natural resources. Objectives General objectives • The active and direct participation of Romanian and Bulgarian young people in the activities suggested in the project, taking an active role in the cultural-educational life of their community and improving the quality of life through the knowledge and protection of the environment. • The promotion of practical learning methods amongst the youth in Craiova and Oreahovo. • The encouragement of other young people to know and preserve the environment, to rationally and positively exploit the natural plant resources and to become young entrepreneurs. Specific objectives • Teaching 32 Romanian and Bulgarian young people about the medical, aromatic, cosmetic and industrial role of plants in specialised training courses. • The 32 young people will learn methods of preservation and rational exploitation of the environment (plants). • Making 14 practical and visual ‘encyclopedia’ shelves units which exhibit a range of plants (bilingual (Romanian and Bulgarian) written description and sample presentation) and a list of the products made from these plants that will be displayed for general public information in parks in Craiova and Oreahovo. • Developing the skills of communication, negotiation, organization and teamwork for the 32 Romanian and Bulgarian young people. Activities • The organization of the Romanian and Bulgarian groups • The pre-organization visit • The organization of the exchange visit • The launching of the project • The exchange activity • The writing of the evaluation project • The dissemination of the project results The educational methods used in the project will be: brainstorming, debates, dialogue, interviews, open questions, evaluation, self-evaluation, ordering and defining exercises, warm-up games, open space games, (small and big) group work, creativity, improvisation. The Romanian and Bulgarian young people will develop different skills and abilities such as: personal, group and institutional communication, teamwork, negotiation, tolerance and mutual respect, rhetoric, organization and management. As a result, the 32 young people will develop professionally, personally and socially.