Enviromental Educational Center of Vamos

Our programmes One day programmes 1. «Ecotourism in our region» for students 8 to18 years old. 2. «Walking in the forest.....» for students 5 to18 years old. 3. «A 5500 year old tour of Chania» for students 8 to 18 years old. 4. «Climate change» for students 10 to 18 years old. 5. «Olive oil and the olive tree in Crete» for students 5 to 18 years old. 6. «Change your attitudes: Recycle S.O.S. !» for students 5 to 18 years old. 7. «Water as an element and a spirit» for students  5 to 18 years old. 8. «The magical world of caves» for students 5 to 18 years old. 9. «Our schoool is getting greener: smells, colours, flavours in the school garden» forstudents 5 to 18 years old. Two-day programmes 1. «Change your attitudes: Recycle S.O.S. !» for students 5 to 18 years old. 2. «Olive oil and the olive tree in Crete» for students 5 to 18 years old.  3. «Water as an element and a spirit» for students  5 to 18 years old. The programmes include stages of :

1. Mutual acquaintance and target setting

2. Theoretical training

3. Working in the hall, in the laboratory and in the field

4. Composition of proposals, management and

5. Evaluation.

All programs are implemented in stages, aiming in familiarisation and theoretical approach to the problem, laboratory, experiential and creative activities and fieldwork.

Except for the theoretical part, all phases of the programme (workshops, activities, observations in the field) are implemented by teachers of the ECV in small groups.

The ECV has a library room equipped with informative material, books, brochures, posters, photos and cds on environmental education, environmental issues, programmes and actions by the ECV and other collaborating centers and institutions.

The  bigger part of the programmes that  include field work,is developed in a research and action field,selected and appropriate for each programme most of which are in nearby areas to the Environmental Center .

In all one-day programmes, depending on the field, a traditional snack is offered to the participants: rusks with olive oil, tomato and cheese (dakos) and fresh orange juice or cheese /spinach pies (kalitsounia) or sandwiches with tomato, pepper and cheese. In the two or three-day programmes participants are offered traditional breakfast, brunch and one (1) meal a day as well as their stay in the guesthouse of the ECV(Renovated Historical building of the old Girls’ School of Vamos).

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1. "Ecotourism in our region"
One-day programme for students / 8-18 years old. In this programme, alternative forms of tourism and particularly ecotourism are approached,with emphasis on the ecotourism model as it has been developed in the region. It mainly aims to raise awareness of students on issues related to the cultural heritage of the area, the history of the place, the everyday occupations of the inhabitants, their daily activities, the natural beauty and the built environment of the area. The programme attended by students in the EC of Vamos is developed  in stages with certain general objectives: communication between the participants and teamwork. The programme starts by playing an introductory-familiarisation game and then the students visit the Cultural Hearth of Kefalas (small Folklore Museum). Then students are transferred to the field (the village of Vamos) where the students, by participating in an educational game ,become aware of the specifics of the ecotourism model. Then, if conditions permit, we visit the Folklore Museum of Gavalochori. Through educational activities and observation we get to the evaluation of the programme, freedom of expression and creation of suggestions by the students.
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2. "Walking in the forest ....."
One-day program for students 5-18 years old. The programme aims to sensitise students on the topic of sustainable development and proper management of forests, in order to develop responsible attitudes that will contribute to its protection and help them love the forest and genuinely want to protect it with specific actions. After the introductory game and a short presentation at the Center, students set off  for study in the field that is carried out at nearby cypress forests, such as Xirosterni forest with its special flora and fauna and the surrounding olive groves. Through educational games, dramatizations, observation and expression exercises students have the opportunity to explore its significance for humans and developing an  inquisitive mind and skills for recognizing and recording elements as well as the functioning of the forest ecosystem as a whole.
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3. "A Walk in Chania, 5500 years"
One-day programme for students 8-18 years old. The programme aims to acquaint the students with the  Old Town of Chania, a city that has been continuously inhabited since the Paleolithic Age,to explore the human-made environment, monuments of various civilizations from the Stone Age to the present day and to understand the continuity of habitation in the great architectural and cultural wealth. Also,to learn to observe their environment, built and natural. The programme takes place in the old town of Chania, where, through exploration game with tabs,compasses and other activities, students seek and find monuments and places of historical interest, which unfold before their eyes the long history of the town.
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4. "Energy in the Child’s Environment"
One-day programme for students 10-18 years old. The aim of the programme is the study of energy saving modes and utilization potential of renewable sources . The programme places emphasis on the student's activation through activities which are divided into stages. Each stage uses appropriate teaching tools in order to be understood by students that modern civilization consumes enormous amounts of energy, using mostly non-renewable energy sources, which leads to global environmental problems, whose solution is the rational use and the use of renewable energy sources. During the programme students ,after the introductory game, watch an interesting presentation.Moreover, in the Centre laboratories ,through their own crafts, the children experientially perceive the use of solar energy. The programme is supported by the relative network in which the EC of Vamos participates.
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5. "The Olive tree and Olive Oil in Crete"
One-day programme for students  5-18, or  two-day programme for students 11-18 years old. The goal of the programme is to bring the students in contact with the remarkable landscape of the Mediterranean olive groves, and to experience the culture of the olive.The problems associated with the production of oil in Crete are studied(olive mill waste, overuse of pesticides and fertilizers). Simultaneously the high nutritional value of the olive oil is presented and its role in our tradition and cultural heritage. . After the introductory game and a short presentation, the students ,through a small workshop of producing their own herb or spice flavoured olive oils, wax ointments or soap, children perceive many more uses of oil beyond the commonly known ones. The Center also has a small traditional stone factory, in scale, constructed especially for its needs, so the children are able to "make" their own oil.
In the two-day programmes children visit an organic oil mill where they have the opportunity to attend part of the process and talk with experts.
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6. "Change Behaviors: Recycle S.O.S.!"
One-day program for students 5-18 or three or two-day program for students  11-18 years old. The program aims to bring students into contact with the waste problem, to raise awareness on the issue of recycling, proper management of waste and reuse. During the program students, after the introductory game, watch a presentation on waste management. Our little friends (kindergarten, A, B primary) watch,in a special hall, puppet theater with the story of The Lord of Garbage. Then they are divided into groups and in the rooms of the Centre that can operate as workshops,experiential activities are conducted,such as garbage sorting toys, paper recycling workshops, manufacturing of utilitarian objects from waste materials, manufacture bag of old clothes, knitting with waste materials, collages with recycled materials, making soap etc .
In the two-day programs, the study in the field takes place in the Engineering Plant of Sorting and Composting waste of DEDISA in the area of Akrotiri, where  with a specially designed tour of the Unit by its scientists, students perceivein an experiential way its operation and its usefulness and the great value of recycling . The programme will support the respective regional network of schools coordinated by the EC of Vamos.
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7. "Water as an element and a spirit"
One-day programme for students 5-18 two-day or three-day programme for students 11-18 years old. The aim of the project is  for students to study the operation, proper use and necessity of water in nature, both for  the man-made and the natural environment. After the introductory game and a short presentation at the Centre, the programme continues in the wetland of Kourna Lake or Lake of Agia or the wetland of Georgioupolis. In the field the students carry out a series of activities (experiments with water, observing of the flora and fauna with binoculars, experiential games, dramatization, etc.). There is also the possibility of implementing the one-day programme entirely in the field, without reduction in quality.
In the two day programmes the schedule is different. On the first day, after the introductory game, a presentation is made and worksheets are completed at the Centre. The program continues in the wetland of Georgioupolis, where  various measurements of water  and observation with binoculars of the flora and fauna are done. On the second day, the students visited the main water tank of Chania, a building of historical and aesthetic interest in which they take a specially designed tour for understanding its function and use. Then we move to the wetland of Lake Agia. Here they perform a variety of activities (experiments with water, observing of the flora and fauna with binoculars , experiential games, dramatization, etc.).
In the three-day programs, the schedule of the two-day programme is followed and on the third day the students visit the city of Chania. With an exploration game they discover the growth and development of the city in relation to the water (underground water, springs, sea). The program will be supported by the respective network in which the EC of Vamos participates.
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8. "The magical world of caves'
One-day programme for students age 5-18. The aim of the programme is:
- for the students to get acquainted with  this unknown world of caves and what it includes (traces of human presence, cave-dweller organizations and bats,  and decoration, mythology, history, lore and legends).
-  to understand that the caves is a closed ecosystem at risk from any kind of human intervention.To become aware and appreciate the value of the closed ecosystem of the cave and the need for preservation and protection.
- To visit and work in caves and overcome the fear which often involves the ignorance and all fiction associated with them.
After the introductory game and a short presentation, the programme continues in the field, which is in a cave in the region. In the cave students will undertake a series of activities (identification of the natural cave decoration, temperature-humidity measurements, games, etc.). The programme will support the respective national network coordinated by the EC of Vamos.
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9. "Our school is getting greener: scents, colors, flavors in the school garden"
One-day program for students aged 5-18. The aims of the programme are:
Shaping of the future responsible attitude of the active citizenship, since children are educated in an age which is critical for  building their personality  and a change of attitudes and behavior, so that they can act effectively for the sustainable development.
The specific objectives are:
- To bring the students in contact with nature and understand the mechanisms of the natural environment and its interactions with man.
- To recognize the importance of plants for both the ecological balance and human survival (oxygen that is offered to us, contribution to food, medicinal and aromatic plants and so on).
-  to get to know the biodiversity of Chania and Crete and realize its importance for the local economy and its connection with the local culture.
- To learn how valuable the  preservation and protection of  the natural environment is.
- To engage in the activity of creating a garden on the school grounds, learn to cooperate and to propose solutions and develop cooperation and communication relationships with students from other schools to organize joint actions.
With this target in mind  the ECV teachers travel to each school bringing with them plants and gardening tools. We begin with introductory games for both children and plants,followed by a short presentation and discussion. After a game of free expression of the students we continue with the cooperation of all (teachers & students) is the design and planting of the school garden!

The programme will support the respective local network of schools of EC of Vamos "Our school is getting greener".