Enviromental Educational Center of Vamos : ERASMUS+ KA2 COLOURFUL WORLD PROJECT 3rd MEETING IN PORTO 2019

3rd Project Transnational Meeting in Porto

Vamos Environmental Education Center participated in the Third International Meeting of the UK-approved Erasmus + KA201 'Colourful World - programme (Key Action 201 Strategic Partnerships for the Field of Education - 2018-1-UK01-KA201-048028) October 18, 2019, held in Porto, Portugal, in the Matosinhos region. On behalf of the Vamos EEC, the Director Pontikakis Fotis and the member of the Pedagogical Group Eleni Despotidou, participated.

In this international programme a total of six organisations from 4 different countries participated (United Kingdom, Portugal, Poland, Greece). It is being coordinated by the University of West London and the participants are, the Center for Environmental Education in Vamos from Greece , ADVANCIS and BOON from Portugal , specializing in the production of e-learning materials, the Szkola Podstawowa (Primary School) from Poland ,located in the center of Krakow) , SATRO from the United Kingdom , an educational NGO promoting science education (STEM) offering schools educational programmes and promoting the education of girls and of the less privileged social groups.

The Porto City Hall

The Education Partnership Strategic Plan aims to develop innovative pedagogy that uses the game as a tool to promote Environmental Education for Sustainable Development for children aged 6 to 10 years, while increasing their interest in the Natural Sciences. Within the project, a computer-based educational game will be created ,to be used in formal, non-formal and informal learning environments. At the same time, a Guide for the Use of the Game and Parallel Educational Activities will be created, so that it can be used pedagogically by teachers. Presentations of the game, when ready, will take place in all countries involving teachers in the United Kingdom, Porto, Portugal, Krakow in Poland and Chania in Greece.

At the first meeting of this Strategic Partnership, which took place in December 2018 on the 11th floor of the Paragon University Building on the premises of the University of West London in Ealing, a presentation of the approved plan by the British Board had been made , the participants presented their actions, timetables were developed and follow up was planned. At the second International Meeting of the programme held on 30th and 31st May 2019 in Chania, there was a presentation of the progress made in the implementation of the project and of the pedagogical objectives of the Vamos Environmental Education Center ,as well as the first plan of the formation of the educational game by the Portuguese website Advancis and the Facebook page of the programme created by the Portuguese organisation Boon.

The Central Train Station

At the Third International Meeting of the programme that took place in Porto on 17th and 18th October 2019, there was a presentation of the progress made in the implementation of the project (figures, drawings, script and dialogues), while the discussion on the creation of the Game Implementation Guide began, that will include a glossary of scientific terms in simple words, games, exercises and lesson plans to delve deeper into a range of environmental issues. This Guide will be available for teachers to use in their classroom and school. At the same time, a visit was made to the Schole Experimental School (from the Greek word "school") where children attend kindergarten and elementary school and a cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach is applied; children participate in groups according to their interests, approaching environmental issues. In this school there are no traditional classrooms and students move around the classroom in an attempt to avoid teacher-centered perception and not forcing children to sit for hours at a school desk.