ERASMUS+ KA1 MOBILITY TO ITALY 2017

The member of the Pedagogical Group of the Environmental Center of Vamos, Eleni Despotidou, attended the seminar “Facing Diversity: Intercultural Classroom Management” organized by Europass Teacher Academy on 1-7 Octomber in Florence, Italy. This seminar attended teachers/tutors and head masters from Greece, Germany and Hungary and was implemented in English.

This Erasmus+ course is for Teachers (primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs), Teacher trainers/ Careers officers, educational guides and counsellors, Headteachers/ Principals and Managers of schools/organizations offering adult education working in multicultural classes and Other (Paid or voluntary) management staff in institutions/ organizations.

Diversity challenges traditional teaching strategies and asks for innovative solutions.  This introductory course addressed issues such as: how is it possible to create a syllabus suitable both for native and for non-native students. How can educators face language and communication difficulties. How can students interact in a productive way regardless of their cultural belonging. 

Through case discussion, sharing of good practices and engaging activities, participants explored intercultural educative practices. They received prompts to foster communication in their classes and explored solutions to plan activities aiming at meeting newcomers’ needs without interrupting the regular didactic flow. Teaching strategies with concrete, across-the-board objectives were presented (role-playing, cooperative learning and many others).

Specifically, the objectives of the seminar were as follows:

·      Students’ different learning approaches: knowing about them to be able to choose the correct teaching strategies,

·      Ability to choose suitable methods for different classes, contexts and moments during the lesson,

·      Teaching strategies with concrete, across the board objectives: roleplaying, cooperative learning,

·      Expertise related to intercultural communication.

Overall the course helped participants gain broader awareness about different learning approaches, intercultural communication, innovative methods, and how to convert diversity from burden to opportunity.

EUROPASS is an international course provider with over 15 years experience in organizing courses for European teachers.  The main trainer of the seminars was Sheila Crown, English teacher. 

ERASMUS+ KA1 MOBILITY TO ICELAND 2017

The member of the Paedagogical Group of the Environmental Center of Vamos, Adriana Bassiou, attended the seminar "Sensitisation with Reference to Migration, Racism and Discrimination" organized by Intercultural Iceland on 24-30 September in Borgarnes, Iceland.

    The seminar was attended by teachers from different European countries (Spain, Germany, Sweden, Hungary and Italy). The aim of the seminar is for schools and teachers to become aware and sensitive about stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination and inclusion and to know how to deal with these issues with their students. In addition, they develop basic practices in the above areas and acquire clear goals and strategies to improve pupils' communication skills and intercultural competences, using well-structured and creative methods of collaboration.

   The methodology followed in the curriculum was more practical than theoretical, through collaborative work, various activities, debates, and practical training examples. Short lectures took place among the activities aiming at’’ learning by doing’’. All participants discussed and presented activities in English and developed lesson plans that educate their students and their colleagues in social and intercultural competences and raise awareness of these issues.

  Specifically, the objectives of the seminar were as follows:

• Teachers and students to become open, critical and active citizens

• Learn to live and work with others and learn to appreciate diversity

• To make students the center of learning and to strengthen and assess different skills and competences

• Students have access to these skills and competences as supportive aspects of the curriculum

• Teachers become sensitive to issues such as stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, exclusion and racism

• Teachers learn how to teach and discuss these topics in different age groups

• Teachers learn how to create a safe class environment of trust and security

   Intercultural Iceland is a non-profit consortium that develops innovative educational initiatives and offers a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise and training activities. It was founded in 2003 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The main objectives of ICI are: To combat all forms of prejudice and discrimination through purposeful consultation and education, and to provide practical teacher training, to enhance the awareness of the benefits of diversity and of immigrants as enrichment for every society, the provision of professional interpretation and translation services and the improvement of immigrant access to information and active citizenship. The main trainer of the seminars is the founder of ICI, Guðrún Pétursdóttir.

ERASMUS+ KA1 MOBILITY TO TENERIFE 2020

The Environmental Education Center of Vamos has designed and implemented an Erasmus +  KA1 program approved by the State Scholarship Foundation (programme code: 2019-1-EL01-KA104-062085) on "Nature and Culture as Tools for Intercultural Education", which is being implemented this school year.
The member of the EECV pedagogical team, Basiou Adriana, attended the seminar '' Time to Act: Non-formal education through indoor and outdoor teaching methods to empower students' active participation '' organized by the organisation ''New Horizons Malta'',on 10-17 February, in Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
 The seminar was attended by teachers from different European countries (Romania, Germany, Serbia, Italy). The aim of the seminar is to promote outdoor education in the local environment as part of the daily school curriculum in order to motivate students towards experiential knowledge and to gain more motivation for learning. The seminar presents targeted , purpose-driven activities both inside and outside the classroom that can be integrated into all courses ..
 The methodology followed in the training program was, through collaborative work, various indoor and outdoor activities,and through the creation of intercultural-inclusion activities. Short lectures on key terms ('' Outdoor Education and Sustainability '', '' Distinguishing between Formal,Informal and Non-formal Education '', '' Tools for Motivating and Encouraging Students '') were given, and a training visit to an intercultural schools was made. All participants discussed and presented activities in English and developed lesson plans that train students and their colleagues in social and intercultural skills, and raise awareness of the above issues.
The main objectives of the seminar were as follows:
-to provide theoretical and empirical experiences pertaining to school education in non-formal settings, and their contribution towards developing knowledge and skills for active citizenship and quality of life.
-to learn how to motivate, guide and assess learners to reduce low achievement in key competences, develop relevant, high-level and innovative skills, enhance good quality of mainstream education through outdoor education.
-to understand non-formal education principles, within the context of cooperative learning, blended learning and flipped classroom
-to try experiential learning, experience methods of reflection and develop your ability to give feedback
-to understand the consequences of applying the non-formal methods regarding students' motivation
-to learn new non formal activities, tools, methods and to share best practices regarding outdoor education in Europe
- to exchange and develop skills of leading groups outdoors together with colleagues from Europe
-to increase participants’ confidence in working with non-formal methods in outdoor spaces,
- learn the positive power of team building activities and feel more confident and ready to re-use and adjust the practiced exercises at your own school
-to reinforce continual professional development, re-ignite lifelong learning strategies, build confidence in promoting game based strategies in education, promote pedagogies responsive to real world context

New Horizons Malta is an organization made up of a team of professionals, educators and an international pool of trainers with the aim of developing the capacity of educators to contribute to a more sustainable society, where full potential of individuals can be achieved through quality education and projects .
Through its actions, the organization strives to contribute to the personal and professional growth of individuals of diverse backgrounds, building strong and cohesive educational communities.

ERASMUS+ KA1 MOBILITY TO SEVILLE 2019

Eleni Despotidou, a member of the Pedagogical Group of the Vamos Environmental Education Center, completed the first Erasmus + mobility in Seville, Spain. Erasmus + Project Title: "Nature and Culture as Tools for Intercultural Education" approved by S.S.F. (State Scholarships Foundation) under programme code: 2019-1-EL01-KA104-062085. This move was made in the context of training members of the Vamos E.E.C.  Pedagogical Team on innovative teaching methods so as to incorporate new tools and techniques into the EEC curricula.

The Chain Foundation's ‘Las Otras Orillas’ programme refers to the links between the city of Seville and North Africa and the New World (America). Visits to archaeological excavations, monuments, cathedrals, synagogues, mosques, palaces, cemeteries, in the Castle of the Inquisition in Seville, Cordoba, Tarifa, Cadiz, Bailo Claudia and other places.

During the programme there was an onsite observation and study on the shaping of the culture and architecture of the area in contact with different cultures (Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs / Mauritanians) and religions (Christian, Muslim, Jewism) combined with trade, discoveries and more. References have been made through poetry and arts related to immigration through time.

All in the light of the constant movement and exchange of populations to and from Europe - immigration, refugees, exploratory expeditions.

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.

The Schole school

Library at the Schole school

Diining room at the Schole school

The Lello library/bookshop

The river Douro wih the wineries

In the Old City of Porto

Porto from the Cathedral's Hill