Farewell - Until We Meet Again!

The aim of our project was not only to introduce UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals to all our students, teachers, staff, and whole school community, but also to ambitiously implement a cornucopia of best practice by uniting our European schools in action. During the four-year-project we introduced all the 17 Global Goals, focused on four of them and "created an army of goalkeepers” who spread the change-choices even broader within our countries and societies. The objectives were to develop pedagogy for critical thinking to equip students to research and actively work towards tackling the following SDGs whilst developing critical thinking, communication, digital literacy and foreign language skills: 

Goal 1 - Poverty 

Goal 8 - Decent Work 

Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption 

Goal 14 - Ocean Pollution

During, before and between the meetings participants engaged in workshops, lectures and visits to places of interest relevant to the SDG theme for the meeting. They shared their outcomes via presentations and discussions. Each institution also undertook mini tasks between meetings to include UN Agenda 2030 SDG introductions, a logo competition, student research on poverty, pollution of oceans, responsible consumption & production, photography assignments, recycling workshops, “Eco-school” presentations, videos, blogs and celebration of key theme days poll dates. They also organised awareness-raising activities in preparation for European Sustainable Development Week and set up youth leader groups within schools who helped to raise their peers' awareness. The project resulted in a number of outcomes to include a project logo, a series of presentations and teaching resources in various media forms pertaining to the three goals, an eTwinning space and project blogs in addition to improved interpersonal and linguistic skills of participants. Teaching approaches, methodologies and materials produced as part of the project were embedded into the curricula in each school and formed the basis of ongoing teaching of these issues to further raise awareness amongst future generations in each institution thus moving towards sustainable change within each school. 

The project was designed to offer a balance of blended and experiential learning whilst deepening critical and creative thinking, building on prior knowledge, creating learner autonomy and cross-curricular expectations. The project involved approximately 180 students directly and (6 x school population) indirectly, 30 teachers directly and 60 indirectly, 16 senior management staff,18 administrative/support staff, 400 parents and 18 external local businesses/providers/NGO's. Local businesses, NGOs and other external providers asked to take part in the project may have benefited from increased publicity of their cause and may have developed school resources that may be used to engage with other institutions in the future. 

The partnership gave each participating institution a firm foundation to embark on and further develop an European dimension to maintain lifelong learning. It equipped participants with the necessary motivational skills to investigate and address local, national and global issues that are inherent in today's society. It was a driving force in improving standards within each participating institution especially when focusing on equipping the students' basic skills needed for their future careers and lives. Ultimately it supported our young people to become better equipped European citizens with essential and inquisitive skills needed to explore their world and skills that will last for a lifetime.