Overview

Environmental Education (EE) is vital for addressing the environmental crisis empowering students, individuals, and communities to understand, reflect, adapt to environmental challenges and act. This course enables participants to examine the role of education in fostering environmental awareness, conservation, and sustainability. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the most significant threats to our ecosystems; learn strategies for teaching environmental respect; and explore ways to integrate environmental protection efforts into school curriculum.

This 6-day course is designed to provide educators with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to prepare students with a number of core values, skills and competencies that are increasingly important and can support the EE our schools provide, helping them to contribute to the improvement of their local environment and the environment in general. Participants will have the opportunity to design practical activities that aim to raise students` awareness and knowledge; foster attitudes and values; develop skills and competencies; encourage participation and action; and promote sustainable practices. Discussions, site visits and group work will enrich sharing ideas and exchange of practice between participants. There is also the possibility to extend the course to 7-day.

Objectives

During the course, participants will:
• examine Environmental Education and its role in promoting a deeper understanding of the most significant threats of our ecosystems
• learn effective strategies for raising environmental awaremness; promoting conservation and sustainability
• explore activities for fostering environmental respect, ethical responsibility and stewardship towards natural resources and the environment
• examine techniques for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will equip students with the ability to analyse environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions
• explore ways to encourage students’ active participation in environmental protection activities and community initiatives
• engage in strategies and resources to seamlessly incorporate environmental education into various subjects and school programs
• use of ICT and AI tools in Environmental Education activities
• engage in cross-cultural collaboration, sharing ideas and experiences with educators from different countries
• engage in local environmental improvement projects and sustainability efforts
• vιsit sites, museums and monuments in Cyprus and plan activities/ programmes.

Methodology

The working methods that are used are highly practical and participatory. The experiential method is used to encourage the search for contemporary pedagogical theories and teaching approaches. The hands-on approach is used to examine real examples, case studies, surveys and simulations. The group activities foster mutual learning, cooperation and collaboration between participants. The discussions encourage sharing ideas, intercultural dialogue and the exchange of good practices between the participants. Social, networking and cultural activities give participants the opportunity to establish professional cooperation and links with teachers, staff, schools and organisations in Europe. At the end of the course, participants fill in an e-questionnaire for evaluation.

Preparation

After confirming registration, participants will be informed about the details of the course (arrival, daily programme). Participants will be able to introduce themselves and bring a few examples of routines and practices that they apply to their teaching.

Course Schedule

DAY 1

• Introduction
• Overview of the Environmental Education and its role in promoting awareness of local and global environmental issues.
• Effective strategies for raising environmental awaremness; promoting conservation and sustainability
• Activities for team building

DAY 2

• Strategies for students’ active participation in the learning process (student-centered learning).
• Visit to Limassol historical center, Carob Mill Museum, Medieval Castle & Museum and other monuments.
• Doing activities in the city center.
• Data collection for the group work.

DAY 3

• Activities for fostering environmental respect, ethical responsibility and stewardship towards natural resources and the environment.
• Use of ICT tools for sharing data and communication.
• Dealing with environmental problems.
• Activities to stimulate communication skills and encourage healthy dialogue and de-bates.
• Promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will equip students with the ability to analyse environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions

DAY 4

• Encouraging students’ active participation in environmental protection activities and community initiatives.
• Strategies for fostering collaboration and teamwork in the classroom.
• Use of CT tools for creative activities.
• Finding resources
• Use of AI tools.
• Promoting local environmental improvement projects

DAY 5

• Activities that foster sustainability
• The Flipped Classroom learning strategy.
• Activities that enhance the sense of belonging.
• Evaluating and assessing students’ achievement
• Visit to the Akrotiri salt lake, a protected wetland of international importance.
• Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre.
• Visit to Archaeological Musesum of Limassol
and Municipal Garden.
• Practicing the use of apps in outdoor activities and data collection.

DAY 6

• Green skills of 21st-century
• Exploring cross-curricular connections and interdisciplinary approaches.
• Participants complete the group work.
• Presentation of group work, review of the course, certificates.

DAY 7 (optional)

• TOUR TO PAPHOS TOWN
  It includes a tour with 5-stops (9:00 am- 5:00 pm)
  • Tomb of the kings
  • Catacomb of Agia Solomoni
  • Paphos Archaeological Park with Roman mosaics
  • Paphos Medieval Castle and port
  • Petra tou Romiou (birthplace of Aphrodite).

Courses Fees

480 euro (6-day) & 560 euro (7-day)

Offers on request for longer trainings.

Sessions

• 13.01.2024 – 18.01.2024
• 17.02.2024 – 22.02.2024
• 13.04.2024 – 18.04.2024
• 01.06.2024 – 06.06.2024
• 13.07.2024 – 17.07.2024
• 05.10.2024 – 10.10.2024
• 30.11.2024 – 05.12.2024
• 25.01.2025 – 30.01.2025
• 08.03.2025 – 13.03.2025
• 12.04.2025 – 17.04.2025
• 17.05.2025 – 22.05.2025
• 28.06.2025 – 03.07.2025
• 02.08.2025 – 07.08.2025
• 20.09.2025 – 25.09.2025
• 01.11.2025 – 06.11.2025
• 13.12.2025 – 18.12.2025