What have we learned about the environmental education and social entrepreneurship – Two years of INITIATION

Jul 29, 2024News

Are you a high school teacher looking for resources to guide your classes towards understanding environmental education, actions to mitigate climate change, and gaining some knowledge in social entrepreneurship?

INITIATION has aimed precisely at this goal over the past two years of intense collaboration between partners from various European countries: to create a training program for high school students and accompanying materials for teachers who want to offer updated and precise learning on such important and current topics.

Accompanying materials

The theory section includes:

  • A report based on field research on the state of environmental education and social entrepreneurship education in the schools of the involved EU partner countries;
  • An overview and reading guide of the documents;
  • The structure of a training course with learning objectives and activities;

Consult it here: https://initiation-project.eu/resources/.

The practical resource section consists of a digital platform on environmental education and social entrepreneurship for schools.

The INITIATION digital platform (elearning.initiation-project.eu) is one of the key resources developed by the project. This platform, accessible to students aged 14 to 18, offers eight detailed modules on environmental education, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. Through an experiential and active learning approach, students are encouraged to create virtual social enterprises and develop business plans aimed at solving environmental problems in their local communities. This method not only promotes a practical understanding of environmental challenges but also fosters the development of an entrepreneurial mindset oriented towards sustainability.

A teacher’s manual will also be available soon: an essential support for teachers that offers guidelines and additional resources for integrating these topics into the school curriculum.

The impact of the INITIATION project thus extends beyond classrooms, promoting a culture of social innovation and environmental responsibility among the new generations. This project has made it clear that education can be a powerful tool for social change, preparing students not only to understand the world around them but also to become active agents of transformation.

With all the aforementioned tools, teachers can guide their students through an active learning journey, fostering their creativity and civic engagement. We hope that these tools will help shape a new generation of young people who are aware and willing to become key players in bringing about change in their communities, addressing the environmental and social challenges of our time with competence and passion.

INITIATION – Fostering green social innovation and social entrepreneurship in school education project is financed by the Erasmus+ program (Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnership in school education) and aims to  foster the social innovation and social entrepreneurship mind-set of high schools and their motivation to become more community oriented, and be actively involved in designing solutions for environmental problems that their local societies are facing.

Partners

For further information follow us on Facebook, visit our web page https://initiation-project.eu/ or contact Lisa Avarello: lisa.avarello@danilodolci.org.