LET'S PLAY ECO: today's consumption, tomorrow's world

Nom du partenaire

Istituto Comprensivo Italo Calvino - Galliate
Istituto Comprensivo Bottacchi - Novara
Istituto Comprensivo Cronilde Musso – Trecate
I.I.S.G. Bonfantini - Novara
NGO Cicsene
NGO Lvia
Associazione Abacashì, Legambiente
Museum of Science and Technology, and Ethnographic Museum, Municipal libraries, Game Room, Mill, Fair Trade Shop, Environmental Education Unit and Historical Teaching Unit, Irrigation Association, GAS Ethical Purchasing Groups, SOS Antiplagio Association,

Role:

Autre
Autre
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Autre:

Participation in the planning and realization of network activities
Participation in the planning and realization of network activities
Participation in the planning and realization of network activities
Participation in the planning and realization of network activities
Participation in planning, support to the realization of activities, conducting workshops
Coordinated action support locally and internationally
Participation in planning and specific interventions
Specific interventions

Name of establishment / organisation

Istituto Comprensivo Bellini

Contact person

Boria Manuela, Marotta Michela

Contact details

03 21 69 26 25

noic82300l@istruzione.it

Address

via Vallauri 4

28100 Novara

Italy

Location of project

http://www.icbellininovara.it

Start date and duration of project

01/09/2014 to 30/06/2015

Level

High school
Primary school

Number of pupils, teachers and staff involved

806 students, 82 teachers

Topics

Environment and natural resources, Food, Global citizenship, Human rights, Intercultural understanding, The economy

Subject areas

Geography, History, Languages, Other, The arts

Please specify how the project was carried out

Interdisciplinary project with activities conducted:

in class, at curriculum level, with interventions by teachers, NGO experts/associations/companies/local resource persons
in the area, with educational visits to rice fields, fair trade museums and shops in the area
between students, in peer tutoring form
at extracurricular level, with organization of sessions for meetings/awareness for families

Teaching and learning objectives

develop awareness regarding the level of sustainability of lifestyles in the north and south of the world and their impact with respect to global balances
accompany children and families to become more autonomous and competent consumers, more responsible citizens, leading them to learn about alternative consumption methods
raise awareness among the area regarding the need to adopt sustainable consumption styles with respect to the local and global dimension, present and future

How did the project originate? What needs does it address?

The project stems from the multi-year experience gained by the leading institute in world citizenship education courses and meets the need to raise awareness among students and families regarding their choices and consumption habits, sometimes inappropriate, not very aware and not very sustainable.

Summary

The project deals with the issue of critical and conscious consumption, both in terms of clothing and food, and offers students and families tools and opportunities for information, awareness and change of their lifestyles, in respect for the North-South balances of the world.

PHASE 1 - Consumption choices: food

what do we eat?: questionnaire, discussions in class on foods near and far, focus on rice and spices (by teachers, local testimonies), field trips (rice fields, mill, museum, EXPO)
critical reading of labels, by teachers, NGO staff and in peer tutoring form, among students
conducting workshops on fruit, food far and near, snacks

PHASE 2 - Consumption choices: clothing

what do we wear? questionnaire, discussions in class, focus on cotton - by teachers, external testimonies, interviews
critical reading of labels, by teachers and through workshops conducted by NGO
workshops: realization of works with natural fibres, activities at libraries

PHASE 3 - North-South Relation

discussions in class (food and clothing) on sustainable production, by teachers, NGO, external testimonies
workshops/role-play games by NGO
initiation of correspondence with Uruguay

PHASE 4 - Experiences of active citizenship

actions against waste: activities of re-distribution of food not used, in collaboration with local entities
alternative consumption: meetings with Ethical Purchasing Groups (GAS), Fair trade/solidarity shops, video realization
awareness: articles on local media, final parties, final exhibition realization
fundraising for projects in Chad and Guinea Bissau, in collaboration with NGO

Did your project have a final outcome ?

Realization of conclusive exhibition, community awareness and summary of results achieved
Final parties/events at the various institutes and/or in collaboration with local entities
Promotional video on Ethical Purchasing Groups (GAS)

What communications and dissemination strategy was used for the project ?

The project has given particular importance to communication for families and for the local community through:

publication of articles in school newspapers and local press
presentation of activities during moments of aggregation organized in the areas involved (multi-ethnic dinner, party of the people, municipal public initiatives)
creation and realization of exhibition and awareness video

What outcomes and changes did the project generate ?

Students:

choose products with greater awareness, from a careful reading of labels, avoiding products that contain unhealthy substances and preferring fruit to snack
try to reduce food waste, preserving and redistributing excess food
have grasped the importance of their choices in contributing to the balance of North-South relations

Families:

have approached alternative and more sustainable trade channels

What difficulties did you encounter when implementing your project ?

in tackling articulated themes in a single school year
in the fulfilment of all the paperwork related to the project realization
in the general coordination between 5 different schools, located in different areas
in starting/maintaining exchange activities with other organizations in the Global South

What factors made it easier to carry out your project ?

the possibility to easily integrate the issues covered in the school curriculum
the possibility of realizing experiences outside the school, in collaboration with other local entities
the presence of an NGO that can highlight, with alternative methodologies, the interconnections between North and South

Which factors are most related to global education ?

the choice of the theme, which allows the integration of various knowledge and methodologies and that lends itself well to think about developing fairer and more sustainable relations between North and South of the World
the possibility offered to students to participate in activities of active citizenship
the interactions developed with others, both locally and in the South of the World

How did you assess the project ?

Student assessment:

2 questionnaires, one before and one after the activities
observation/analysis of behaviour during curricular activities and workshops
class discussions

Family assessment:

participation in sessions of meetings/gatherings

Any comments

The project triggered a relationship of knowledge/exchange with Uruguay, which we hope to continue and consolidate. It also facilitated collaboration in the network of 5 schools in the area, which intend to maintain the collaboration relationships initiated and develop new initiatives, also through peer tutoring successfully experimented in the project framework.

Contact

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