Cooperation among schools …on environmental topics at local and international level

Why cooperation? at local level… To exchange knowledge and to improve sensitivity to specific environmental topics or emergencies To share/compare data and information To reinforce the contacts with the business community and with research and work training centers To reinforce the contacts with the local authorities

Water Note N.12 on the Implementation of the Water Framework Directive A Common Task: Public Participation in River Basin Management Planning “European citizens have a key role to play in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The directive calls for the public to be informed and involved in the preparation of river basin management plans, which identify measures to improve water quality. Public input will help Member States balance environmental, economic and social priorities in these plans.”

How to cooperate at local level? Connecting to an existing network: ask if in your territory there is a school which plays the role of coordinator for environmental projects Becoming a local network coordinator: if your school and team is well- structured offering technical support or knowledge

Methodology for local network management (I) Select a common theme, i.e.“water” Give a “structure” to the network, with aims, outcomes, rules and responsibilities (not compulsory to have an official agreement) Consider how different schools, based on their specific curriculum guidelines, can participate in the project

Methodology for local network management (II) Consider the availability of time, human resources, money in planning actions Possibly, search for it! Are projects at local level supported by.. the ministry, local community, national/regional environment agencies, private foundations…?

Methodology for local network management (III) Plan some official meetings during the school-year (planning, monitoring, evaluating) Plan (quick) teacher training actions, to support the activities with students Plan how to share resources (labs, tools) Plan some common events, where schools can meet each other Plan an event inside the community

Why cooperation? at international level… To find a common approach on a topic (water in this case…) relevant to different EU countries To give students the chance to experiment and become aware that river basin management and water protection is a supranational problem

Water Note 1 Joining Forces for Europe's Shared Waters: Coordination in international river basin districts The European Union is a land of shared waters. About 60% of the EU's surface area lies in river basins that cross at least one national border, and all Member States except Cyprus and Malta contain sections of at least one international river basin district (IRBD). Under the Water Framework Directive, each Member State is responsible for implementation in the portion of an IRBD lying within its territory and should coordinate these actions with the the other Member States in the district.

To know more about the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in different countries To learn more about best practice in water management in the EU To build-up the awareness of a common European feeling in environmental management, in spite of the differences between countries

Water Note 7 Intercalibration: A common scale for Europe's waters Parts of The Tagliamento River (Italy) presenting high and good ecological status have been used for the intercalibration of Alpine Rivers Arno Mohl, WWF Austria …The goal of intercalibration is not to establish common assessment systems. Each Member State chooses its own methods according to the provisions of the directive. Intercalibration ensures that the different national systems achieve comparable results.

Last, but not least… The opportunity to communicate in foreign languages The chance to communicate at distance with IT-tools and experiment with the use of technology and web methods (according to Lisbon key-competencies)

How to cooperate at trans- national level? (I) Subscribe to a didactical project in one of the international programs such as FYR FYR is open to everybody, if they log-in (not all the international projects are open) FYR facilitates creation of partnerships No special resources are required Few tools needed for the field activities

How to cooperate at trans- national level? (II) to link a virtual partnership with a real students’ exchange FUNDING Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) Comenius – Gruntvig Inter-reg transborder projects Local (regional) grants