Preparation of ThreeC educational pilot project

On December 8, three students of Fontys University of Applied Sciences started with the design and development of a ThreeC educational pilot project for the Vrije St-Lambertusschools in Westerlo. They met Hedwige Vangerven, teacher of economics and project partner of ThreeC, who explained her expectations for the educational project. Since then, the students organised weekly project meetings (see photo) together with Eefje Smit, lecturer of geography at Fontys and specialized in sustainable development. Eefje Smit supports the students with the transfer of circular economy content and ThreeC teaching strategies into one project. They chose ‘packaging’ as the business case for the project.

On February 23, the students will present their first version of the project to involved project partners of ThreeC.

In March, the project be conducted in at the Vrije St-Lambertusschools in Westerlo. Tim Favier, researcher and lecturer at Fontys, will evaluate the project: what are the effects of the teaching strategies? Based on the experiences of Hedwige Vangerven, the students, Eefje Smit and the advices of Tim Favier, the ThreeC teaching strategies can be further developed.

Workshop on sustainability skills in the class room

On November 7th 2014 Martin de Wolf conducted a workshop about the application of sustainability skills in the classroom for 55 Dutch geography teachers.

Four assignments for secondary school higher grade classes were given to the participants. The purpose of every assignment was to show how sustainability skills can be trained separately. The assignments were based on a discussion paper.

Following sustainability skills were selected:

• Systems thinking: a lesson about palm oil production and land grabbing in Uganda.
• Values-consciousness: a lesson about genetically modified food.
• Empathy-ability: a lesson about emergency development aid to Eastern Africa.
• Action-oriented: a lesson about food production in the Philippines.

The subjects are not all directly linked to a circular economy context, but the main objective was to do a short experiment with didactical strategies. The workshop participants were asked to discuss:

1. Does this didactical strategy contribute to the development of [the specific skill]?
2. Is this an adequate assignment for secondary higher grade classes?
3. How can this assignment be improved?

The outcomes of this workshop were quite useful:

• The outcome of the discussion and evaluation was merely positive (average score of 3.5-4.0 on a scale of 5). Suggestions for improvement are more or less useful.
• A few teachers who joined the workshop, showed interest to join ThreeC as participants.

Workshop 7 nov.Duurzaam denken knagdag 2014

Opdrachtenbundel duurzaam denken knagdag

Kick off meeting ThreeC. Westerlo (Belgium) 3-4 November 2014

Discussion paper

A didactical approach for a circular economy

Meet the partners

From left to right

Ludo Mateusen (Euneos), Annemie Mateusen (Euneos), Ana Delia Garcia (ES Las Indias), Loredana Ceccacci (Bupnet), Tim Scholze (Bupnet), Hilde de Busscher (principal Vrije Sint Lambertus scholen ), Gregorio Fernando (principal Las Indias), Terje Väljataga (Tallinn University) , Paula Morais (Vice-president Universidade Portucalense) showing on the  laptop the picture of Alexandra Baldaque (Universidade Portucalense who followed the meeting on-line), Martin  De Wolf (Fontys University of Applied Sciences) and Joost Wynants (deputy headmaster Vrije Sint-Lambertusscholen)

Not on the picture Hedwige Vangerven (coordinator ThreeC at Vrije Sint-Lambertusscholen) who shoot the picture