One of the key activities of the “Changing with Climate” project, which we are very happy to have implemented, is the creation of teacher training programs in the field of environmental education and climate change.
The project partners, led by the Institute for Progressive Education, prepared and implemented a total of 7 trainings on the programme “Environmental Education in Schools – Climate Change, Natural Disasters and Human Health”. The trainings took place between 24 November and 13 December 2022. A total of 183 pedagogical specialists took part in seven Bulgarian cities – Burgas, Yambol, Berkovitsa, Svishtov, Belitsa, Bansko and Sofia. Teachers, deputy directors and principals from 44 new schools took part – 17 in Burgas, 7 in the municipality of Tundzha, 6 in Berkovitsa, 4 in Svishtov, 3 in Belitsa, 4 in Bansko and 3 in Sofia.
The training was structured in the following three main modules:
- Presentation of the main concepts, approaches and principles of work on topics, according to the context of the educational environment and the typical challenges.
- Interactive games, simulations and discussions about the challenges of introducing themes into school curricula.
- Practical collaborative work in teams on a chosen topic, covering the whole process of planning, organizing and delivering training with children and pupils.
The balance between theory and practice during the training, helped professionals to better understand the topic, with an in-depth look at climate change issues and their role in the future of the planet. This motivated them to use the educational resources created in their practice and to do project-based training developments.
The training programs of the “Changing with Climate” project support schools to deliver focused educational programs and initiatives at a school and a local level, which will take place between March and April 2023.
