Call for applications until September for the sustainable educational travel in the Western Mediterranean Project.
The European WeMed NaTOUR project is going into schools to educate new generations about sustainable tourism. The mission’s target audience, in fact, includes children and young people. Schools can join the project through a call for applications open until 25 September that brings classroom experiences related to the blue economy of the marine environment mixed with hands-on activities in a real tourism context.
The goal is to spread economic benefits to local communities by raising awareness and promoting the sustainable blue and green economy with best practices and in collaboration with small and medium-sized tourism enterprises in the four pilot destinations of Italy, Spain, Portugal and Mauritania. The “Learn by Visiting” approach aims to promote social and life skills by advocating subjects such as biology, geography and social sciences.
State and private schools are increasingly moving toward providing education for sustainable development, but according to UNESCO only 20 percent of teachers feel they can confidently explain to children how to act when it comes to climate change and sustainable development. Through the project, it will be possible for 4 schools to receive support with ready-made content and lesson plans as well as support from a specialized team throughout the school year.
Lessons will cover the concept of tourism, different types of tourism and their impacts, and introduce the topics of sustainable tourism and how to travel responsibly by connecting new knowledge to the participants’ actual situations. Then there will be national and international tours that will engage participants with multi-sensory learning, cultural enrichment and hands-on experiences focusing on the importance of balanced ecosystems, conservation, responsible consumption of natural resources and pollution prevention.
Participants will be initiated into the culture, traditions and steps that pilot destinations are taking to accelerate renewable technologies, low-carbon infrastructure and sustainable travel which will foster citizenship, social skills, tolerance and acceptance, critical thinking and entrepreneurship among children and students. Classroom activities, assessments and post-trip feedback will not only consolidate learning, but also give teachers and children the opportunity to create a blueprint for increasing school travel to other areas, with a focus on extending mid-seasons to create economic benefits for a sustainable economy for tourism enterprises. At least 60 students and 8 teachers are expected to participate.
The eco-smart school trips target three age groups: 6-10 and 11-13 years for domestic travel in Mauritania and Portugal, and 14-16 years for international travel between Spain and Italy. All costs are fully funded by the project.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
