"Background of the project: environmental issues are among the main problems that the whole world is concerned about. Providing solutions to these problems with engineering-based disciplines con provide outstanding benefits. The project has drawn attention to realistic solutions to environmental problems and engineering approaches which is a field that students generally do not prefer. With our project, we aimed to produce engineering-oriented solutions with STEM understanding to real environmental problems. To thrive in a world that is changing rapidly and dramatically, we need education to inspire students to innovate, find solutions, love and enjoy learning, make an impact on the current situation and to make a big change for a better future. Objectives: to establish the theoretical framework, to ensure that different countries cooperate with each other in order to solve environmental problems and develop solutions to global problems by addressing local environmental problems. In other words, the goal is to provide solutions for big problems making small STEPs in each participating country.Number and profile of participants: it is a strategic partnership project implemented by 5 European countries, namely, Latvia, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland. Travelling restrictions during Covid-19 pandemic opened the opportunities to increase the number of participants. There were organized virtual mobilities therefore it was possible to increase the number of participants from 160 to 228. 2 project experts were engaged in the project to ensure project management. The participants for all mobilities were chosen by certain criteria: their academic success, interest in STEM and environmental issues, their engagement in school and extracurricular activities, communication skills, ability to tolerate other nationalities and cultures, good command of English language and no limitation to travel.Description of activities: our main activity was to visit every partner country, to determine the environmental problem affecting the region and to produce solutions by using STEM approach. The implementation of the solution was carried out by the hosting country after the visit is over. The report on the progress was shared with other partners during the next visit. Dissemination and sustainability plan was carried out during these activities. Dissemination plan was to create STEM school clubs. In sustainability, these clubs will be transformed into an international network club.Methodology: in our Project, we applied context-based methodology during our main activities. We intended to raise individuals’ awareness on how to do a research, to query, to analyze and the most importantly to learn through real life context. Context based learning has focused on making teaching-learning process active, enabling individuals to reflect experiences and relate studying to real life situations and making it possible to apply the acquired knowledge to real life. Secondly, in the very first meeting, there was formed a conceptual framework and then it was transformed into practice. So, we followed the method of ""from theory to practice."" This method also helped to concretize the concepts. Results: at the end of the project, STEM-focused solutions were developed for each country's environmental problems. Participants enhanced their ability to produce engineering-based solutions to environmental problems and they developed basic skills, creating a culture of collaborative work. Cooperation between countries increased and participants and stakeholders have become more sensitive to environmental problems. In order to provide the dissemination of project results, the best practice samples have been collected in a booklet ""Story of Small STEPs"" and published in the project website, project Facebook site and partners' websites. The project brochure and STEM social club instructions were prepared and disseminated via project website and Facebook page. Impact: through project activities and the development of STEM club participants have raised their awareness of local and global environmental issues, have learned STEM strategies, improved their grades at school in STEM subjects. Development and promotion of relevant and high-quality STEM skills and competences was indicated as the priority of the project. With this project, we aimed to improve the competences and skills of students in science, technology, mathematics and engineering and raise their awareness of the importance of STEM subjects at school and when pursuing the future career. Hands-on environmental education projects enrich STEM learning and offer an exciting opportunity to engage more students in STEM.Long term benefits: Project outputs will continue to be used after the end of the project thanks to the international STEM club to be founded. In addition, project work will continue to be used in school events and related school exhibitions."

"Technology is progressing massively especially in the field of robotics. Robots presently manage a number of monotonous tasks. In the future, they may assume roles in many different types of industries. As robotics begin to play a larger part across the world and within our own lives, we need to consider the environmental impact. Environmental problems are among the main problems that concern the whole world. Unfortunately, many of the different institutions' work on this issue is only about raising awareness of it. The main idea of this project is the inclusion of pupils through challenging environmental issues and boosting green robots through the EU 2020 strategy. Climate change and energy is a core topic of the EU 2020 strategy target as: -greenhouse gas emissions 20% lower than 1990 levels-20% of energy coming from renewables-20% increase in energy efficiency In the line of EU 2020, the main aims of the project are: 1-Draw attention to global environmental challenges, climate change and renewable energy via robotics2-Inform pupils about renewable energy through the EU 2020 Strategy 3-Coming up with creative ideas to make something new about sky, ocean, homes, schools, roads, environment...4-Finding a way to solve an environmental problem, or overcome a challenge via educational Robotics by integrating school curricula Robotics activities are flexible and adaptable to the needs of specific student populations. LEGO and VEX Robotics have become popular with upper elementary through middle school students, teachers are becoming interested in bringing the impact of high motivation, technology-driven relevance, and STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) enriched content and skills instruction into their classrooms. We are six countries as Portugal,Turkey, Greece, Estonia, Poland and Latvia which are experienced about Robotics and Environment Projects. We plan 6 LTT activities with pupils aged 11-15.To find inventive solutions to environmental problems of partner countries via robotics (EV3, VEX, Mbot... ):Portugal LTT will be on BLUE OCEAN challengesTurkey LTT will be on GREEN HOMES challengesEstonia LTT will be on GREEN ROADS challengesPoland LTT will be on BLUE SKY challengesLatvia LTT will be on GREEN SCHOOLS challengesGreece LTT will be on GREEN NATURE challengesMETHODOLOGY: The main activity methodology is the project-based method. We focused on environmental problems by using Robotics that prepare students for academic, personal, and career success, and readies pupils to rise to the challenges of their lives and the world they will inherit. We will discuss the environmental problems and solutions of our partners in their countries and then transform into practice and contribute to the development of creative solutions. RESULTS: At the end of the project, each country's environmental problem will be addressed via Eco-friendly Robotics. Integration of ECO- Robotics into the curricula will be established thanks to project-based activities and results:•e-Catalog•Public Report and Public Spot • ""ECOClub"", ""ROBOLAB"" ECO-STEM UNIT"" at each school•Brochures/Posters/Banners/Logo•Project Website/Youtube Channel/ FB page•Students' academic STEM achievements in line ET 2020 (4% in the 1st year, 7% in the 2nd year)•Increase in the rate of the GREEN projects•6 different eTwinning projects after each LTT activityIMPACT: By the project, awakening will start through schools.ECO workshops will be given at ROBOLABs even though the project is over. The local organizations will sample this project to implement. Teachers will have knowledge about discovering pupils' skills and lead them to challenge environmental issues in their own country. Participants will become more active and competent in ecological and environmental projects. Students will get nature awareness and sensitivity about SINGLE USE PLASTICS CLEAN WATERGREEN POWERZERO WASTEVOICE POLLUTIONRENEWABLE ENERGYRECYCLINGBIODIVERSITYWILDLIFECLIMATE CHANGESCARBON EMISSION etc.This project will be a revolution in Education to integrate curricula with ECO-Robots. This revolution ""ECO-ROBOTS"" will be a step to integrate robots into nature. We will cooperate for innovation and the exchange of good practices that will be a source of inspiration for new solutions to environmental problems.Versatile Contributions of this project aspected in short and long-term for our schools. IN THE LONG TERM, for our schools, this project will contribute-increasing the usage rate of the eco-friendly robots at school curricula-raising awareness of environmental issues and boosting green robots-integrating Educational robotics through teaching Ecological and environmental subjects into all lectures-increasing the projects on the theme of global environmental challenges and climate change-developing robots included projects that will be beneficial to the environment-setting up Eco-friendly school clubs and Units"

"The ""DAWN OF SCHOOLS WITH EDUCATION 4.0"" project aimed to integrate the Industry 4.0 components of schools (3D printer, Virtual Reality, Robotics ...). By organizing LTT events with Industry 4.0 components (3D printer, Virtual Reality, Robotics ...) with our project:-We contributed to the development of STEM (Science, Technology, engineering, mathematics) in our institutions- We have served the goal of reducing the failure rate to less than 15% as stated in Education and Training 2020, ET2020.The project was realized with 6 partners (Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Latvia, Slovenia, Turkey). In this project, which was carried out under the coordination of Turkey, 6 LTT events were organized. With our 6 LTT events, we made a significant contribution to the development of new ideas by changing good practices. At the center of our activities; family, students, teacher and school and social environment. Teachers have learned about innovative teaching methods in LTT activities, thus gaining more qualified learning/teaching competencies.Our students received training on robotics, 3d printers, virtual reality and coding with their peers, and many changes took place in their lives.While deciding on partner countries, the most appropriate institutions were selected to share good practices. All institutions in our project had equal roles in the project.Within the scope of our project, the contributions of the project institutions to the project were as follows:* Finland shared its national and international VEX robotics experiences. It introduced the successful education systems in their countries.*Turkey shared its national and international LEGO EV3 Mindstorms experiences and introduced the Turkish Education System.*Portugal shared its national and international VR experiences and introduced the Portuguese Education System.*Latvia shared its national and international Drone experiences and introduced the Latvian Education System.*Sweden shared their national and international 3D printing experiences and introduced the Swedish education system.*As Slovenia is an experienced institution in STEM projects, she shared her experiences on this subject and shared her Coding and Programming experiences in the Slovenian Education System.According to the above roles, each partner organized the LTT activities as planned. During the Project, the following methods and techniques were used in our Activities:*Interactive workshops/training courses*Presentations/seminars/VR simulations*Excursions/cultural excursions*Collaborations with universities and public institutions*mini contests/video making apps*team building activities/ice breakers and energizers*forms/surveys/questionnaires*formal/informal meetings*Speaking, confronting experiencesThese methods and techniques were carried out according to the readiness, interests and profiles of the participants. Within the scope of our LTT activities, 6 mobilities were organized. The age range of our participating students is 13-16. These are:TURKEY (LEGO EV3 MINDSTORMS) ACTIVITIES, ( Physical activity)PORTUGAL(VR) ACTIVITIES, (Physical mobility)FINLAND (VEX ROBOTICS) ACTIVITIES, ( Physical mobility)SWEDEN (3D PRINTING) ACTIVITIES, ( Physical mobility)SLOVENIA(CODING AND PROGRAMMING) ACTIVITIES, (Virtual mobility)LATVIA(DRONE) ACTIVITIES. (Virtual mobility)Our goals with our project:- To inform schools about Industry 4.0 in line with ""Inclusive Growth"" in the EU 2020 strategy,- Informing students about new business lines through the EU 2020 Strategy- Grasp STEM in all partner schools through effective teacher training- Promote the use of more effective and innovative teaching methodologies- Increase motivation among students and staff- To provide students with real-world skills and the ability to use 21st Century Skills.All the objectives of our project have been achieved at a high level.Concrete Results of Our Project:-Robotics and STEM Club, Robotics and STEM LAB unit was established in our schools-Lego competition (virtual and on-site) was held with our partners- VR simulations of each school were prepared.-Works were organized in Robotics and STEM LAB within the body of each partner institution.-Project brochures were prepared-Project website, Facebook page, Youtube channel created-Student interest in STEM subjects increased-The number of teachers using Industry 4.0 elements in education has increased in all partner institutions.In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, each project team focused on concrete results and the Project website (https://dawnofschoolswitheducation.wordpress.com/), Project Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1166886930159827/) and Project Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kknbSv8JkQE) and carried out dissemination activities. In addition, the eTwinning project (https://twinspace.etwinning.net/73070/home) has been developed and all activities and dissemination activities have been shared on eTwinning.Long-term benefits of our project:The Robotics and STEM Club efforts established at our school and all partner institutions and the Robotics and STEM LABS have inspired other schools to build these units in their own schools. One of the most important long-term benefits of our project has given our students awareness about choosing STEM-related professions. As a result of the surveys, it was determined that there was an increase in the targeted level of orientation to professions in the STEM field in each partner institution and the success coefficient in STEM courses in the exams. In the long run, the project outputs have been a resource for all the schools and teachers involved in the process."

The key focus of this project is to address current local and regional environmental and climate change issues faced by communities across Europe, through an innovative methodology known as 'Applied Creativity Labs'.Investing in people and young people in particular, is a top priority for Europe. The 2016 Commission Communication on Investing in Europe’s Youth emphasised the importance of opening up new opportunities for young people, with high-quality education playing a key role in their successful development and life chances. High-quality education underpins inclusive and resilient societies, fosters personal development, and lays a foundation for active citizenship. However, if European societies are to reap these benefits, high-quality education needs to become a reality for all learners. The Commission’s reflection papers on Harnessing Globalisation (2017) and on the Social Dimension of Europe (2017) highlight that many school education systems struggle to provide high-quality education for all and to respond to the profound and complex changes our societies and economies are undergoing. The OECD’s recent PISA results show that there are significant disparities in how children perform within and between countries. On average, one in five students in the EU has difficulties in developing sufficient basic skills (reading, mathematics and science). Furthermore, there is a need for schools to adapt to the changing context in which they operate, including the increasing diversity among pupils. Addressing these challenges requires not only the re-thinking of school curricula, but the introduction of more diverse teaching and learning to address the needs of all learners.Applied Creativity Labs are a unique teaching and learning methodology focusing on critical thinking and solution-focused learning, through which inspiration meets organisation; which were developed by IVE in the UK. The focus is on harnessing artistic imagination and vision to effectively implement innovative ideas. The Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) are designed to give young people the creative behaviours and critical thinking skills that when applied to real world challenges help them develop innovative solutions to pan-European issues. As well as informing the participants about how they can take their ideas forward to develop them further, the ACLs also aim to inspire the participants to educate them about potentially pursuing future careers and jobs in the relevant fields through the interactive involvement of sector experts, known as Role Models. The process begins by presenting young people with an overview of what the ‘challenge’ is, for example, air pollution, sustainable farming practices, climate change, etc. Then bespoke creativity training is delivered, as well as giving the participants access to a resource-bank, including from role models from specific and relevant industries, business and universities. The participants explore, develop, refine and prepare to pitch their best original, applicable solutions to the challenge. The best ideas are considered for further development.The SCALE project objectives are:- To replicate the ACL methodology on a wider, pan-European scale- To lay the foundations for the implementation and uptake of the ACL methodology at a higher/systemic level- To enhance critical thinking among learners (directly), as well as parents, educational staff and other stakeholders (indirectly) through ACLs- To raise awareness of the huge potential of harnessing young peoples’ natural creativity in producing innovative solutions to European environmental issues- To cultivate an ACL network through which teachers and trainers can exchange resources, knowledge and good practicesThese objectives are addressed by the intellectual outputs:IO1: Framework of Creative CompetencesIO2: Applied Creativity Labs Best Practices Implementation GuideIO3: European Applied Creativity Labs PlatformIO4: Applied Creativity Labs Piloting and Impact Assessment Report and Policy RecommendationsThe direct beneficiaries of the project will be approximately 150 school children (12 – 17 years old) who are classified as being at a disadvantage through their situation of having fewer opportunities due to social, cultural and economic obstacles. Participants will be selected based on their social, economic and cultural status, as well as their level of interest in the project, climate change and the environment, and their academic interest and achievement in STEM subject areas. The indirect beneficiaries of the project will be teachers, trainers and educators, parents, and industry experts (defined as ‘role models’ within the scope of the project).