As part of the Le_MOON project, a meeting of partner countries, namely representatives of Turkey, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, France and Iceland, took place at our school on 29.5-4.6.2022. Students and representatives of schools or organizations involved in the project attended workshops where they deepened their knowledge related to environmental issues, legislation and appropriate terminology. Together, they continued working on a curriculum that will be piloted after two years of cooperation.
The program was enriched by a visit to the town hall of Kroměříž, where our deputy mayors Mgr.Bc. Karel Holík, BA, MBA and Mgr. Vít Peštu introduced regional ecological issues and presented strategies for the future. All of the project participants made a trip to the ecological institute Veronica, where we, under the guidance of Mgr. Radim Machů learned current information on building passive houses and a sustainable way of life. A tour of the Kroměříž chateau and gardens and an evening guided tour of the historical buildings of our town were also prepared for our friends. A permanent symbol of all participating countries and work on this project is represented by the maple tree, which we planted in Chatuea garden. On the last working day, we all went to the Lešná ZOO, to remind ourselves of the fundamental reason not to ignore the current ecological problems and of the necessity to jointly support our planet.
The program included the following presentations, workshops and activities for the individual days:
Sunday (29.05.2022)
Arrival of the groups to Hulín/Kroměříž and accommodation Check-in (at Pavlakova Dorm)
Monday (30.05.2022)
Morning program:
The guests were officially welcomed by the hosts and the director of the school. Our school, the city of Kroměříž and the country were introduced in a short presentation. General information related to the stay, safety measures, rules and emergency numbers were also mentioned. The participants then walked around the premises of our school to get an idea of the possibilities that are offered to our students during their studies.
The 1st workshop session of our project was set off with the introductory speech by Hanife Güray. The participants were reminded of the key objectives of the project. The main tasks for the creation of the e-curriculum were specified and specific activities were appointed to the participants.
Afternoon program:
All the guests were invited to see the centre of the town and the Chateau Garden. The location of other POIs (points of interest places) was explained, such as post office, bank, supermarket etc.
Tuesday (31.05. 2O22)
Morning program:
The 2nd workshop session was led by the biology teacher Yurdanur Akyol. Together we discussed the devastating impact of human footprint on our planet. The general topics such as pollution, deforestation, endangered animals etc. were mentioned but also specific percentages of the damage caused by human overconsumption, namely carbon footprints, ecological footprints and water footprints. Students deliberated over how much water does it take to produce different products and where it is possible to safe the water. What can we do as individuals and how to start saving at home?
The task for the following workshop session (on Thursday) was set by Tatjiana Christelbauer
The students were asked to study materials sent via e-mail and prepare short presentation. The studied topics included:
- UNESCO – Engaging youth for an inclusive and sustainable Europe
- UNESCO world conference on education for sustainable development
- Summer school on climate change and sustainability and international youth
- Caring for the environment helps to care for your mental health
- Making climate and environmental policies for and with children and young people
Afternoon program:
In the afternoon, the participants of the project were officially welcomed by our deputy mayors Mgr.Bc. Karel Holík, BA, MBA and Mgr. Vít Peštu at the city hall. We discussed the city policies and the achievements related to environmental issues. It is worth mentioning that the city managed to purchase two hybrid buses and installed new recycling containers in various parts of the city. The program of the project was introduced to the mayors and the conditions of the possible future cooperation on the project were specified.
After the visit, all the guests were invited to visit the Flower Garden, where they could enjoy the guided tour in English.
Evening program:
Optional beer tasting took part in one of the local pubs and it offered opportunity to summarize the outcome of the morning workshop session.
Wednesday(01.06.2022 )
All the participants joined us for a trip to the ecological institute Veronica in Hostětín. The excursion was led by Radim Machů. The tour lasted about two hours and significantly contributed to our overall knowledge of ecological living, All the elements of ´the green ´attitude towards our planet were demonstrated and clearly explained.
Please visit the website for detailed information in English:
https://hostetin.veronica.cz/en/about-us
Evening program:
This evening, the participants were invited for a tour around Kroměříž, where a guide Evžen Petřík talked about the rich history of the city, its famous bishops and founders. He also highlighted the most famous churches and squares of our town.
Thursday(02.06.202)
Morning program:
Just after breakfast, all the members of the project gathered in the Chateau Garden. With the help of Mrs. Trojanová, all the countries took part in a symbolic planting of a tree, which will be looked after in our garden and will remind us of our cooperation.
The 3rd workshop session was a space provided for the students to present their reflection on studied materials, it was also the opportunity to compare the findings and results of the individual countries. The assessment by the students was followed by a presentation by Iris Toto.
Iris discussed in detail the New European Green Deal and its initiatives, Brundtland Commission, sustainable development goals (SDGs), the Kiev Protocol, Aarhus Convention and many other important terms and acronyms which are necessary to deepen the environmental knowledge.
Afternoon program:
In the afternoon, the participants were taken for the tour of the national heritage Kroměříž Chateau. Due to the reconstruction, some parts of the castle were closed, however the guests were able to see some of the halls, famous paintings and the hall which is available for public. We also visited the tower of the chateau and enjoyed its beautiful view.
Friday (03.06.2022)
Morning program:
The final 4th workshop session served as a platform for:
- reflection of our surveys which were sent for analysis by all the participants of the students via e-mail (general info about environmental situation in the individual countries and the connection between our line of work and environmental enlightenment)
- reflection our knowledge gained from the presentation by Iris, we all participated in quiz
- final presentation of our students who representing their own countries disclosed the main problems of spreading the eco -friendly attitude. All countries agreed that young people must be taken more seriously and that there is a lack of opportunities through which they can support the eco-friendly movements. They would welcome changes in school curriculum which would allow for ecological topics to be discussed and dealt with.
Afternoon program:
After the lunch we set off to visit our precious ZOO Lešná, where we spend our last afternoon. Apart from observing many lovely animals and enclosures, we were able to discuss the endangered species and the critical situation of their natural habitat.
Evening program:
In the evening we got together to enjoy bowling party and to say our goodbyes, as some of the members were leaving the following day early morning. It was clear that strong friendships and bonds were built throughout the whole week and that we will continue working intensely for the rest of the project.
Saturday (04.06.2022)
All the groups were scheduled to leave on that day and they all safely got home. It was great experience to host our partners and we are very lucky and happy to be part of this project.
Mgr. Lubomír Hájek, Mgr. Petra Garay
