School children in southern Spain are benefitting from an environmental education programme, funded through the European Regional Development Fund.
- 22 November 2013
The education programme, called the Network of Nature Classrooms, has helped to change attitudes to environmental issues among school-age children by organising workshops and visits to places of special environmental interest.
The main aims of the programme have been to provide young people with the opportunity to learn about the natural and cultural values of the environment, and to develop awareness of environmental and conservation issues.
A total of 49 231 nursery, primary and secondary school pupils benefitted from the project between 2006 and 2011, through attending workshops and classroom seminars, specially-arranged visits and taking part in a variety of activities on topics such as wetlands, wildlife, gardens, the importance of recycling, and energy saving.
Some of the awareness-raising events took place in schools, while others involved children attending workshops lasting between one and three days.
In addition to workshops, the project also included various educational campaigns on subjects such as the dangers of forest fires.
Project manager Juan de Dios Cabezas Cerezo said that the programme had been successful in changing attitudes among the young about the preservation of the environment. The programme had also helped attendees to develop sensitivity, creativity, and the ability to assess the environment around them. It had also promoted interest and curiosity to discover and learn about the environment by providing attendees with materials and tools to facilitate and encourage learning.
The programme had encouraged communication, teamwork and respect for the opinions of others, while offering a fun and entertaining educational experience.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Aulas de la naturaleza Murcia / Network of Nature Classrooms, Murcia” project was EUR 2 819 649, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributed EUR 2 255 720 under priority 3 ‘Environment, Natural Surroundings, Water Resources and Risk Prevention’ of the Operational Programme ‘Murcia’ in the 2007-2013 programming period. The national contribution was EUR 563 930.