All connected by water
João da Madeira, Portugal
2nd FUNDING CALL
“All connected by water” (All CW) engages the entire educational community in active learning dynamics to highlight the interconnectedness of water systems, emphasizing that all rivers ultimately flow into the sea, linking various oceans.
The project encourages students to reflect on daily actions that impact water resources, promoting both awareness and proactive measures. Students become active citizens who influence local companies to adopt better practices by participating.
Key objectives include fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting aquatic ecosystems, improving ocean literacy, and involving students in water conservation efforts. The project aims to create an ocean-literate society where students act as agents of change and sustainability.
Activities span various educational levels and include storytelling, theatre demonstrations, data collection on water-related issues, awareness talks, dissemination of bad practice reports, and workshops on good practices. Students will investigate the impact of local businesses on water quality and work to propose solutions to reduce negative impacts.
The project will also involve hands-on experiences such as field trips to rivers and beaches to observe water quality and pollution. Students will use this information to raise awareness through exhibitions, videos, and community forums.
After five months of developing the ‘All connected by water’ project at the Colégio Centro de Educação Integral, there are already many experiences that tell us stories of how it’s going. Gradually the students are becoming more aware of the presence of water in our lives and the importance of taking care of it in any place or phase, and not just thinking about oceans and beaches.
With the water quality testing kit, like a field laboratory, which we acquired thanks to ProBleu funding, we’ve been able to combine physical chemistry lessons with the real world. Outdoor activities, activities on site where things really happen and also tests that are real and with results that are useful for everyday choices, we manage to bring students closer to the labour market and active citizenship.
With the results of each test, work continues in the classroom to buy in the expected ideal values. We have yet to test the mouth of the Ria de Aveiro in São Jacinto and report the results at the final event of the year, open to the whole community and partners.
The initiative not only seeks to educate but also to mobilize the community towards sustainable water practices, making a significant impact on local water conservation efforts.
“All connected by water” is a call to action for the entire school community, demonstrating that through understanding and meaningful actions, we can all contribute to preserving our planet’s precious water resources.
Funded by the European Union