NEWS
05.12.2023
"Initiative Fund" Foundation at the Job Fair.
Fundacja „Fundusz Inicjatyw” (“Initiative Fund” Foundation) was an exhibitor at the Local Job and Professional Education Fair in Lublin on December 5, 2023.
At our booth we presented the results of our Erasmus+ project entitled. “What Vocational Education can do for Climate Action (VEforCA)” implemented within the framework of a Polish-Italian partnership of two educational institutions: “Initiative Fund” Foundation (Poland) and Prometeo (Italy).
Participants of the fair examined how they manage their ecological habits and a group of career counselors received information about the free access to ready-to-use materials needed for conducting classes.
04.12.2023
VEforCA PROJECT REALIZATION FINISHED
We have completed the Erasmus+ project aimed at the vocational education and training (VET) sector – “VEforCA – What vocational education can do for climate action.”
We sincerely thank all those involved in the project and those who participated in testing its results.
The project is designed to make community-based environmental VET (vocational education and training) a more central and visible part of the response to sustainability issues. The project is inspired by the European Climate Pact, launched on December 16, 2020, which emphasizes the need for space for people from all backgrounds to come together and work together to develop and implement climate solutions, big and small.
At https://ffi.org.pl/veforca/ you can explore the materials and download the 4 results of the project:
(1) Interactive Report: Environmental challenges and climate action
(2) Online course
The course covers the following modules:
Module 1 Principles of non-formal and informal environmental education, and how to deliver it to VET learners – duration: 45-60 min.
Module 2 Integrating individual responsibility and media literacy into environmental education – duration: 45-60 min.
Module 3 Fostering engagement in environmental and climate action through citizen science – duration: 45-60 min.
Module 4 Promoting networking and multi-stakeholder approaches to environmental engagement – duration: 45-60 min.
Module 5 Designing participatory activities for the environment and climate at the local level – duration: 45-60 min.
(3) Digital Sustainability Kit, focused on six environmental areas and which also includes: questions/statements related to a given environmental awareness area, scientific facts, Ways/actions of saving in a given area, that can be used in environmental education, as well as links to links to external digital tools, such as games, videos or guides.
(4) Eco Consciousness Vet Assessment Package
We invite you to explore the results of the project!
Project website: https://ffi.org.pl/veforca/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/funduszinicjatyw
01.12.2023
NEW ADDITIONS TO IFF’s EDUCATIONAL OFFER
We are pleased to announce that the educational offer of the “Initiative Fund” Foundation aimed at the vocational education and training (VET) sector has just expanded with the results of the Erasmus+ project “GreenMinds: Green Education for VET and small enterprises”. We are one of the educational organizations that will implement the results of the project in their own activities.
The objective of the project implemented by Deinde sp. z o. o. (Poland) and Prometeo (Italy) was to promote environmental awareness and practices as part of corporate social responsibility in VET institutions and SMEs.
The project has generated a number of results in the field of green CSR, with a focus on the staff of VET institutions and SMEs. Free materials are available on the project website under the link https://deinde.pl/en/greenminds-erasmus-2/.
All project results are available for free in 3 language versions (Polish, English and Italian) and include:
- Training Courses:
Two training courses covering:
- SA8000 Standard and Environmental Protection,
- CSR and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Business.
The courses are available both as training materials in the form of a pdf file (downloadable/printable) and as an online course, which is available to all registered users on the digital platform under the link https://www.prometeodigitale.eu/.
In order to create an account on the platform and participate in the course, you might consider reading the technical “CSR Instruction Book for VETs” available under the link https://deinde.pl/en/gm-instrukcja-csr-dla-vet-en/.
- CSR Green Handbook for VET institutions and SMEs:
The CSR Green Handbook provides a practical guide for VET and SMEs staff on possible ways to develop and implement green practices and pro-environmental solutions in VET institutions and SMEs. “The CSR Green Book” also provides insight into the world’s best green CSR strategies.
- CSR Toolkit:
A series of practical educational materials on green CSR has been posted on the project website https://deinde.pl/en/csr-toolkit-2/, presenting helpful content for staff of VET organizations and SMEs. The materials developed include: Articles, Scenarios of how to use CSR, Proposals for using CSR, Games and educational tools.
- Reports on desk research and own research:
The reports were designed to map and illustrate the real reasons behind the lack of or limited environmental CSR activities among VET institutions and SMEs in Poland and Italy. The reports are available under the link https://deinde.pl/en/results-4/
- Green VET Social Network:
An online network for communication and exchange of experiences and practices among project staff, course participants, survey respondents, and anyone interested in project topics and green CSR practices has been built. The forum can be accessed through the platform https://www.prometeodigitale.eu/. All VET institutions and SMEs employees, as well as those interested in ecology, can become users of the platform, and they will gain access to the online course and the “Green VET Social Network” forum after creating a free account.
The thematic field of the above-mentioned project results is related to IFF’s Erasmus+ project ‘VEforCA – What Vocational Education can do for Climate Action?’ and thus this is another step by Deinde in spreading environmental awareness and highlighting the importance of pro-environmental climate action.
You are cordially invited to study the materials and use them to promote and implement environmental practices and activities!
Disclaimer:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
30.11.2023
Online environmental course - free education suited to you!
Discover the ecological world and what threatens it the most with us. And most importantly – learn how you can remedy it. Our online environmental course is the perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge of sustainability, trends in environmental education, recycling, zero waste principles, no matter where you happen to be – anywhere, anytime. Our online course is designed to suit you and your schedule. You decide when and where you participate. The whole course lasts about 5 hours, but you can easily spread the learning process over time and adapt it to your responsibilities.
The course was developed in Polish-Italian cooperation between the “Initiative Fund” Foundation and its partner Prometeo as part of the Erasmus+ project “VEforCA – What vocational education can do for climate action”.
The course covers the following modules:
- Module 1 Principles of non-formal and informal environmental education, and how to deliver it to VET learners – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 2 Integrating individual responsibility and media literacy into environmental education – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 3 Fostering engagement in environmental and climate action through citizen science – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 4 Promoting networking and multi-stakeholder approaches to environmental engagement – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 5 Designing participatory activities for the environment and climate at the local level – duration: 45-60 min.
This is a great opportunity to expand knowledge for environmental project coordinators, teachers, trainers and VET educators, entrepreneurs who want to implement environmental solutions in their company, as well as officials who implement environmental education in communes.
Sign up for our course today and earn more badges of ecological knowledge.
To take part in the course, create an account on the Prometeo Digitale platform:
https://www.prometeodigitale.eu/login/signup.php
Then, after receiving a confirmation email, log in to your account:
https://www.prometeodigitale.eu/login/index.php
The course to be selected is:
VEforCA -What Vocational Education can do for Climate Action
If you’d like to check out other materials we’ve created, such as the Digital Sustainability Kit and the Eco Consciousness VET Assessment Package, which include exercises and questionnaires to test your level of ecological knowledge, go to the project’s website:
27.11.2023
NEWSLETTER VEforCA
23.11.2023
VEforCA at the Job Fair
We are one of the exhibitors at the Local Job and Vocational Education Fair.
During the event we will be talking about our project “VEforCa – What vocational education can do for climate action”.
You are welcome to stop by our booth to see how much you know about ecology and if your actions are actually eco.
You will also learn what actions companies and organizations should take to make their work eco-friendly. This is one of the most in-demand skills on the job market recently, and “sustainability manager” is one of the most widely advertised positions in job listings.
See you on December 5, 2023 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Targi Lublin hall, Dworcowa 11 in Lublin.
5.10.2023
OPEN DAY WITHIN ERASMUS DAYS
04.10.2023
STUDY VISIT
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man” – these are the words of Albert Einstein, which prove how important a role bees play in the ecosystem. There is a reason why bees have been officially recognized as the most important creatures on the planet.
Bees play a key role in the entire ecological system, and their importance to the environment is invaluable, as the honeybee’s contribution to the pollination of flowers is about 90%. They are the main pollinators, without which the balance of the ecosystem would be completely disrupted. Pollination of plants by insects is one of the key ways of preserving biodiversity – so it is the bees that a huge number of plant species, as well as animals that feed on seeds and fruits, depend on.
In recent years, the number of insects involved in pollination has decreased significantly as a result of widely used plant protection products. In addition, the crops of plants that provide long-term benefits for bees and other beneficial insects have disappeared.
This is because bees belong to a group of organisms considered bio-indicators – they allow us to assess the level of environmental degradation. Due to the chemicalization of the countryside, organic bee keeping is becoming more and more common in the cities, where we can obtain honey from unsprayed plants. One of the most popular is the one on the roof of the Centrum Spotkania Kultur. It is also the largest urban apiary in Poland.
It was where the important role of bees was explored during the study visit by the Participants of the e-learning course of the project “What Vocational Education Can Do for Climate Action” (VEforCA) for VET staff, developed in the Polish-Italian cooperation of the “Fundusz Inicjatyw” Foundation with its Partner – Prometeo as part of the Erasmus+ project.
During the study visit, the Participants learned both theory and about obtaining bee products as well as their practical use.
Each participant had the opportunity to prepare a candle made of beeswax.
03.10.2023
ECOLOGY LESSON
Within the framework of the project “What Vocational Education Can Do for Climate Action” (VEforCA) for VET staff, developed in the Polish-Italian cooperation of the “Fundusz Inicjatyw” Foundation with its partner Prometeo within the framework of the Erasmus+ project, an ecology lesson was prepared for the Participants of the E-learning Course. The ecology lesson was aimed at sharing the knowledge of the causes and effects of climate change, environmental and nature protection, and low-carbon economy, water and air quality issues, as well as information on greenwashing and sustainable development goals.
Participants were able to learn about, among other things:
How does climate change affect our health?
Why it is good to drink the water straight from the tap in Lublin?
Why is it important to properly segregate waste?
What animals will we soon no longer be able to meet?
What really is garbage?
What will happen to our planet in 2050?
A survey was also conducted to show whether the activities undertaken as part of the program actually affect people’s awareness and will allow them to change something in their daily habits.
We would like to thank the Participants for their involvement.
02.10.2023
ONLINE MEETING OF VET COURSE PARTICIPANTS
Within the framework of the project “What Vocational Education Can Do for Climate Action” (VEforCA), the second session of the Erasmus+ E-learning Course for VET staff, developed in Polish-Italian cooperation between the “Fundusz Inicjatyw” Foundation and its partner Prometeo, took place.
Participants of the course are people associated with vocational education as trainers/trainers, career counselors/advisers, managers in vocational training, interested in environmental education and citizen science.
The e-learning course consisted of 5 modules:
- Module 1 Principles of non-formal and informal environmental education, and how to deliver it to VET learners – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 2 Integrating individual responsibility and media literacy into environmental education – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 3 Fostering engagement in environmental and climate action through citizen science – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 4 Promoting networking and multi-stakeholder approaches to environmental engagement – duration: 45-60 min.
- Module 5 Designing participatory activities for the environment and climate at the local level – duration: 45-60 min..
During the online meeting, the project staff summarized the results of the course, asked about the Participants’ conclusions after the course, as well as answered the Participants’ questions.
Taking part in the e-learning course allowed Participants to:
- acquire the ability to correctly construct educational objectives related to competences,
- learn the principles of non-formal and informal education, including environmental education,
- understand the impact of environmental challenges, as well as the idea of active citizenship and advocacy for sustainable development,
- acquire knowledge about environmental education and citizen science,
- obtain a certificate confirming participation in the course.
The e-learning course also included a study visit with a stationary ecology lesson.
We thank the Participants for taking part in the meeting.
24.05.2023
Second Transnational Project Meeting within project VEforCA.
As part of the VEforCA ecological project, an international meeting took place in Rome in May of this year, with two partners in attendance: the "Fundusz Inicjatyw" Foundation from Poland and Prometeo from Italy. The meeting focused on analyzing the progress of previous work and planning next steps. The partners carefully reviewed the progress made in previous activities and determined further actions. One of the key outcomes of the meeting was the decision to create a comprehensive guide and toolkit for ecological actions and sustainable development. These materials aim to provide practical guidelines and tools to support the promotion of ecological practices and sustainable development. The VEforCA project continues to make significant progress in spreading ecological awareness and promoting sustainable practices. We encourage you to stay updated on the latest developments and interesting events related to the project.
23.02.2023
16.02.2023
09.02.2023
02.02.2023
26.01.2023
19.01.2023
20.12.2022
Newsletter of VEforCA project is now available on our webpage. In english version there is Newsletter in English and Italian version.
18.10.2022
Reports from the first action available under the “Results” tab.
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our results.
Survey
31.08.2022
What can be done to better protect our environment? Is it profitable to engage in pro-ecological activities? Maybe this topic is quite new to you? All hands on deck!
Help us find solutions that will also enable the vocational education sector to become more involved in climate protection.
Fill out a short, anonymous survey.
It will take you no more than 4 minutes and the results will be a valuable source of knowledge for us in further work on the project “What vocational training can do for climate action” (VEforCA).
We especially invite PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EDUCATION/TRAINING SECTOR, advisors, educators, as well as LEARNERS and PARENTS. Your feedback is important to us!
https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/YHJ3GYB
Link to the survey can also be found on the Foundation’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/funduszinicjatyw
*the survey is in Polish
05.08.2022
First Transnational Project Meeting within project VEforCA.
On July 22nd this year, the first partnership meeting of the VEforCA (What Vocational Education can do for Climate Action) project took place in Lublin.
Together with our partners from Rome – Prometeo, we have organized project’s work. At first, we will carry out research (quantitative and qualitative) on possible ways of using the citizen science method for environmental protection. During the meeting, we defined research goals and methodology of work. The next steps in our project are the development of training on the possibility of using citizen science in VET institutions and the preparation of educational materials about ecology for us and for other institutions of the VET sector.
It was a very productive meeting. We exchanged many insights and developed specific tools for further cooperation in the project.
If you want to know more about the project, please visit Facebook:
