Our activity newsletter: Summer School edition

The 2024 SYNAPSES summer school started on Sunday 7th July, when teachers and school heads from across Europe joined us to learn about our initiatives and to exchange good practices. On the first day, participants heard from six keynote presenters on a range of topics from Sustainability Citizenship, Schools in the age of AI, Empowering communities of educators and Learning on the Go.

On the second day, the focus was on the meaning of Sustainability Citizenship, and how teachers could transform their school into a living lab. This was developed through collaborative and interactive exercises. Later in the day, participants enjoyed a guided tour and a sunset view of Cape Sounio.

On the third day school heads and teachers separated into their own groups and engaged in workshops specific to their roles. Teacher-participants learned the Challenge Based Learning approach and in groups created their Challenge planner based on an SDG goal. They were also introduced to Inquiry based learning and innovative scenarios. On the school head side, they worked on leading a learning organisation and creating a culture of continuous learning by reflecting and brainstorming in teams.
In the evening participants were warmly welcomed to Ellinogermaniki Agogi’s campus. They had the opportunity to experience first-hand the research done at CERN through a dedicated exhibition hosting CERN’s LHC Interactive Tunnel. The tour continued with a demonstration of the seismometer and the Foucault pendulum, concluding with a visit to the Astronomical Observatory.

On Day 4, July 10th, teachers learned about the development of healthier habits through the transformation of the school canteen while the school heads focused on curriculum alignment by critically assessing their current incorporation of SC in the curriculum and looking at student centered approaches.In the afternoon, participants visited the Acropolis Museum and the temple of Parthenon. This was followed by a social dinner in Athens city center.

On Day 5, July 11th, teachers and school heads were mostly together for a shared programme. The day started with learning about energy efficient school buildings, finalizing plans for implementation in their schools that they had prepared and improved during the week. The day ended with a reflective workshop on the week’s activities and an information session on EU funding opportunities. In the evening, all summer school participants enjoyed an evening meal together.

On the final day, July 12th, participants were already packing their bags, but before it was time to go, they were given the opportunity to present their plans to the groups – what do they want to implement when going back to their school?
Are you curious as well? These videos will be on our SYNAPSES Platforms soon.