Case Study

Awareness-raising among High school students, 15 to 18 years old, with respect to regional biodiversity.

Contact name

Claudie Boulanger - Christelle Gadenne

Institution name

ENRx

Region & country

Hauts-de-France region

Summary

The teaching programme developed by ENRx « Biodiver’high school » offers to study regional eco-systems in the context of history, geography, and biology and examines the environmental, economic, and social roles of the regional environment. The programme addresses 240 regional high schools who will receive information and educational documentation.
14 high schools will participate in the selection per school year on the basis of a commitment charter with financing of 2500 euro, including the following costs: animation management costs, transportation on natural sites, and action-dedicated supplies.

Olivier Delvaux

Background of the project

The « Biodiver’high schools» programme was set up to compensate for the lack of information about local biodiversity and its functions. This programme provides a better understanding of nature and makes high school students act in favour of environmental protection.

The programme aims at restoring the relationship of young urban dwellers with nature, which is something they know nothing about. It’s also about linking younger people and nature through action in the form of work sites or building urban green sites.

Solution and actions taken

ENRx gets help from specialised structures in Environmental Education and Sustainable Development throughout the territory to teach high school students. These partners are trained according to ENRx’s original methodology: technical manuals called “Build an animation” and “Build a biodiversity space” .

Each project has 4 phases :
1 – immersion in an ecosystem to discover and understand the stakes of biodiversity;
2 – knowledge acquisition in class with teaching tools and the animator;
3 – participation in one or more group actions (nature-work sites, swamp creation, planting of hedges, clearing of invasive species).
4 – student action at home for those who want to take part in local projects with associations.
During the project, professors and students communicate with other classes.

Other institutions or parties involved

  • Academic inspectors and representatives of the Ministry of National Education (professors and administrative and technical departments)
  • 10 associations engaged in sustainable development.

Results

9 assessment reports are available here

They include reports from students, professors and partners.

Challenges

Participation of the professors in the “Biodiver’high school” programme requires a significant investment in preparation and follow-up. It’s the reason why there are only 9 establishments participating out of a potential 14 during this new school year.
The programme in its current form has been at work for 3 years. It impacted aroud 1000 high school students.

Lessons learned

The key to success is to maintain regular working relationships with the official authority of the Ministry of National Education (rectors, inspectors, professors) and animate the network of partner associations (nature-animators). 300 new high school students have been selected to work on new projects starting in September 2017

Contact name

Claudie Boulanger - Christelle Gadenne

Institution name

ENRx

Website(s)

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