2017 - "YOUR LAND", THE PRESIDENTIAL GRANTS FUND

Project title: "YOUR LAND"
Project implementation period: November 2017 – September 2018, 11 months
Project partners:

NGO “Lake Peipsi Project, Pskov”, Pskov City, Russia (applicant, lead partner)

1. State Nature Reserve "Polistovsky", Bezhanitsy Town, Russia (project partner)
2. Sebezhsky National Park, Sebezh City, Russia (project partner)
3. Pskov Regional Center for the Development of Gifted Children and Youth, Pskov City, Russia (project partner)

Objective of the project:
The main goal of the project is to improve the quality of environmental education of Pskov region through the use of local environmental information deriving from regional specially protected nature areas.

Objectives of the project:

• To improve the knowledge of schoolchildren in the field of ecology and local history.
• To raise the qualification of teachers of natural sciences and specialists of eco-centers in environmental education.
• To develop new methodological materials for conducting eco-educational lessons.
• To facilitate the promotion and development of the protected nature areas.
• To spread new methods in the field of eco-education among the target groups of the project.

Target groups of the project:

1. Schoolchildren.
2. Teachers of natural sciences.
3. Specialists of the regional protected nature areas.
4. Specialists of environmental centers.

The main activities of the project:

• Roundtable "Opportunities for Nature Protected Areas for Environmental Education" (December 19, 2017)
• 2nd stage of the regional competition among teachers of natural sciences "Your land" (December 2017 – April 2018)
• Development of an open lesson for schoolchildren "Nature Reserves of Russia" (November 2017 – February 2018)
• School for teachers of natural sciences, specialists of eco-educational centers and nature protected areas of Pskov region (February 19-21, 2018)
• Conducting a series of lessons for schoolchildren "Nature Reserves of Russia" (March – April 2018)
• Preparation and release of the Virtual Natural Guide (May – August 2018)
• Informational and educational action "Your land" (June 2018)
• Ecological meeting on the basis of the State Nature Reserve "Polistovsky" (July 2018)
• Preparation of an electronic brochure of the best methodological developments in the field of eco-education (May-August 2018)
• Open Day at the State Nature Reserve "Polistovsky" (September 2018)
• Open Day in Sebezhsky National Park (September 2018)

Expected results of the project:

• The level of knowledge of schoolchildren in the region in the field of environmental education and local history has been raised.

• The qualification of teachers of natural disciplines and specialists of eco-educational centers of the Pskov region has been increased.

• The methodological base of general education institutions and institutions of additional education in the Pskov region has been improved.

• Awareness of the target groups and the general population on the role and importance of the PAs in the region has been increased.

• The interaction between the educational institutions and PA administrations on conducting eco-educational work has been improved.

Further development of the project:
Further development of the project is connected with practical testing of the methodological tool-kits by the teachers of natural sciences and specialists of eco-centers, alongside the development of regular interaction between schools and administrations of nature protected areas for the purposes of eco-education. In addition, the experience of the project can be presented to the regions neighboring the Pskov region.