Presentazione
Data
dal 1 Settembre 2025 al 29 Giugno 2026
Descrizione del progetto
Zero Waste: Green Step Neighborhood
Quality label
Submission details
Teacher:
School:
Country:
Italy
Submitted on:
29.06.2026
Project details
Project login information
Salvatore Palella – English teacher at “Istituto Francesco Morano” in Caivano (Na) Italy
I participated in the project as a partner from Italy. The project involved a total of 14 partners from three countries: 9 teachers from Türkiye, 4 from Romania, and 1 from Italy. I worked with 11th-grade high school students. Our project is an international and interdisciplinary e-Twinning project which focuses on environmental education, zero waste, and sustainable living. Our main objectives are to raise students’ environmental awareness, introduce them to waste management practices in different cultures, help them develop sustainable habits, and improve their foreign language, digital literacy, and collaboration skills. Among our collaborative project products are “The Digital Story of a Seed,” “Acrostic Poem,” “Safer Internet Guide,” and the e-Magazine “Let’s Get to Know the World Leaders in Waste Transformation.”
Average age of your pupils participating in the project
16
Number of pupils from your class/school participating in the project
16
Type of eTwinning project
An eTwinning project only
Links:
Our Project Partners and Information:
“The Digital Story of a Seed”:
e-Magazine “Let’s Get to Know the World Leaders in Waste Transformation:
Project description
Collaboration between partner schools
Collaboration activities go beyond communication. Please describe the work process of the project clearly outlining the division of tasks between you and your partner(s). In particular, describe:
a) The aspects of the project where you and your partner(s) collaborated
b) The activities in which pupils worked together
c) How the final products of the project were achieved by the pupils
I saw the project announcement on Facebook through a post shared by my colleague, and I was accepted into the project as a partner. Collaboration in the project included participation in surveys, the use of the platform, the selection of Web 2.0 tools, planning student activities, curriculum integration, and the development of collaborative products. Tasks were assigned to ensure that every partner actively contributed at every stage of the project.
The main student collaborative activities were webinars. In each webinar, a specific topic was selected.These topics were shaped around the main theme of our project and focused on issues that students wanted to research and needed to learn.The webinars included a welcome webinar, Safer Internet Day (10 February), Zero Waste and World Water Day, and eTwinning Day. These webinars were held on the specified dates, and the topics were presented and discussed by students in English. The presented content was included in the final project outputs as part of the shared products.The story of a seed, the acrostic poem, and the e-magazine “World Leaders in Zero Waste” are also products created through collaboration with partner schools.Students played an active role throughout the process, working together and creating content in shared workspaces accessible via common links.On eTwinning Day on 9 May, each school gave presentations on the effective use of the Web 2.0 tools they used, and an interactive environment was created.. New Year’s greetings were posted, and students uploaded all prepared materials to web pages and Instagram.
Within the scope of the project, students collaborated through shared links (such as an e-magazine created on Canva featuring ‘World Leaders in Zero Waste’ and our activities, as well as a Safe Internet Guide, an acrostic poem created on Google Docs, and a slogan e-exhibition on Water and Zero Waste designed on Emaze), and contributed to the creation of common products.Activities were also carried out.
Links:
Teacher Task Distribution in the Project:
Teacher and student WhatsApp groups.:
Acrostic Poem (“Joint Product”):
9 May- eTwinning Day Activities:
Artificial intelligence and web tools used:
The Digital Story of a Seed (“Joint Product”):
Safer Internet Guide (“Joint Product”):
Virtual Exhibition (“Joint Product”):
e Magazine: Let’s Get to Know the World Leaders in Waste Transformation (Collaborative Product):
Growing from Seeds and Nature Activities:
Let’s learn waste and related concepts through games..:
Use of technology
Please describe:
a) How technology has been used by all partners to enrich the activities of the project.
b) How you addressed data-protection and copyright issues
Throughout the project, all partners actively integrated technology into communication, collaboration, product creation, and dissemination processes. Digital interaction was strengthened through the use of Web 2.0 tools selected according to students’ age levels.
Project posters, logos, promotional visuals, and presentations were prepared using Web 2.0 and artificial intelligence tools (such as Canva, Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT). Collaborative activities, such as the shared story project “The Digital Story of a Seed” and the e-magazine “Let’s Get to Know the World Leaders in Waste Transformation,” were carried out through shared links on Canva. The acrostic poem activity was completed through collaborative work in international mixed groups using Google Docs. Teacher and student WhatsApp groups strengthened and accelerated both communication and collaboration. For video production, tools such as Clipchamp, HeyGen, InVideo AI, and iMovie were used, while Google Forms was preferred for surveys. During webinars, interactive learning was supported by introducing tools such as Kahoot, Padlet, and Mentimeter. Students created games, puzzles, word clouds, and posters using Genially and various other design tools.
Throughout the project, great care was taken regarding data protection and copyright issues. The Interland game was both entertaining and educational, and a certificate was obtained. An e-Safety guide was created, and students reinforced the topic through case studies. No copyrighted images were used, and all sources were properly cited where quotations were included.
TwinSpace served as the main working platform throughout the project and collaboration was supported through forums. Online meetings were mostly held via Google Meet, where students presented their work and showcased their products. Student suggestions were taken into account in the selection of tools, and the use of different tools was encouraged.
Links:
Our Project Partners and Information:
Student and Teacher WhatsApp Messages:
Project Rules and Copyright Information:
Our activities on safe internet use.:
Web 2.0 and Artificial Intelligence Tools Used in the Project:
The Digital Story of a Seed (“Joint Product”):
Acrostic Poem (Collaborative Product):
9 May- eTwinning Day Activities:
Safer Internet Guide (“Joint Product”):
Pedagogical approaches:
Please describe the following:
a) The educational objectives and pedagogical approaches you have used with your pupils during the project work. (Examples; small group work, independent research by pupils, etc.
b) If your pupils are very young, the methods you used to engage them.
Our project involved a diverse group of students aged 16 to 18 from a third-year class (equivalent to grades 11–12) in the Hospitality stream at the Morano Institute in Caivano.
Collaborative and active learning approaches were adopted throughout the project. Activities included group work—such as gathering information, creating PowerPoint presentations on the topics covered, and conducting individual research—as well as exercises designed to develop transversal skills (life skills). Rather than being passive recipients of information, the students were active participants engaged in research, creation, and evaluation, experiencing a learning process based on real-world experiences.
The activities were designed to be adaptable to a wide range of learning environments. Tools and formats such as digital storytelling, acrostics, digital magazines, poster and logo design, video and game production, online presentations, and digital greeting cards were utilized. This variety helped develop the students’ cognitive, emotional, and digital skills.
The students conducted research and analysis guided by questionnaires, a process that fostered the development of critical thinking. The activities included webinars with experts, the preparation of brochures on the theme of a “green city,” tree planting activities in the school garden, and participation in eTwinning Day, Safer Internet Day, and zero-waste gift exchange activities. Interaction with students from other countries facilitated the acquisition of new skills. Students shared ideas and played an active role in creating collaborative outputs using platforms such as forums, WhatsApp, and Padlet. This process enhanced both their English language and digital skills. Students were involved in selecting the tools used, and the presentation of certificates boosted their motivation. Tools like Kahoot, Padlet, and Mentimeter were employed to make webinars interactive, thereby capturing the students’ interest.
Curricular integration
Please describe the following:
a) How you tried to integrate the project into your existing curriculum/subject matter/s and/or if you followed a multidisciplinary approach.
b) What key competencies and skills you developed in your pupils during the project work.
Our project carried out at Istituto Morano (Caivano, Italy) is based on a highly comprehensive and multidisciplinary curriculum integration model involving third-year high school students, running from October to May. We structured our project around the main theme of “Environment, pollution and food waste” (Ambiente, inquinamento e spreco alimentare), bringing together many different disciplines in our school toward a common learning goal.
Within the curriculum integration, we dedicated 6 hours in English classes to topics such as reducing food waste and green waste management; in French classes, we addressed food waste in France; and in Italian classes, we discussed global hunger and waste issues. In Food Science, we examined the environmental impacts of food; and in our vocational technical subjects such as kitchen, service, and tourism reception, we incorporated topics like GMOs, zero-kilometre (local) products, and sustainable tourism into the curriculum. In addition, we adopted a multidisciplinary approach by covering renewable energy sources in Mathematics, global warming in History, world hunger in Religious Studies, and environmental protection at the constitutional level in Law.
Throughout this process, we developed key competences in our students that combine civic and vocational skills. Our students gained linguistic abilities such as reading and understanding foreign-language texts on food waste, following subtitled videos, and participating in discussions. They improved their ability to present data and events clearly with a defined purpose, critically select information, and use appropriate language. In line with the Agenda 2030 goals, they developed awareness of sustainable consumption, recycling, and biodiversity, while also learning to adopt responsible behaviors in both their private and social lives under legal principles. Through cooperative work, case studies, brainstorming, and expert talks, students improved critical thinking skills.
Results and documentation
Please describe the impact that this project had on your pupils and on your work as a teacher. In particular:
a) How you achieved the set of objectives of your project.
b) How you evaluated your project.
c) How you disseminated the project and the project outcomes.
The main objectives of the project were to raise students’ environmental awareness, integrate “zero-waste” practices into daily life, develop sustainable lifestyle habits, and improve international collaboration skills. These goals were largely achieved through introductory activities, collaborative projects, recycling activities, workshops, digital content, cooperative activities, and lessons delivered by students acting as “green ambassadors” to their peers at school.
Workflow planning, the effective use of TwinSpace, the systematic distribution of tasks, and the creation of collaborative products played an important role in achieving the project objectives. Throughout the project, students produced various materials such as logos, posters, videos, digital exhibitions, digital stories and games, as well as an online magazine. Active participation and international teamwork contributed to the success of the project.
Dissemination activities were carried out through TwinSpace posts, school noticeboards, the school website, social media profiles, and information meetings with teachers, parents and students.
Students played an active role on TwinSpace, handling content uploads, posting comments, and creating collaborative outputs. Teachers collaborated via chat rooms to jointly manage planning and evaluation. The application for the Quality Label was drafted in alignment with the project’s objectives, processes, and outcomes. Surveys and dissemination activities were conducted systematically. Students developed environmental awareness as well as digital and communication skills, while teachers gained experience in international collaboration. At the project’s conclusion, students received certificates acknowledging their participation and achievements.
Links:
Feedback was shared in the Home section of the project.:
https://chat.webconference.fpfis.tech.ec.europa.eu/group/zero_waste__green_step_neighborhood_210804
Dissemination Activities (Facebook, school website, and school Instagram news)
Project’s joint Instagram account:
Your contributions
Please briefly describe your own contribution to the project
At the beginning of the project, while researching “Zero Waste” and recycling projects, I came across a Facebook post from a friend who was looking for partners for this project. Through this contact, I met the Turkish project coordinator and was accepted into the project together with teachers and students from other countries. As this was my first eTwinning project, I immediately received guidance on how to use the platform and how the project process works. I focused on improving my skills in this area. I joined the teachers’ WhatsApp group to follow all communication and created a separate WhatsApp group with my students to ensure effective coordination. I successfully completed all the tasks assigned to me within the project plan.
To ensure dissemination and sustainability, I guided one of my students to upload our activities to the project’s shared Instagram page. As part of our school’s “Zero Waste” initiatives, I organized a meeting with teachers and students from different classes; my students gave a presentation on “Zero Waste,” explaining the importance of our project. We purchased reusable water bottles to reduce plastic use and installed drinking water stations where students could refill their bottles before classes. We also raised awareness among students about waste separation and recycling. In collaboration with the agriculture department, students learned to prepare “zero-kilometre” recipes using products grown in the school garden.
As part of the project activities, we actively participated in training on e-safety. I ensured that students actively used the Web 2.0 tools they learned during the project and assigned presentation tasks to improve their skills. During monthly online meetings, I increased student participation by assigning tasks. I participated in all surveys and successfully fulfilled my responsibility of monitoring partner pages. I believe I represented my school and the project in the best possible way.
Other awards (if applicable)
Has this project received other awards? If so, please give a description of them (e.g other countries’ quality labels or national eTwinning awards, etc.
No certificate was issued. I would like to apply for the Quality Label
Obiettivi
"This project aims to transform small awareness steps into large, lasting green steps."
Partecipanti
- Istituto "F. Morano" Caivano (NA) - Italia
- Ayhan Sümer Anatolian High School- Ankara - Turchia
- Școala Gimnazială „Mircea cel Bătrân” Pitești - Romana
In collaborazione con
eTwinning