Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2025 Newsletter
Student Voices: Experiences from a First Participation in an eTwinning Project by Dimitra Tsalkitzi
Introduction During the 2024 – 2025 school year, our school – the 1st Primary School of Plomari, Greece – participated for the first time in a European eTwinning project, involving students from the third grade. The project focused on three key pillars of environmental awareness: reducing consumption, recycling, and reusing materials.
They were given the opportunity to reflect on their role as active members of a common European future.
“ It felt like we were one big classroom with children from other countries, speaking different languages but caring about the same thing.”
“ I realized recycling is not just for our school or Greece – everyone in Europe has to try.”
The project contributed to shaping a shared European identity and instilled a sense of environmental and social responsibility in the students – goals closely aligned with the principles of education for sustainable development as civic education( UNECE, 2012).
As a small primary school located in a seaside village, with no previous experience in European collaborations, we welcomed this opportunity as a means to strengthen experiential learning, promote 21st-century skills, and cultivate a sense of active citizenship. Through remote collaborative activities, our students worked with partner schools from other European countries, exchanging ideas and good practices on sustainability.
Experiences and student reflections: Seeing themselves as European citizens Participation in a European context helped students understand that they are part of a broader social and cultural community.
Digital collaboration and intercultural experiences The students engaged in online activities, presented their work, watched videos from partner schools, and exchanged ideas about sustainable practices.
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