An introduction to the project

For the past three years, Re innovasjon has been a partner in a very interesting, useful and competence-building project called Ecology squared. The project is supported with funds from the EEA Funds 2014-2021, through which Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway contribute to reducing economic, social disparities in the European Economic Area and strengthening cooperation with 15 European countries.

The partners in Norway, in Bodø has been Re innovation by Kjerstin Larsen and Nina Morvik, the Study Organization of the Folkeuniversitetets Fagskole by Dag Ofstad, Nord University by Ove Jakobsen, Bodø upper secondary school by Odd Ove Danielsen. In Most in the Czech Republic the vocational high school – Technical Secondary School with a team of 3 subject teachers and a project manager has been our partner. Other important people are also the two incredibly talented teachers at Bodø upper secondary school, Vera Breivik and Marie Høknes, and their city building project, which has been adopted into the practical part of the teaching modules and which the teachers in Most eagerly grasped. In addition, we have been lucky enough to get with us the skilled interpreter Mira Bjørnback Seka from Folkeuniversitetet. Without her important interpreting work, this project would not have been such a success!

A short while ago we paid our last visit to our projectpartners in Most. This time we got to know the city even better and increased our understanding even more of the city and the region’s environmental challenges after the coal mining. Another big dilemma for them is the challenge with the Romani people and the cultural clash that it entails. Most, the Usti region and the Czech Republic have a fascinating history that we have now learned about. And not least, we see the importance of cooperation across borders and how much we can learn from each other being in dialogue and interaction with each other.

Briefly, the project has involved developing 3 teaching modules for the upper secondary school in the Czech Republic and one for the university – all four with the main emphasis on sustainability, entrepreneurship, working with attitude changes and increasing the competence of pupils, students and teachers. In parallel here in Bodø, we have adapted these modules to Norwegian conditions, needs and requirements.