The second training day of the European WOVEN project, held at IES Jérica-Viver, continued to strengthen vocational education teachers’ commitment to sustainability and educational innovation. Through participatory workshops, specialist presentations and practical activities, teachers from Spain and Portugal continued to expand their knowledge of green skills and their application in the classroom. The session concluded with a visit to the Viver Cooperative, where participants were able to see first-hand an example of sustainable production and the local economy.
An activity to start the day
The morning began with a new icebreaker activity designed to encourage participation and prepare attendees for the topics to be covered during the day.
On this occasion, the participants were divided into three groups: two comprising teachers attending in person and a third made up of those taking part in the training online. This arrangement enabled all attendees, regardless of how they were participating, to play an active role in the discussions and share their views.
The session was led by Sergio Gil, a teacher at IES Jérica-Viver, who raised various topics relating to the European framework for green skills. Each group discussed issues linked to sustainability, environmental responsibility and the challenges currently facing vocational education and training in preparing students for the green transition.
As well as encouraging interaction amongst the participants, the activity provided an opportunity to revise the knowledge acquired during the first day and created a space for reflection ahead of the remaining training sessions.
Environmental communication as a tool for change
Following the opening session, the event continued with a presentation by a very special guest. The ARCES organisation was joined by Josep Antoni Nebot, a journalist specialising in environmental issues, who shared with the audience his professional experience in raising awareness of sustainability-related issues.
During his speech, Nebot highlighted the important role that communication plays in raising public awareness of current environmental challenges. Using real-life examples and experiences drawn from his professional career, he demonstrated how the way these issues are covered in the media can help to raise awareness and promote behavioural change at both an individual and collective level.
The session enabled teachers to reflect on the importance of conveying accurate and understandable information to their pupils, as well as on the value of developing critical thinking in response to environmental messages circulating in the media and on social media.
The involvement of a journalism professional brought a different perspective to the conference and enriched the multidisciplinary approach of the WOVEN project.
Designing lesson plans
The second part of the morning was devoted to practical work by the teaching staff.
Building on the materials and resources analysed during the previous day’s session, the participants began to design a lesson plan that would enable them to bring content relating to green skills into the classroom.
This activity marked a further step in the training process, as the teachers moved on from analysing proposals drawn up by the project to creating their own lesson plans tailored to their subject areas and educational contexts.
During the collaborative session, participants exchanged ideas, clarified any doubts and shared different methodological approaches to incorporating sustainability into vocational training in a practical and meaningful way.
Due to time constraints, it was not possible to present all the lesson plans by the end of the session. For this reason, the organisers decided to postpone the presentations until the following day, allowing participants to review and finalise their proposals before sharing them with the rest of the group.
Learning outside the classroom too
Following the morning training session, the participants continued the programme with an activity directly linked to the principles of sustainability they had been working on throughout the day.
The visit to the Viver Cooperative provided an insight into a real-life example of responsible production, based on product quality, respect for the environment and a business model committed to fair trade and local development.
The experience began with a tour of the farmland, where those present were able to see the trees that form part of the cooperative’s agricultural production at close quarters. During the visit, the organisers explained the different stages of cultivation, how the plantations are tended and the processes involved in harvesting, emphasising the importance of applying sustainable agricultural practices that ensure both product quality and the conservation of the natural environment.
From the olive tree to the oil
After visiting the olive groves, the group went to the olive oil mill to learn about the entire olive oil production process.
The participants toured the facilities whilst learning about each stage of production, from the arrival of the olives to the extraction, filtering and storage of the oil. The explanations helped them understand how technological innovation can coexist with traditional methods to produce a high-quality product whilst maintaining standards of efficiency and sustainability.
This practical approach proved particularly interesting to teachers, as it offered a tangible example of how the principles of sustainable economics can be applied in the agri-food sector.
A tasting to get to know the final product
The event concluded with an olive oil tasting, during which participants were able to appreciate the organoleptic characteristics of the product produced by the cooperative.
Guided by the experts, they learnt to identify aspects such as the aroma, flavour, intensity and balance of the oil, discovering the work that goes into producing a foodstuff so representative of the Mediterranean diet.
As well as being a culinary experience, the tasting served to highlight the importance of supporting local producers and business models that are committed to quality, sustainability and the economic development of rural areas.
A day focusing on the practical application of sustainability
The second day of the WOVEN project once again combined training, participation and experiential learning.
Group dynamics, a talk by journalist Josep Antoni Nebot, the development of teaching resources and a visit to the Viver Cooperative provided teachers with new tools to understand how green skills can be integrated into both the educational setting and the professional world.
With the presentations of the lesson plans scheduled for the following day, the participants continued to make progress in a training programme that demonstrates the value of European cooperation in promoting vocational education and training that is more innovative, sustainable and aligned with the challenges of the future.
