The CliC-PoLiT Summer School is specifically designed for teaching professionals in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). It will introduce teachers to the concept of Light Pollution and fight against Climate Change as well as inquiry-based science teaching techniques in order to develop, improve and enhance their teaching skills and practices. The overall goal of the course is to:

1. target the urgent need of upskilling educators and learners with the necessary competences to use digital technologies to improve the learning process and,
2. address the growing (and very silent) problem of Light Pollution and its effects in the fauna, flora, human health and energy consumption.
3. reinforce climate change actions and transfer academic knowledge and practical skills.
4. enrich existing curriculum opportunities and provide suggestions for curriculum enrichment that incorporate current threats and opportunities that need to be addressed in order to reach a more sustainable style of living.

The CliC-PoLiT Summer School is designed to be highly engaging, creative and interactive. Participating teachers will work as individuals and in small groups. Thus, they will be able to collaborate with teachers from other countries, discuss ideas and exchange experiences in order to create lesson plans and group activities which will encompass all the features of successful inter-disciplinary science activities.

The course will last for 6 days, consisting in total of 25 hours of workshop-based training, such as presentations followed by hands-on sessions (9 hours of lectures and demonstrations, 16 hours of hands-on workshops). The lectures and the demonstrations of the training courses will be held in an auditorium equipped with a data projector and a laptop, whereas the workshops will be held in a multimedia laboratory where each participant will have direct access to a laptop with internet connection and will carry out planned exercises.

One important aspect of the training activities is the collected feedback and the common discussion among participants. We will provide a platform to exchange ideas sand talk in detail about the requirements with respect to various aspects of the tools shown in order to facilitate their further development, maximize their efficiency and enhance the adaptation potential.

To ensure the proper preparation for the training course an online platform will act as a main hub of communication and for sharing and distributing preparatory material with the participants. Through this platform the participants will have access to all materials necessary for their preparation (suggested reading, digital tools, relevant websites, guidelines and support material etc.) and a common workspace. Moreover, all the information regarding the training course such as the course description, the programme, travelling and accommodation guidelines will also be accessible through the website.

Participants will familiarize themselves with the training topics as well as the course methodology by accessing the relevant resources, materials and tools. Based on their interests they will be invited to participate into one of the working groups each of which will have a different main topic of focus.

At the end of the course, following the presentation of their work on the last day of the course, participants will receive a training certificate that confirms the successful completion of the course and its objectives.

As members of the CliC-PoLiT community participants will have access to support provided by the training team, and they will be able to communicate with other teachers in European countries, who have a common interest, share their ideas and experience and collaborate in joint activities.

The summer school alumni will also become members of the Dark Sky Rangers in Action initiative, and they will be given the opportunity to become trainers themselves. Through the training sessions they will organize they will be able to further disseminate their work and inspire more teachers to use their activities and the CliC-PoLiT tools and services.

In order to assess whether, and to what extent, the course has reached its objectives and expected results the participants will have to answer, during and at the end of the course, a set of relevant questionnaires that will be provided by the course providers. The results of the questionnaires/survey or a so-called evaluation report will be available to all participants of the course.

Course fee

The course fee for all ESIA Summer Schools is 480€ (80€/per day) and fully within the funding opportunities of the Erasmus+ Programme.

The course fee covers:

• Expert lecturers for lectures, seminars and workshops
• All materials and equipment needed for the course
• Participation in the social programme & excursions (e.g. Sunset and dinner at Cape Sounio, excursion to the Acropolis and visit to the Acropolis Museum and dinner in downtown Athens, traditional night and farewell dinner, etc.)

Subsistence & accommodation

The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.

ESIA has made special arrangement with the hotel and are happy to offer to all participants a single or double room with all-inclusive services (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and free of charge services for outdoors sports and recreational activities).

The costs for subsistence are also within the ceilings of the Erasmus+ programme for KA1 mobility actions.

The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.

It is the area of Marathon, that has hosted since the times of myths when Theseus killed the terrible bull of Marathon, to the times of the Persian wars and the Battle of Marathon, further on to our days and the marathon race and Marathon Run, the emblematic symbol of man’s quest for freedom and the will to defend his most noble deeds which constitute the foundations of the Human civilization. The plethora of natural, historical sites and museums of the area reveal in all details this unique historical voyage.

Participants are expected to arrive through the Athens International Airport, approximately 25 km (15,53 miles) distance from the hotel.

Learn More…

School Heads and Teachers participation in the summer courses can be funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme.

In case your school or organization does not have the funds to cover the costs of your participation in the Summer School, there is another option: you can apply to be funded by by the ERASMUS+ Programme.

Please note that the Erasmus+ KA1 application can only be submitted by the school or the organization – no individual applications can be submitted.

The deadline for application is 23 February 2022.

What is ERASMUS+?

Erasmus+ is the European Commission’s Programme for education, training, youth, and sport for the period 2021-2027. As an integrated programme, Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for the mobility of learners and staff and cooperation across the education, training, and youth sectors and is easier to access than its predecessors, with simplified funding rules and a structure that aims to streamline the administration of the programme.

Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA1) provides a unique opportunity for teachers, headmasters, trainers, and other staff of educational institutions to participate in international training courses in different European countries. Schools, universities, vocational education and training, and adult education organizations are all eligible to receive full funding to attend courses under a KA1 mobility grant. The Erasmus+ KA1 grant covers all the costs to attend teacher training courses: including travel, subsistence, and course fee.

For up-to-date information about Erasmus+ please check the Programme’s website. Your school will need to apply to your country’s National Agency, who is also the one who will evaluate the proposal. Therefore, your National Agency is also a very good point to start for more information.

Don’t forget to go through the the New Programme Guide and you will have all you need to know.

The steps to apply for an Erasmus+ KA1 School Education Staff Mobility grant are:

1. Fill in the registration form to our Summer School with your details. This is an individual registration form, so if there are more than one participant from the same school, each one will have to submit a separate registration form. This way you have reserved a slot in the course in case your application for Erasmus+ funding is successful!
2. Register your school/organization here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-esc/index/ , if not already registered.
3. Check the compliance with the programme criteria
4. Check the financial conditions
5. Fill in and submit the application form
6. Respect the deadline
7. Do not forget to inform us as soon as you get notified from your National Agency whether your grant application is accepted or rejected.

You can find all related information about submitting an Erasmus+ Application HERE.

We will be happy to guide you through the process.