A short summary ...

The "Tales from the invisible web of life" is a collection of bilingual (Bulgarian and English) illustrated scientific stories for children aged 6-10 years old, for their teachers and parents. The collection is an intellectual product of our team and a didactic innovation par excellence, with no equivalent in Primary School Education System in Bulgaria, where its implementation is meant to take place. The collection will be suitable for individual, group and project work by pupils, guided by teachers and/or parents. The "tales" will be complemented by a methodological guidebook for teachers and/or parents. The guidelines will contain ideas and concrete suggestions for practical educational activities, to be performed primarily outside, but also inside, the classroom. Activities inspired by and related to the content of the tales.

Who are we ...

The project will be implemented by Ecosystem Europe Association (EEA), a not for profit, non governmental organization operating in the public benefit. It was born in late 2013 because of a growing need to get young people to think about their future and prepare them to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The project team involves: Stoyan Faldjiyski - manager of EEA, author of texts of scientific tales and methodological guidance for primary school teachers and parents; Stefka Kitanova - educator at "Miguel de Cervantes" school, pioneer writer of stories presenting scientific knowledge in the form of tales, editor and proof-reader of texts in Bulgarian, author of the methodological guidelines for primary school teachers and parents; Milka Djidjova - president of National School Eco Parliament, author of the methodological guidelines for primary school teachers and parents; Tanya Kircheva - schoolteacher at "Prof. Vasil Zlatarski" school,  author of the methodological guidelines for primary school teachers and parents; Teodora Doncheva - artist.

Our story ...

The "Tales from the invisible web of life" will develop an innovative educational instrument for (re)
connecting primary school children to their natural and social environment and thus inspiring and
empowering them to become successful and responsible entrepreneurs when shaping their future
and designing solutions for the environmental, social and economic challenges ahead.
The "tales" are primary about nature inspired learning outside the classroom (LOtC). LOtC is the
necessary response to the pedagogical issues linked to the capabilities of humanity to sustain life
on Earth (Faculty of Primary School Pedagogy, Sofia University, 2014).
Linking children with nature is a prerequisite for the comprehensive growing-up of each individual.
Unfortunately, Bulgarian primary schools are badly missing innovative pedagogical approaches and
educational content to insure this link.

The project will take place in four locations in Bulgaria (Sofia, Vidin, Ruse and Vaarna) and will have three phases:
1.    Development of learning packs
2.    Training of teachers
3.    Pupils’ expo forum and online exhibition of school projects

Where will the money go?

The minimum budget will go for the illustrations and the design and creation (printing and packaging) of the learning packs. The project will be fully implemented even if only the minimum is crowd funded. The remaining 4100 GBP will be co-funded by Ecosystem Europe Association.
The full target will go for remuneration for the team involved in the creation of the tales; the creation of online platform for sharing of schools projects; the 4x1 day training for 40 primary schools teachers; the travel/accommodation for trainers to 3 locations in the country (Vidin, Ruse, Varna).
If things really take off and we raise more than our target we will augment the scale of implementation.
We will give updates on progress of the project every 3 months via news section on our website.
Breakdown of costs:
£2700 remuneration for the team involved
£1500  design, preprint and print of 540 pcs. books packed in boxes by 9 pcs., a total of 60 sets (paper and cardboard used will be certified with the Ecolabel).
£2500  illustrations of books and design of the overall vision of the books and the box
£350  creating subpage to the site of Ecosystem Europe to share pictures, video, text material from Pupils’ expo forum
£550  training of teachers, food, hall rental, materials
£500  travel and accommodation of the trainers

Rewards ...

Almost fully available only for Bulgaria.

For contacting us please go to:
http://ecosystemeurope.org/
https://www.facebook.com/EcosystemEurope/?ref=hlv

:)