“Nature interpretation and Environmental Education in Prespa” Summer School
17th – 21st September 2018, Prespa National Park – Korçë, Albania
Application Deadline: 27th August 2018
Introduction
The NGO Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), based in Tirana, Albania in collaboration with its partners Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) based in Skopje and Resen, and Society for Protection of Prespa (SPP), based in Laimos, Prespa, will organise a summer school entitled “Nature interpretation and environmental education for Prespa”, which will be held on 17th – 21st September 2018. The partners have together formed an NGO network for Prespa, PrespaNet, which works to support conservation and sustainable development in the region.
Environmental education and interpretation are of great importance for sustainable development and nature conservation, and the aim of the summer school is for students to gain an understanding of theories and practices which shape environmental education and interpretation projects worldwide, through participation in creative sessions offered by regional and international experts with environmental education and interpretation backgrounds.
Main themes, objects of study and learning outcomes
The summer school will include theoretical sessions in the historic city of Korçë in Albania, while practical activities will take place in the outstanding natural beauty of the Prespa National Park, with its exceptional biodiversity values. The theoretical sessions will be held at the “Faculty for Natural Sciences and Humanities”, University of Korçë, and will guide the students through the concepts of nature interpretation and environmental education, aiming at providing the principal foundation theories which serve as the basis for the development of education and interpretation programmes. Complementary to these sessions, field trips in the Prespa National Park will explore the use of natural environment elements from an educational and interpretational point of view.
This summer school is an opportunity to learn new skills, develop an environmental education kit and receive mentorship to develop your own environmental education or interpretation project idea.
Tutors and organisation
The summer school will bring along the expertise in nature interpretation of Mrs. Valya Stergioti from “Interpret Europe”, a membership-based organisation leading nature and heritage interpretation discourse and practice with more than 500 hundred members in 45 countries of Europe. The Regional Environmental Center (REC) Albania , the leading environmental education and information organisation in Albania, will provide assistance and mentorship to the student participants of the summer school to develop an environmental education kit.
Information for applicants
The summer school is open to university students from Albania, the fYR of Macedonia and Greece, and will bring together 21 students from bachelor and master degrees in environmental science, natural sciences, agricultural sciences, education and other related fields. The official language used in the summer school will be English and a good standard of English should be demonstrated in the application.
Priority will be given to applicants from the region, or studying at regional universities, and special consideration
will also be given to those working in related disciplines in Prespa.
The summer school is free for participants, with food, accommodation, transport and insurance also provided by the project. Participants will be given accommodation in local hotels and will be expected to spend a night camping in Prespa as part of the field activities. Further details regarding transport, accommodation and the programme will be distributed to successful applicants.
After successfully completing the summer school, participants will be given completion certificates.
In addition, a recreational programme will be offered to the participants, including excursions and events from the cultural life of Korça and the Prespa National Park
The application form is available here.
The project,“Strengthening NGO-led Conservation in the Transboundary Prespa Basin”, is funded by the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust and the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation, and co-ordinated by EuroNatur.
