Erasmus+ TIDES: Designing the Digital Future of Environmental Education in Estonia
A creative two-day period filled with technology, tradition, and environmental awareness was experienced by the representatives of the participating organizations on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. On 18 and 19 May 2026, the partners of the European program Erasmus+ TIDES (“Tales of the Islands through Digital Storytelling for Environmental Awareness”, Project No: 2025-1-CY01-KA220-SCH-000351058) gave a dynamic “present” at the Transnational Project Meeting (TPM).
The meeting was hosted by the educational organization Kärla Põhikool and brought together all project partners (from Cyprus, Greece, Estonia, Turkey, and the Netherlands) with the aim of developing innovative educational tools. The European Programs Coordinators and the representatives of the organizations actively participated in defining the project’s strategic path.
From Local Myths to Digital Logic (WP3)
The meeting’s agenda focused exclusively on Work Package 3 (WP3), which aims to bridge traditional legends with digital design.
- Connecting Tradition and Environment: During the first day, the myths collected during the previous stage (WP2) were analyzed. The most suitable stories were selected to be directly linked to critical environmental issues of the islands and the participating regions, such as water scarcity and coastal pollution.
- Storyboard Templates: Ten reusable storyboard templates were collaboratively designed. At the same time, technical specifications, video duration, and copyright rules for the multimedia material to be created were defined.
- Quality Assurance: Specific Quality Indicators were established under the guidance of Kärla Põhikool to ensure a high standard for all 25 digital stories of the project.
Digital Tools and Teacher Training
The second day focused on practice and the administrative organization of the upcoming phases.
- Multimedia Workshop: Participants proceeded with hands-on testing of modern digital tools (such as Canva, Animoto, and Flipgrid) and finalized the Teacher Training Guide that will support 40 participating educators from all partner countries.
- Local Workshops for Students: The timeline was set for conducting 10 local workshops (2 per participating country) that will engage a total of 200 students, while the technical structure of the Digital Story Archive was discussed.
- Administrative Compliance: The Work Package budget and the allocation of working days were reviewed (Staff Days: 70 days for Estonia and 50 days for partners), ensuring full alignment with European standards.
Dissemination and Next Steps
The meeting concluded with the design of the strategy for promoting the results through Social Media, eTwinning, and institutional websites, as well as with the official distribution of the Certificates of Attendance.
Through the combination of Digital Storytelling and STEAM education, students from the consortium’s schools will soon have the opportunity to become environmental ambassadors themselves.
Warmest thanks are extended to Kaidi Liivas and Sirje Ellermaa (Headmaster of Kärla Põhikool) for their excellent hospitality and flawless organization.
The TIDES journey continues dynamically in the classrooms and educational organizations of all partners!
Source: tides.cs.ucy.ac.cy/