La Garde: Jean-Aicard students present their Educational Terrestrial Area
Students from Jean-Aicard school presented their Educational Terrestrial Area project, marked by the creation of an educational pond.
On June 4, the gardens of the Jean-Aicard museum hosted the presentation of a year's work carried out by the students from the class of Marion Odasso, school teacher at Jean-Aicard school.
Parents, elected officials, and partners thus discovered the achievements carried out as part of the Educational Terrestrial Area (ATE), in the presence of Hélène Arnaud-Bill, the first magistrate, and Marjorie Gardiol, inspector of the Éducation nationale.
An educational pond as a flagship project
Set up four years ago in partnership with the Jean-Aicard museum and its director Jean-Pascal Faucher, the ATE allows students to get involved in the preservation and enhancement of a natural area.
This year, the flagship project was the creation of an educational pond in the museum's gardens.
The mobilization of numerous partners
This long-term project was made possible thanks to the mobilization of numerous partners.
Students from the lycée Dumont-d’Urville, involved in the Calypso project, participated in the earthworks, the development of the path, and the masonry of the surroundings using natural stones. The association Chercheurs en herbe and the Parc national de Port-Cros provided their expertise and support.
Student guides and artists
During the evening, visitors discovered the poems written by the students in collaboration with students from the École Supérieure d’Art et de Design Toulon Provence Méditerranée, as well as artistic creations inspired by the project.
Finally, the students took on the role of guides, presenting the various achievements themselves and explaining the stages of their work to parents and guests. A practical way to value their commitment and the knowledge acquired throughout the year.
What is an Educational Terrestrial Area?
An educational area is a natural territory managed in a participatory manner by school, middle school, or high school students. Accompanied by their teachers and structures specializing in environmental education, the young people meet within a "children's council" to make decisions regarding the management of their area.
The concept was born in 2012 in the Marquises (Polynésie française). Depending on the environment concerned, it is referred to as an Educational Marine Area (AME) or an Educational Terrestrial Area (ATE).
This system is part of the school curricula and concerns students from CE2 to high school. It aims to raise awareness among young people about biodiversity, environmental protection, and civic engagement.
Article from the print edition of La Gazette du Var