ECO-GT Pilot Modules in Practice: Communication Training and Environmental Engagement

In February 2025, an integrative, workshop-based study visit was organised for students of Gdańsk University of Technology as part of piloting the educational modules developed within the ECO-GT project. Thanks to the hospitality of the Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk named after Professor Krzysztof Skóra in Hel, it was possible to carry out the activities outside the university setting and work in a place closely connected to environmental practice.
The trip combined intensive workshops with opportunities for students to get to know each other and work together in a less formal setting. Over several days, the programme was organised into workshop blocks focusing on communication, cooperation and interpersonal skills. This format made it possible to work on a broad range of competencies proposed within the ECO-GT curriculum and to observe how students function in different group situations.
An important part of the stay in Hel was the visit to the Hel seal sanctuary, where students learned about the everyday work of a unit directly involved in active environmental protection. They became familiar with the rescue and treatment of injured or sick grey seals brought in from the Baltic coast, as well as with the breeding programme whose offspring are reintroduced into the sea each year.
Alongside the workshops, students had several chances to use newly developed skills in practice. During a meeting with scouts from the Independent Circle of Scout Instructors they talked about their studies and shared experiences from laboratory and research work carried out within the Student Research Group “Microbiology in Environmental Engineering”. The group brings together students from different study programmes and faculties, which naturally creates an interdisciplinary environment where communication plays a key role.
Another opportunity for practice came during a meeting with members of the Hevelius Geodesy Student Research Group. The discussion focused on presenting the activities of both organisations and exploring possibilities for future cooperation, offering a natural setting for exchanging ideas and refining communication skills. Evening integration activities were organised in the form of an outdoor field game with checkpoints. This informal setting required teamwork, coordination and clear communication, reinforcing the idea that such skills can be developed just as effectively outside a classroom.
By combining intensive workshops, authentic encounters with environmental institutions and experience-based integration, the Hel study visit demonstrated how ECO-GT educational modules can be meaningfully piloted in diverse contexts, closely connected to real environmental action and student engagement.