The Role of Ecological Literacy Education with Academic Support in Raising Environmental Awareness for High School Students: “Enka Ecological Literacy Summer Camp Project Case Study”

Abstract

The demands of the environment require a complete approach with nature and nature's balance. However, while human beings are climbing all over the ecological pyramid, they make irreversible mistakes and they form a position for themselves as supernatural, upsetting nature's delicate balance. This project and its process is one of the bridges we can use to bring back awareness in young people of the deteriorating environment and to educate them in order to limit or prevent further damage. Environmental education is the interdisciplinary field of study that aims to increase understanding of ecology for sophisticated individuals who are sensitive about it. Raising such individuals has developed positive behavioural changes in attitudes towards the environment and it is an important step in understanding both the relationships and integrity of nature. Integrity begins with a level of realizing and appreciating the fact that each human being is a part of nature. Therefore each human being must take on certain responsibilities. It is defined in the motto as “damage to nature, damage to yourself”. In environment-human interaction, ecological-literate individuals realize and appreciate the “maximum harmonization minimum damage” principle.Within the scope of this project, which took place with the participation of sixteen high school students between the 3rd and 7th September, 2012, university-high school collaboration was successfully carried out.