School: Dimitrie Cantemir National College
    Onesti, Bacau, Romania

4 students, ages 16-18 worked together to complete this Doors to Diplomacy project on March 22, 2009. They have participated in Doors to Diplomacy in the following year(s): 2009

Classes and Teachers: coaches: Alina Dumitru, Iulia Ariton; students: Oana A. IOana C., Alex R., Alex T.

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://

1. Description of Our Team

We are a team of 2 coaches and 4 students, three of us being classmates. When coming across a text about eco houses in an English coursebook we realized that our community shows very little concern in this type of residence, despite the numerous advantages, which seemed a paradox. We just had to raise awareness so We are a team of 2 coaches and 4 students, three of us being classmates. When coming across a text about ecohouses in an English coursebook we realized that our community shows very little concern in this type of residence, despite the numerous advantages, which seemed a paradox. We just had to raise awareness so when our teachers Alina Dumitru and Iulia Ariton mentioned the Doors to Dipomacy competition we jumped at the chance. In creating the site we devided responsibilities: Oana A. (16)selected information on underground houses, Ioana C. (16) on eco projects worldwide, Alex R (17) on eco materials and Alex T. (18) on building an eco house. The volume of information was overwhelming but we had weekly meetings with our coaches to decide which materials to post on the site and to check progress. All of us are keen on computer science and the fact that we study in intensive English and IT classes proved useful in creating the site. However, when addressing the people in the street and asking them to answer a set of questions, Oana and Alex proved quite efficient. We all had our share in the working process and learnt to communicate very well. We may not have witnessed the building of an eco house in our town, but at least we have opened people’s eyes to this alternative. Not to mention that now we know enough to build an eco house ourselves.

2. Summary of Our Project

Live for the future – make your house sustainable is a project which deals with the numerous advantages of ecological houses. It tries to create an incentive for people by including information on how to actually build such a house because in some communities this seems complicated and unrealisitc and people tend to be sceptic. That is why several ways of building eco houses have been presented, either in texts or in videos. To show exactly how important eco building has become, we posted information on existing large-scale projects impressive through their size and futuristic design. People may also learn about the costs of an eco house and compare it to a conventional one. In addition, the forum encourages communication between people on topics related to eco houses and it allows people to exchange opinions and questions.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Our main barrier was the lack of laptops available in school. As the computer rooms had classes in progress there, our only choice was to use the available laptops, which were intensely used by other techers as well. But we managed to solve this problem by setting a timetable when we would use a laptop.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Ecological houses weren't really a concern for anyone, as a result we consider that our merit is to have presented this alternative to our community and to have provided specific information on the building process.

6. How did your activities and research for this Doors to Diplomacy Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Because of the variety of sources on the Internet, the learning process was more attractive and complex. It allowed us to use our IT knowledge and to develop our skills of creating a web site, but it also helped us to become selective in processing material and information. We developed communicational skills and learnt to work in a group, sharing responsibilities. We learnt that we can become active participants in learning and that by expanding our knowledge we can share with the others students in our community new ideas, make them aware as well.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your Doors to Diplomacy project?

The team made use mainly of laptops and desktop PCs (2 laptops at school and six personal computers at home). Digital cameras were used to take pictures and scanners to save information from newspaper articles on PCs. Mainly, we used the technology from school, using HTML editors and Photoshop software. However, after classes, team members sometimes kept in touch through video conferences. We found laptops to be most useful beacuse it allowed us to discuss together on the site at the weekly meetings.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your Doors to Diplomacy project both on-line and in person.

Team members let as many friends and relatives know about the project and the web site address, which meant that the site had 19 members in less than a week and more than a hundred visitors. The survey we conducted made people ask for information from our team members about our project and website. They could also learn from the media about our project and we contected the authorities on this matter. Our next step would be to contact one of the local construction companies and have them convince clients to make their houses sustainable.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Although people may reject the idea of living in an eco house at first, through our site they can become better informed. Adults may also become aware of the fact that teenagers want ecological houses to be built so as to ensure a safer future. It was rewarding to see that students and staff members alike started to ask details about eco houses, and that people we talked to in the street were not reluctant but rather curious.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We did not have long-distance helpers, but we would like to show our gratitude to Dan Dima for his media support in publishing our article and to Mrs. Bordei from the local council for welcoming our initiative.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We did not have long-distance helpers, but we would like to show our gratitude to Dan Dima for his media support in publishing our article and to Mrs. Bordei from the local council for welcoming our initiative.