A partnership, sponsored by Unesco, involves twelve mediterranean countries. Its aims are: - educate children/students to become aware about the enormous and magnificent cultural heritage of the Mediterranean environment (understood in a wide sense, natural and historical one) - stimulate appreciation and sense of responsibility towards such heritage - develop a feeling of belonging to an ancient common culture. Mediterranean diet is part of the cultural heritage protected by Unesco. Owing to globalisation, young people develop similar habits, unfortunately also those concerning food. Health's problems coming from unsuitable diet affect more and more also children and adolescents, not only in Western world. Within the Semep (South Eastern Mediterranean Environmental Project) partners designed and disseminated materials aiming to contribute to a health's education of young generations, at least in Mediterranean countries. Theoretical frame. Partners thought that an effective learning can be considered an act of “discovery” (De Paz & Pilo 1999), meaning both the conquest of a concept or some unknown knowledge and the achievement of awareness about the object of learning and its handling. In order to make effective an action, especially concerning education to diet, the teacher should take into account experiences and feelings of learners. Moreover, pupils/students should play the role of protagonist, while the teacher guides discussions, poses proper questions, solicit working hypotheses. Constructivism suits completely such ideas. Education to diet should not be based on prohibitions; on the contrary, it should put to evidence the qualities of a millenary food culture, with an enormous variety of tasteful recipes. Young people should be guided to “discover” the agreeableness of a varied diet, rich in vegetables, poor in animal products like the Mediterranean one. They may be engaged in experimental activities (involving all senses and, especially, taste), in choosing products, in preparing some selected recipes. Criticism should be developped especially towards food advertising, often deceiving. Teacher should stimulate discussions to this concern. Students of Semep schools exchanged information, materials, pictures.

Methodology Inquiries about individual/family food habits; collection of data and information from official (historical) documents, questionnaires about traditions, investigations about some typical aliments; visits to farms, food industries, agricultural markets; talks with farmers and fishermen

Communication among Semep schools has favoured the mutual knowledge and understanding. Results of the project in Italian schools put to evidence that building of proper habits should begin in early age (in kindergarten, if possible). Cooperation of family is the main requisite. In fact, parents' customs hardly affect children's preference, while in adolescence students share peers' practices.