Education for Sustainable Countryside Erasmus Project

Project Title

Education for Sustainable Countryside

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Regional dimension and cooperation; Rural development and urbanisation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Before project start there was not existing offer of the systematic education in the fields crucial for sustainable development of rural areas for target groups from rural areas (local producers, suppliers of the connected services, multipliers/disseminators of information, consumers) – at least in the partner countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia).
In the frame of the project there were therefore designed, piloted and developed three types of educational modules plus handbook , which covers the description of the educational modules, study materials, practical tips, experience of organizers and participants and outputs from evaluation. The handbook respects the national and local specifics and differences but at the same time it is developed in such a way that it can be transfered and used for implementation of similar training courses in other regions and other countries. Each of the three partners created one type of module and tested it in practice, then shared the experience with other partners and they implemented two other modules, feed back on them and helped to improve them. In this way there were implemented 9 educational courses (3 in each country, one with the topic Regional/Local Production/Local products, Environmentally sound products, second one with the topic Environmentally sound agriculture, care for landscape, organic agricultural products, and the third one with the topic Environmentally sound tourism (visitor and information centers, (nature) guides, lodging facilities).
Each module included 5 one day workshops at “home” region, two e-learning lessons and 5-day study tour to the partner countries.
By implementation of the project there was supported international dimension of education. There was trained 180 participants in 9 different courses (3 topics in 3 countries). The target group of the course were local producers, farmers, suppliers of services – such as bed and breakfast providers , restaurants, tourist guides, staff of tourist information centers and visitor centers, educators, employees of public administration.
The output of the project is description of 3 types of educational modules and handbook, which includes curriculum of modules, reflecting also national and local specifics, syllaby of the seminars and workshops, study materials, experience of partners from organization of modules and experience of participants and evaluation report (evaluating the shifts of knowledge of participants and quality of the educational process).
Created educational modules were distributed through conferences/workshops for adult educators and trainers which were visited also by foreign lecturers and participants.The handbook is available for free download from pages of all the partners (in national language and in English).
By implementation of the project there were supported the principles of sustainable development in practice, were improved services, supported agriculture, handicrafts, increased prestige of the education and raised awareness about sustainable development among public.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 282655 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stredisko ekologicke vychovy Sever, Zakladni clanek Hnuti Brontosaurus & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Magosfa Környezeti Nevelési és Ökoturisztikai Alapítvány
• Centrum environmentálnych aktivít