To the Woods – Ab in den Wald! Erasmus Project

Project Title

To the Woods – Ab in den Wald!

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Environment and climate change; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The project “To The Woods!” took place against the background of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. “Education for Sustainable Development” means: Any changes in the world have to take in a way place, that people everywhere can live a good life today and in the future. By “Education for Sustainable Development” people learn which consequences their behaviour have on the environment, their own life and the life of others.
In this case the “forest education” was of particular significance in our project.
In urban life, there are children and adolescents who were never in the woods.
We used the excellent facilities of this field, in order to bring young people again closer to the nature.
The aim was to create a high level of appreciation for the forest. It helped to ensure, that young people took more responsibility for the natural resources.
The way to achieve this objective was based on the principles of “Study – Experience – Learn”.
“We fully understand only what we ourselves have made.”
Giambattista Vico (1668 – 1744)
These were activities such as guided forest tours, habitat explorations, forest adventure days, forest youth commitments etc. Various aspects and perspectives in the context of forest and nature were taught. The students were encouraged to think long-term and holistically and also to act in the future in these ways.
The “forest education” gave the children, adolescents and adults the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the complex concept of sustainability and to create a understanding of nature.
The forest was an ecological, economic, social and cultural reflection of our society.
In our project, these aspects were equally elaborated and communicated. At the same time the global importance of forests can be made transparent in an outstanding manner, because the impact of modern life based on ecology, economy and social issues knows no borders!

Concrete forest topics will be:
”forest & biodiversity (especially trees)”, “forest & plants”, “forest & people “, “forest & wood “, “forest & water “, “forest & climate”, “forest & literature (Poems, stories, fairytales)“, “forest & art (art, music, theater)“, “forest & language/foreign language“, “forest & economics“.
These topics were interdisciplinary and also taught in school life interdisciplinary.
Due to the different school structures in European countries, the students participating in this project were coming from the elementary school up to the secondary educational level. Therefore the themes and activities were age-appropriate selected, planned, prepared and carried out.
In the schools, the “forum forest” was established with a photo documentation, lectures, presentations, experimentation and microscope stations, wooden library etc. 
The early foreign language learning, and working with media (internet, eTwinning) was also integrated.
On a website all activities and materials were made available to the public .

The target audiences of the project were the students of the schools involved in the project from Finland, Spain, Lithuania, Italy and Germany . The teachers dealt with the characteristics of “Education for Sustainable Development” and familiarised themselves in the area of “forest education”. A cooperation with forest education centres (pedagogically trained foresters amongst others work in them) and with other non-school facilities for environmental education took place, in which they could act as advisors and also offer and implement supplementary didactic activities – particularly in the outdoor area.
The parents were also involved in the project activities of their children. They were supposed to actively participate in the educational work for a lasting effect.
All persons involved in school life, according to their competencies, participated in the project work.
In an expanded range also the regional environment.
A community spirit was created with the assumption of responsibility for forest-related environmental education, which had an effect on the global sustainable environmental design, so that “bridges to the future” were built.
In essential areas the objectives of “Education for Sustainable Development” were congruent with those of ” Erasmus +”. Both have lifelong learning in the Spotlight.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 170745 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grundschule Burgdamm & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Sääksjärven koulu
• Vilkaviskio r. Keturvalakiu mokykla- daugiafunkcis centras
• C.E.I.P. FRANCISCO ARRANZ
• IIS Leonardo Da Vinci