Creating outdoor learning locations Erasmus Project

Project Title

Creating outdoor learning locations

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

The serious loss of biodiversity is permanently and increasingly a topical issue. The project promotes an engagement with the topic.
The idea for the KA2-project was to realize more examples of outdoor learning locations. Secondary and vocational students between 16 and 21 years of age from five schools have created learning locations, where other students and if possible also the public can learn in the nature about the nature. The contributions from the partners differ according to the specific local conditions.
The two-year-sequence of the project started with a teacher-training seminar and went through three student exchange meetings. Finally there had been 131 mobilities. The third exchange meeting (C4, Portugal) took place without Italian participants, due to Corona restriction. The last exchange meeting (C5, Germany) had to be cancelled completely, due to travelling restrictions for all groups.
All schools had prepared together a common and individually a certain topic. At the students meetings the schools introduced the results to the others.
The common topics were:
– The significance of biological diversity.
– The importance of nature for mankind.
– The humans’ influence on nature.
Individual contributions of the schools are:
– Germany: A natural trail for children prepared by nursery students.
– Italy: From ancient grain to bakery products.
– Romania: Beekeeping, a key to preserve biodiversity.
– Portugal: A protected forest as learning location.
– Austria: An Outdoor-workshop on sustainability in food production, cooking and consumption.

The main target was the intensive meeting of students and teachers under the specific consideration of the topic.
Every School worked with a specific group of students or choose a target group who might use the finalised location afterwards (disadvantaged people, apprentices, refugees, primary school pupils, people looking for a rest, utilisers of harvest). This diversity enhanced the experiences of the project.
Sustainability of the project is guaranteed by the fact that the learning locations are offered to the public or even are protected areas.
Each common activity was monitored by an anonymous questionaire, separately for students and teachers. This helped to optimize the following activities.

EXPECTED RESULTS
The students and teachers have improved their professional, practical, social, personal and methodological skills. A special attention got the successful integration and support of the disadvantaged students.
Five well documented and tested outdoor learning locations have been generated. Each school has implemented at least one aspect of an outdoor learning location that had been presented by a partner school.
The different educational conceptions and attached didactical material perform a particularly important result (construction manual, videos, working material…).The material is provided in the internet.
A final feedback of teachers emphasizes the request to continue to work with the project topics with the partners.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 143329,27 Eur

Project Coordinator

Max-Eyth-Schule BBS Schiffdorf & Country: DE

Project Partners

• I.I.S. “STEFANI-BENTEGODI”
• Handelsakademie Lambach des Schulvereines am Benediktinerstift Lambach
• Escola Básica e Secundária Dr. Ângelo Augusto da Silva
• Liceul Teoretic “Dimitrie Cantemir” Iasi