Lifelong Learning through Nature Erasmus Project

Project Title

Lifelong Learning through Nature

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 addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Environment and climate change; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

This project was designed to develop an environmental education programme which engages with at least 80% of young people aged 5-21 in Malta, through formal education, vocational training courses, non-formal and informal education. In addition this project aimed to provide documented evidence to show the importance of connection with nature for health well-being and education, which can be used by international project partners to support implementation in their own and other European countries. The project aimed to achieve these objectives by enhancing transnational cooperation between education and training providers and other stakeholders. Lifelong Learning through Nature (LLN) provided learning opportunities for all young people including academics, low achievers, those with behavioural or learning difficulties, and those who would rather learn through vocational studies. If young people are suitably engaged they will wish to continue their studies to remain involved in the programme. The project also aimed to provide a model for designing education policy in relation to science, learning through the natural sciences. LLN seeked to establish pathways for the achievement of a better connection to the growing importance of the environment in European priorities, lifestyles, and concerns.

The project partners were three environmental NGO’s and the Ministry of Education and Employment in Malta. The environmental NGO’s were based in Poland (The Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP)), U.K. (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)) and Ireland (BirdWatch Ireland (BWI)). The Ministry of Education and Employment has always supported BirdLife Malta’s education programme and encouraged primary schools to use the Dinja Wahda Action Guide. BirdLife Malta, RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland and OTOP are linked internationally as they are all partners of BirdLife International. The partners were identified by BirdLife Malta as BirdLife Partners which are also delivering nature conservation through education. This project was the first time any of the partner international organisations has linked with Malta for education.

Year one of the project was based on research, developing innovative ideas, producing relevant resources and working with the Education Ministry to ensure curriculum links and qualifications are in place. Each international project partner prepared baseline data on the current level of involvement in their environmental education programme and researched into the areas where new ideas could be developed. The expert group then met to develop a programme plan involving the innovative ideas to be trailed for each partner. Small scale piloting of these ideas happened in the first year. In this initial stage this project engaged with all primary and kinder schools in Malta, and initially 10% of Secondary Schools.

Year two of the project saw the full implementation of the programme plan in Malta with partner organisations from RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland and OTOP visiting to observe and review progress. Following the report from the first year of full implementation the relevant programme ideas were then developed and expanded to be implemented in both Ireland and Poland. Full implementation continued in Malta in the third year with necessary amendments or additions.

The expected result of this project was to engage with at least 80% of young people aged 5-21 in Malta, and to test implementation of the same resources and ideas in Poland and Ireland. This result was achieved, evidenced by the changes in policy and curriculum, and by the action guides developed. The environmental education programmes all have curriculum links and increased outreach across all schools in Malta. The outline of this programme is relevant and transferable to other European countries. The project experience was accumulated in a conference in which all partners from BirdLife International were invited to hear presentations from project partners and share lessons learned. Good practice guides and case studies are available for dissemination on online platforms. This project provided documented evidence to show the importance of connection with nature for health, well-being and education through an independent research study from the University of Malta which was presented to government, international partners and members of the public.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 250900 Eur

Project Coordinator

BirdLife Malta & Country: MT

Project Partners

• Irish Wildbird Conservancy
• ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OFBIRDS
• Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków
• MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT