Category: News

Latest developments and actions in the project

Action plans for further development

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2023-05-19
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Based on all the experiences and Good practices of the PROGRESS project all partners developed an action plan for further development of their own school. All partners were very positive about all the inspiration and ideas the project has brought them.

This is a summary of all these innovative and ambitious plans. We wish everyone every success in realizing these plans!

CIFEA de Molina de Segura

The CIFEA de Molina de Segura’s action plan is designed to address the challenges in the agricultural sector, including the need to attract young people with skills in new technologies, promote sustainability and environmental protection, and make agricultural activity more attractive for students from urban areas. The plan includes four objectives which are differentiated into four levels: regulated training, continuous training, networks and associates, and green skills development.

The first objective aims to stabilize enrolment numbers at lower EQF levels, promote gender equality in classrooms, establish an age group of students between 18-26 years, offer more online courses and activities in digital format, direct school activities to principles based on sustainability and environmental protection, and attract foreign students. In addition, the objective includes developing modular vocational education and training and attracting students from urban areas.

The second objective focuses on continuous training for adults and training for employment, aiming to increase the number of female enrolments, incorporate environmental aspects in training for adults, recognize competence units in adults, and expand the dissemination of certification processes.

The third objective aims to strengthen the development of Erasmus+ projects and participate in international cooperation projects with non-governmental organizations, develop values of social solidarity through blood donation campaigns, sensitize against gender violence, and strengthen relationships with business associations in the sector and professional agricultural organizations.

The fourth objective aims to contribute knowledge about sustainability and environmental education, develop green skills and increase technical knowledge, and improve the dissemination of training offers.

The action plan is designed to be measurable, and indicators have been defined to monitor progress towards the defined objectives.

Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Objective of the action plan: To attract new target groups, especially international students and immigrants, and equip students with the necessary skills for the changing work life.

Tasks and Activities

Marketing and outreach efforts through various channels, including social media, to attract new students
Up-to-date and interesting study plans that follow changes in society and working life, with input from working life partners and RDI-projects
Creating unique and attractive facilities, such as a green campus and living labs, to appeal to students
Implementing different pedagogies, including day, blended, and hybrid learning, with proper tools and skills for online teaching and more interactivity in lessons
Motivating students through interesting lessons, assignments, and projects, as well as improving guidance and counseling services
Focusing on practical training periods and developing practical skills, and improving the skills of teachers and RDI staff
Ensuring quality in all aspects of the education program.

Green Academy

The Green Academy in Denmark has developed an action plan to anchor the results of the Progress project over the past three years within the organization. The main objective is to focus on primary school pupils who are considering choosing an ordinary high school and show them the benefits of the vocational upper secondary education (EUX).

The academy aims to attract approximately 90 students directly from primary school, with at least 30 of them choosing the vocational upper secondary education. Additionally, they plan to maintain the annual intake of students who do not come directly from primary school at around 200-220 students.

The academy intends to achieve these objectives by involving as many students, teachers, and staff as possible in different projects, both at the national and international level. They are working closely with different stakeholders such as government representatives and small-medium enterprises to create a synergy in project management. The academy is also focusing on e-learning and digital projects, student mobility, and developing modern facilities with a focus on sustainability.

Yuverta

Yuverta is the largest secondary and vocational trainer in Europe in the blue-green domain, with 36 secondary schools, 20 VET locations, and thousands of professionals trained every year. The institution’s mission is to train people for a profession in the blue-green domain and for an independent existence in society, specifically for tasks such as making agriculture more sustainable, improving biodiversity and nature, animal welfare, sustainable urbanization, health and lifestyle, increasing the quality of water and water management, reducing waste flows, energy transition, and climate. Yuverta aims to actively contribute to a sustainable world and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Yuverta faces the challenge of attracting new target groups, particularly in urban areas, to its green education programs. The institution plans to achieve this by changing its image from agricultural education to a school with a broad offering on topics that are interesting and important to students from this decade, topics that can lead to meaningful careers and a better life for all.

To achieve its objectives, Yuverta has set overall goals, such as 80% of Yuverta’s stakeholders taking part in the realization of at least four SDGs within their region, and the integration of SDGs in all curricula to the experience of 80% of all its students and other stakeholders. The institution has also created an impact strategy on sustainability by breaking down the broad theme into smaller parts, so everyone can oversee and play a part.

Terra

Terra, an organization that has organized itself into a team-centered approach, wants to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its curricula and pedagogy, by installing a practorate called ‘Entrepreneurial learning with and from the SDG goals’. The primary goal of the practorate is to provide inclusive and high-quality education while striving for equal opportunities for lifelong learning for all, in connection with the regional environment, in line with SDG 4.

The practorate aims to conduct research using the ‘whole school approach for sustainable development’ and investigate how the SDGs can be incorporated into the curricula, pedagogy, and didactics of the institutions so that every student can gain experience with and knowledge about them. The research also focuses on how business operations, professionalization, and the environment of the institutions can create a learning climate to achieve this goal. The practorate hopes to attract another category of students who were not previously interested in green education by collaborating with a grey education institute.

News The Netherlands

Visiting Terra in The Netherlands

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2023-05-10
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We start at 8.00 AM in the Terra school in Meppel. The director welcomes everyone and briefly tells something about the building and its residents. According to the agenda, we then start with the presentations of the action plans, based on the results of our PROGRESS project. Everyone is impressed with each other’s plans: what beautiful, well-thought-out plans. After the presentations we quickly walk to the greenhouse where colleague Klaas tells a story about the bees that have found a place in a beehive on the school grounds since last year. Usefulness and necessity! The bees are part of the living garden that the students work on together. They too are increasingly recognizing the need for it.

The 18 added values of the Living Garden and the Living Public Space are divided into 4 pillars: PEOPLE, NATURE, CLIMATE and BUSINESS. The point is, that the student understands that, for example, by paying attention to the issues of temperature, water or air quality, one can make a contribution to the climate.

We drive to Glimmen to get a tour in the Food Forest. Two sisters tell about the origin of the food forest and what can be found there and what is also edible. We taste a cup of tea of herbs from the forest and get a snack, also a product of the forest. A food forest produces food on the basis of the ecological principles of a natural forest. Built up in seven layers, a wide variety of natural and vital food is created from a fertile soil. Due to the wide variety of species and biotopes, a food forest contributes to nature development and biodiversity. Care for nature and soil life results in a healthy ecosystem. A food forest combines food production with nature. It is a human-designed self-sufficient ecosystem. In the long term, it can provide large groups of people with an abundance of honest products. One can find everything that grows in a forest: trees, shrubs, climbers and creepers. Especially perennial, edible species. Depending on the season, the harvest varies from various fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables, to roots, tubers, stems, edible flowers and leaves. And of course mushrooms and honey. Everybody is enthusiastic and full of ideas for their own situation: at home, at work, there are plenty of possibilities to create a (tiny) food forest too.

After this visit we have lunch near a lake – a pity the weather is not too good.

In the afternoon we visit DonkerGroen in Groningen. DonkerGroen is a very versatile green company. They offer a wide range of services and products regarding the design of indoor and outdoor spaces

Realization and maintenance of outdoor greenery
Designing green and healthy indoor spaces
Construction of sustainable and circular playgrounds
Substrates for public space

Their vision: “We believe in the power of green. A green environment creates space, gives energy and contributes to a healthy and positive life. That is why it is becoming increasingly important to design indoor and outdoor spaces sustainably. That idea has been rooted in our DNA since the foundation of our company. We realize green and healthy indoor and outdoor spaces. We design, realize and manage these experiences based on 60 years of experience, fit and craftsmanship.

DonkerGroen produces substrates for public spaces and customized substrates for growing space improvement; from roof gardens, public gardens and city parks to sports fields and parking spaces. We visited the playground of a school for visually impaired children where this company has built, planted and developed a lot. They are also designing several playgrounds in a sustainable and circular way. They install natural playground equipment and green schoolyards that challenge children to use their creativity and play together. They are also very creative when it comes to draining excess rainwater. We saw inspiring examples in and around the city of Groningen.

We closed this inspiring day with a dinner together in the center of Meppel.

The second day we leave at 08:00 hours to go to Sunrise Stables, the equine department of Terra, in Assen. We organise the Multiplier Event of our project. We invited all colleagues of the participating Dutch schools, all coordinators International of the Dutch Green and Grey schools and our network. There were … people attending the event.

We started the program with an introduction of the project (see ppt in Dropbox). After that, all partners showed and told about their Best Practice (see ppt’s in Dropbox and the report of the Multiplier Event).

After all presentations, a discussion with the audience was started. Because it was an almost totally international group, we were curious about the student numbers: increasing or decreasing, the sustainable activities of their schools, their own interests in this subject. Very interesting.

After a joint lunch, we left for the SuikerTerrein/ Sugar terrain in Groningen. The knowledge workplace for the green sector. Our innovative and sustainable approach to outdoor education offers unique opportunities for personal growth and professional development. The Terra Sugar Terrain is a unique place in Groningen with a special history. Terra develops education here that fits the agenda of the city. Important aspects such as participation, employment and social sustainability are stimulated. That all happens by the people of the Innovation & Collaboration Team.

Terra believes that innovation is the key to growth and development. Terra focuses on the broad green sector and drives innovation towards a green future where there is room for people, animals, nature and economic progress. We do this by working together with partners and experts in this sector. Together Terra creates education for their pupils and students so that they can use everything they have learned to work and make an essential contribution to the society of the future.

What that looks like?

Terra works on projects that fulfil their objectives. Projects are:

– Green is art

– Green in the classroom

– The green living environment

– Urban farming

– Ancient varieties and crops

By working with projects, Terra creates ‘breeding grounds’ where students, lecturers and the business community can experiment together. Education then takes place ‘outside the school’, in an inspiring environment. Finally, Terra believes it is important to develop students and employees at an international level. Internationalization is therefore an important part of Innovation&Collaboration Team.

We see examples of what can be done with sheep’s wool. What you can make from discarded old jeans. How you can reuse ‘old stuff’ by first cleaning it, then pimping it or giving it another function (pants become bag, jacket becomes skirt). That you can dye clothing or wool with paint that is made from plants and is therefore not polluting or harmful to the environment. What creativity and possibilities!

We walk on this wonderful piece of land near the city and arrive at a Yurt. A place to meet, brainstorm or just chill. This Yurt is next to a number of Tiny houses under construction. These are built by architecture students, are decorated by interior design students, get green roofs by Terra students, as well as vertical gardens that will be built there. What a special collaboration! A little further on we see the skeleton of a drome made of Azobe wood that has been in the water for ages. Now it can be re-used by editing it. The wood is rock hard but can be worked and bent. The round shape was created by means of smart, open connections.

We have a drink together, sign the certificates and fill in the evaluation forms, before we return to Meppel to have the last diner together. We discuss that we will organize a final digital meeting for the last loose ends.

Two days is short but we used every hour of it – a good experience that provided us with new energy and ideas on sustainable and innovative subjects.

Thanks to all for a very pleasant TPM!

News

Dutch event: Promoting Green Skills and Schools

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2023-03-29
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We naderen de afronding van het ERASMUS+ project PROGRESS: PROmoting GReen Skills and Schools.

Een project waarin wij samen met Europese partners uit Denemarken, Spanje en Finland hebben gewerkt aan onze gezamenlijke missie: meer studenten van verschillende doelgroepen aantrekken, door onze scholen en programma’s te innoveren richting duurzame scholen.

Tijdens het project hebben we veel goede voorbeelden verzameld, met elkaar gedeeld en besproken met docenten, schoolmanagement, studenten en regionale belanghebbenden in de verschillende landen. Ook hebben we en reeks aanbevelingen opgesteld die (groene) scholen in Nederland en Europa kunnen gebruiken voor hun eigen ontwikkeling en innovatie.

Al deze ervaringen en voorbeelden zijn terug te vinden op de website greenprogress.eu. Op vrijdag 21 april bespreken wij de meest inspirerende voorbeelden en aanbevelingen met elkaar. Onze Europese partners zullen daarbij ook aanwezig zijn en hun mooiste voorbeeld pitchen.

Multiplier Event PROGRESS

Waar: Sunrise Stables, Baggelhuizen 2b, 9405 VD Assen

vrijdag 21 april – Terra, Yuverta, INTREEGUE

Het programma

09.00 – 09.30 Ontvangst met koffie en thee
09.30 – 10.15 “Green Progress”, bespreking van de meest inspirerende ideeën en activiteiten van ons project
10.30 – 12.00 “Duurzaamheid is van ons allemaal, Groen ontmoet Grijs”, discussie tafels
12.00 – 13.30 Netwerk Lunch

Je bent namens de Nederlandse partners Terra, Yuverta en INTREEGUE van harte uitgenodigd voor een ochtend vol inspiratie mét en vóór docenten en medewerkers van scholen met een duurzame ambitie. Je gaat naar huis met inspiratie en ideeën die je mee kunt te nemen naar je eigen school. Omdat we ook buitenlandse partners en gasten verwachten, zal de voertaal van de bijeenkomst in het Engels zijn.

Aanmelden?

Stuur een berichtje met naam, mailadres, organisatie naar Evelien Kist (e.kist@terra.nl). Geef daarbij ook even aan of je blijft voor de lunch.

News

Meeting at Green Academy in Aarhus

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2022-12-21
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The partners of PROGRESS met each other on November 15th for the fourth transnational project meeting at the Green Acadamy in Aarhus. The central theme of this meeting: What is needed to implement sustainability and the SDG’s in our curriculum and didactics to attract more and different kinds of students? In this post a summary of all parts of the program. Some of these will also be posted in more detail as Good Practices in separate posts. See the Good practices.

Program November 15, 2022

Danish Educational System

We start the first meeting day with a welcome and presentation of the Danish educational system. Primary school and lower secondary education is mandatory (class 0 – 9, from the age of four). Then pupils have to choose for general upper secondary education, technical and commercial upper secondary education or VET. VET uses the sandwich model: 1/3 theory and 2/3 practice. The amount of students choosing VET is declining. Only 20% of the pupils choose for VET so this is a huge problem for now and the future considering the labour market.

Vision and curriculum of Green Academy

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important part of Green Academy’s vision, strategy and activities. They provide education in horticulture, landscaping and agriculture. This is presented and discussed and demonstrated during our tour around the campus, executed by fluently English speaking, very enthusiastic and well informed students and teachers. They are obviously very proud of their school.

Some teachers show us their curriculum and stress the fact that these need to be adapted to the demands of a changing world and changed students, who are more critical than they used to be. The Danish ministry of education is responsible for the curricula, the frame work and the end terms. Changing this in time takes a lot effort and often difficult.

The main problems Green Academy has to face is getting enough qualified teachers and keeping the skills of the teachers up to date.

Gartenieret Pederson

We end today’s program with a visit to a primula (and other plants) nursery: Gartneriet Pedersen. The owner is constantly searching for new ways to run the nursery with sustainable solutions. His company is already very sustainable, circular, it uses less water (because of re-using it) and heating and less and less pesticides. An example for all nurseries. The company offers an internship to 4 to 5 students from Green Academy every year. A perfect place to learn about sustainability.

In the evening we enjoy a typical Danish diner.

Program November 16, 2022

After an early breakfast in the school canteen we leave on the second day to go to the agricultural department of Green Academy

Marina Stannov from the municipality, department of Children and Youth, tells about the assignment she has: make sure that more young people choose vocational education. The points she made:

Framework matters (national regulation, city council decisions et…).
Framing matters (what/whose problem we are trying to solve).
Local initiatives/local collaboration can make a positive difference.
Previous initiatives haven’t proved sustainable in the long run–but present initiatives can build on their foundations/activities.

Aarhus municipality goals and projects

She cooperates with Green Academy on this. There are 65.000 children in the municipality and 10.000 employees. The municipality translates the legal framework and national goals into understandable language and tangible goals. There is now a more integrated approach to the problem: government and schools work together through co-creation. Teaching with an outlook to working life, authentic learning by bringing in authentic problems, meaningful learning. Career orientation and guidance should start earlier, not in the last class of primary school. Pupils need to find out where their interests lie. Make it clear where the subjects, they are taught at in school, are needed in the professions, in real life. Open the world for the children; no pushing but showing. Stop talking about VET as a solution to a problem. Later this day we visit the skills, the career experience, organised by the municipality and the schools.

Nature School and Summer camps

Green Academy has his own Nature school (Naturskolen). At Naturskolen they move teaching from the blackboard to reality. They use the natural world around us to work with concrete learning and skills goals in subjects such as maths, biology and social studies, and the framework lends itself well to innovation and collaboration projects. Activities from pre-school to master classes. Children learn about life on a farm, what cows eat, how much water is needed to produce milk, how manure smells and feels, how calves feel. They also learn about another way of feeding: mealworms. How do they look like? How do they feel? How do they taste? How much water do they need before they can be eaten? They learn to see this in relation to the SDGs: pictures with the 17 SDG goals are hanging everywhere in school, clearly visible and relationships are established between the production of food and what that costs the earth (natural resources). Show younger children the real world and let them learn with all senses active.

The Summer camp for children of 12 – 16 years old takes place at the school farm. Sustainability is leading in all subjects on food production; from farm to mouth; climate food printing; importance of seasonal als local food and protein production and climate issues.

Skills competition

After lunch we visit the Skills competition in Aarhus. What an event! Thousands of children, aged about 13 years old, watch the finales of the skills. The competitors need to work with eggs, with wood, with a cutting machine to get the assignments done. Time and execution are leading to get a high ranking which means a starting permit for the National Skills. Exciting!

Wrapp up

The partner meeting is ended as usual with an evaluation of the meeting and the collection of recommendations: what did you learn, what can you use in your own school? It was a very well organised and fruitful meeting. Thank Lotte Skjærbæk and Michael Sejer and all your collegaes!

News

Meeting in Iisalmi in Finland – Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2022-06-25
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This meeting in Ilesanmi in Finland from 7 till June 9 2022 was all about knowledge sharing about the education vision and strategy of Savonia Univeristy of Applied Sciences and their professionalisation approach.

June 7, 2022

During the fist day of the meeting we are welcomed in Iisalmi at the Savonia university of applied sciences by Petri Kainulainen with a presentation of the university. The university got the award Great Place to Work (2019 – 2023) because 91% of the students found a job after their study at this university. The university itself determines the curriculum. Jobs they train for in the agricultural sector are livestock farmer, herd manager, consultant, project managers, teacher in agro business and agricultural management. The Food Business area focuses on primary production, food processing, catering and gastronomic tourism. The university works a lot with innovative and intersectoral projects, for example a combination of agriculture and technology. This is also their most important strategy to professionalize teachers.

We proceed with a presentation from Hannu Vitala, e-learning expert with the online attendants Jolet Dingen (Terra), Lotte Skjaerbaek (Jordbrugets) en Nadine Pfennings (Yuverta). He pleads for more use of internet resources. He introduced ‘micro-learning’. A sort of appetizers: a slight taste of what the learner can learn when he/she will follow that course/training. These micro-learning units can be used very well in the recruitment of new students, also via podcasts. When asked whether there is an ideal division in your lesson of virtual or physical, Hannu indicates that there is none. However, it is very important that you create an atmosphere that makes the student feel as if he is actually in the classroom. Examples of tools that Hannu uses: Padlet, Peppi and many others. All those tools are ‘single-on’ systems: only a login is required. One needs good pedagogy then you don’t need many tools.

When asked how to get the teachers to use the tools, Hannu gives the following tips: time, money, updates, motivation. Make it easier for your fellow teachers to apply e-learning, help them!

Finalizing the first day Hilda Weges from the Netherlands talkes about the sustainable development goals and the role of teachers and students their competence to realise these goals. She stresses that professionalisation of teachers is important because they are role models: they need to act sustainable and not only present sustainable knowledge to their students. Therefore we have to keep in mind the importance of inner development goals.

June 8, 2022

Hilkka Kamarainen and her colleague Inka start the second day with a presentation of the agro and forestry education in Finland and the competences needed by farmers.

Yiry Wuorisalo (RD advisor, international relations officer, human and climate security at Savonia University in Kuopio) is our next speaker about the new course ‘climate security’ in which teaching and learning for a sustainable future is the main goal. They focus on SDG numbers 2, 7, 16 and 6 in this training.

After a short break, Inka provides a workshop: what are our future challenges? How circular economy and sustainability can help us to adapt the future. In a Padlet exercise, each partner writes down his/her ideas. The ideas are being categorised: blue – attitude, mind set; rose – food, demands of the consumers; yellow – climate changes; purple – soil.

During the discussion it became clear that people are a bit tired by the word sustainability. It would perhaps be better to talk about quality of life instead of sustainability. We need people doing something, not only spectators.

The last part of this day was used for a farm visit where students of Savonia university show us around and Inka learns us a lot about her research regarding soil and the role and function of worms.

June 9, 2022

We leave for Kuopio in the morning to be welcomed at the other location of Savonia University by the head International Projects. The vision of the university: to be the most socially responsible and influential university.

Harri Auvinen tells us about the international HOOP project about bio and circular economy. Cities like Murcia, Almere, Kuopio, joining HOOP, make bio based products from urban bio-waste and wastewater (urban circular bio economy initiatives).

After lunch, an Albanian teacher, also visiting Savonia, tells us about their professionalization of staff. Listen to the podcast on the website. Interesting!

We proceed with discussing the things we have learned during our visit and the professionalization tactics in the different partner countries.

In Finland Students learn mainly from teachers, work based learning, trainers, parents, friends and role models. Teachers teach the basics, create a path, stimulate and motivate the students. Teachers learn mainly from each other, the students, the environment and innovative projects. They attend seminars, lectures to keep themselves updated. They exchange knowledge and experiences with colleagues. They do pair teaching which is easier to do in Higher Education than in VET because of their flexible time tables. They receive feedback from their students and based on this, a development interview is held with the manager.

In Spain, training is being organised by a centre and all teachers can attend the courses they want. But… teachers are not all motivated any longer and don’t show.

Yuverta in the Netherlands has its own academy to train teachers. Staff with certain knowledge or skills, are invited to share this with their colleagues. They do that digitally or physical during lunch time so everybody is able to attend. When a fellow worker has a question, the academy develops a training about this question.

But, what does professionalization have to do with attracting new students? There is a direct link: innovations are attractive. Teachers should show what they do on social media! Advertise yourself as a teacher!

We close the official part of the meeting.

Thanks to all for a pleasant TPM!

Tags education, Savonia, SDG, sustainability, Sustainable school, Whole School Approach

News

Meeting at CIFEA de Molina in Spain

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2022-04-07
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Last week the partners of the PROGRESS project met each other again in Molina de Segura in Spain. Juan Carlos García Salvador from CIFEA de Molina de Segura prepared an interesting program. The school environment was the main theme of this meeting. Main question: how do you cooperate with regional partners en how does this effect the development of the school. Juan Carlos presented his school vision and the results of his own research and analysis regarding the trends of the target groups entering the school. The research gave him (and us) some interesting insights. For example woman become more and more important for CIFEA to focus on. Beside these presentation we had a meet up and discussion with students from the environmental program of the school and a meet up with some companies from the school region. The second day was filled with some visits in the region of Murcia. We visited Agricultural school CIFEA de Lorca and a farm with a very modern sustainable hydration system. It was very interesting to hear how the climate effects the technology and measruments they need to take in their farming business. Our colleague from Terra College in The Netherlands is preparing a documentary film about the meeting that will be published at the side soon.

News

Meeting at Yuverta College in The Netherlands

Post author By Hilda Weges
Post date 2021-10-20
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After a long time with several meetings online we finally had the chance to meet each other life in the sheep shed in Limburg in The Netherlands. Except Finland, who were not able to come because of COVID school regulations, all partners were present and looking forward to a full program with several presentations, visits and discussions.

Every transnational project meeting has a specific theme regarding the Whole School Approach to Sustainable Development (see homepage): ‘Vision & Strategy’ which will be main part of every meeting and ‘Building & Business processes’ were the themes of this meeting.

Yuverta prepared a very informative and interactive program in which we shared a lot of Good Practises with each other. These Good Practices will all be published at this website during the upcoming weeks.

Hereby an overview as a starter:

The WSA to Sustainable Development (already published at the homepage)
The Z-Generation and their interests into the green agricultural sector
Visit and lunch at Villa Flora in Green Business Park in Venlo
Visit pre-vet school Yuverta in Nederweert / Examples of Sustainable Building & Business policy of Yuverta
Food, Life and Innovation Program of Terra presented by students
Yuverta Sustainable Vision & Strategy presented
Visit and presentation by students in Nature Reserve Breidberg in Roermond (outdoor program)
Launching of our own podcast series by Green Academy in Denmark (see homepage)
Presentation of one example of a good practice by the other parrtners

Next time we meet again in Spain at Centro Integrado de Formación
experiencias Agrarias De Molina de Segura!

News

PROGRESS Need Analysis

As one of the first steps in the project partners started to work on a need analysis based on the Whole School Approach to Sustainable Development. A Need Analysis Model, which was developed by our partner INTREEGUE, helped them to start thinking about their needs. This model can be found here.

The first results of this need analysis was presented and discussed during an online meeting in April. These results will be used as our starting point for collecting Good Practices.

Summary of issues addressed in the need analysis

Students & Characteristics

Needs of (new) students: drives, needs, beliefs, expectations (realistic?) , motives, interests.
Needs of specific target groups like migrants, international, older students, ..
Focus on how to attract “stronger” students in the future. Decrease of drop outs.
Needs and awareness of students to become more sustainable.
Students interests and expectations to the school portfolio of degrees.

Communication & Marketing

Showing the right picture when recruiting students.
Innovative recruiting and marketing methods.
Promotion of the VET institutions and companies. VET campaign.
Involvement of companies in recruitment.
Students as ambassadors.
Sharing good stories.
Market research to get insight into the drives and needs of students.

Curriculum & Didactics

We need proper pedagogical tools and skills for online teaching and web based learning. There should be more interactivity in teaching. We should also find new ways how to teach practical skills online or in a digital way. Also how to facilitate guidance online.
Renewal of the curriculum, to develop something unique to attract new students.
Future scenario where students support students.
Better help for students (mentors, role models etc.).
Companies’ active participation in competition open to public (skills).
Sustainability is not really integrated in our programmes. Teachers want to incorporate it in social science program.
Social inclusion issues.
We need more resources and new didactic methodologies.

School Environment & Cooperation

Cooperation with other schools

Cooperation with other school levels to increase the inflow of students.
What can we learn from the strategies of higher education and universities?
Increase the cooperation with primary schools e.g. use VET teachers in primary school, making more projects together, making open courses (for example about biodiversity) and inviting pupils from local primary schools to take the course together with our basic course students (boundary crossing). We should involve the companies in this context as well.
More cooperation and coordination, also within our own school.

Cooperation with companies

How to follow the changes in the society and work life.
Improving cooperation with companies.
Far more involvement of the companies in the different offers/courses that we provide to the elementary schools.
Limited skills and knowledge exchange among teachers/companies/advisers. Teachers should visit companies more often.
Until what point is sustainability a reality of society? The labor market are at the starting point of this future society.

Professional development

Courses for the teachers about new technologies in Education.
Teacher´s participation in innovative projects.
Teachers should be more open minded to a broader view of their profession and teaching methods (crossover project).
Some of our personnel is not really into sustainability. They are not driven by it.
Professional development of teachers towards a more open minded attitude.
Training of new didactic methodologies.

Overall Conclusions Need Analysis

By looking at this summary we can abstract some overall conclusions that can guide us in our search for Good Practices and will help us to define the focus of the Good Practices we want to collect as inspiration for attracting more students and new target groups through the development and innovation of the school towards more sustainable schools.

It is remarkable that business operations doesn’t seem to be a big issue for the partners although this is an important factor if you take into account that schools need “to practice what they preach”. Otherwise they will not be very credible for new students. For example when a school is incorporating all kinds of sustainable or innovative principals and skills in their programs like circular skills it is also important that the school is incorporating these kind of principles in their own business operations related to for example food and raw materials. The same should be taking into account related to renewal of energy supplies, water supplies, mobility, biodiversity etc…
All partners have questions about the drives and interests of their students and potential target groups. Their seems to be a great need for Good practices of research to get more insight into the needs of of students (both for initial programs, lifelong learning programs and international programs).
Partners are also interested in new marketing and recruiting methods to reach out for new target groups on national and international level.
All partners are working on the renewal of their school programs to fit the actual needs of the job market and society and new target groups and are searching for inspirational examples of other schools to help them with this renewal. Good practices are needed related to both the new skills and content as the resources for the programs and innovative didactic an pedagogic methods and tools.
All partners are also aware of the need to strengthen their relationship with companies and educational institutes in their school environment. This is important for the schools to adapt their school programs and methodologies and to attract more students that will not drop out.
Professional development is also an issue, but is directly connected with renewal the program and cooperation with the school environment. Developing towards a more open minded and outward facing flexible attitude and mindset seems to be a major starting point for this professional development of teachers.

News

Project started

As a result of COVID we couldn’t meet each other face-to-face. Therefor the project started during the first week of december with an online meeting of the partners in which they presented themselves. Every partner presented their institute, their main goals considering the project and a project they are very proud off .

This was a good way to meet each other and start the exchange of innovative practices, while this is one of the main actvities of the project. During the project we will discuss and exchange these good practises in more detail to obtain the main goals of the project: to attract more students and other target groups by renewal of the curriculum considering the Sustainable Development Goals.

The following projects were presented:

Terra – Netherlands – Regional learning and Food Council of Young People
Green Academy – Denmark – European Platform Urban Greening
CITAVERDE – Netherlands -Marketing automation software
SAVONIA – Finland -ERDI Empowering Regional Development and Innovations and MultiPro Module for Future Professionals
CIFEA – Spain – International Development Cooperation and Sustainable Food Production and consumption
INTREEGUE – Netherlands -Cooperative benchmark SustsainaBul VET

Main Instutional goals :

Renewed vision and strategy of our institute for more studente, opportunities and perspective
To reach new target groups and broaden the type of students
To attract more learners
Exchange of innovative practices
To get inspired and bring inspriation to the partners
To become a sustainable organization in more than one way
To meet new people and partnes

PARTNERS

General