ERASMUS KA1 MOBILITY TOOL IN SWEDEN

 

The Environmental Education Center of Vamos implements the Erasmus + KA1 program "Nature and culture as tools for Intercultural Education" (approval number from the State Scholarship Foundation 2019-EL01-KA104-062085)1-. 

Europe is facing a wave of xenophobia and racism, which is being exacerbated by the displacement of too many people, whether refugees or migrants, due to climate change and war. Thus arises the need for intercultural education for the peaceful coexistence of different people and the conservation of nature and cultural heritage can be important tools in this endeavor. Monuments of nature and culture are a common heritage for all mankind, necessary for our survival both natural and cultural. The diversity of nature and culture can become tools of mutual respect and understanding of the different people who are called to coexist in the new conditions after wars and natural disasters.

With this program the Environmental Education Center gets ideas and tools to develop educational programs in the countryside or indoors using nature and cultural heritage as tools for intercultural education.

As part of this program, Konstantina Papadogiannaki, Deputy Head of KPE Vamos participated in a multi-day Seminar (Structured Course) on "Nature as a fantastic classroom" in Brokind, Sweden from 15 - 21/08/2021 

The seminar was organized by OUTDOORED.ED, an internationally recognized organization based in the Czech Republic. This organization specializes in Outdoor & Environmental Education and has been active for the last 20 years providing multi-day seminars for teachers of all levels in the Czech Republic, Sweden and Portugal. It also has seminars on School Unit Management for Principals and Principals.

The seminar was attended by teachers from  8 European countries (Greece - Cyprus - Spain - Czech Republic - Italy - Slovenia - Slovakia - Croatia) 

 During the Seminar, in a part of Sweden with amazing natural beauty, next to lakes, we dealt theoretically and practically-experientially with Outdoor & Environmental Education. Outdoor learning brings with it the benefits of formal and non-formal education - the most essential learning happens through real, practical or hands-on activities.

Outdoor learning addresses social mobility, giving children new and exciting experiences that inspire them to realize their true potential. Outdoor activities are useful for educating refugee children, children with disabilities and intercultural classrooms.

It is well known that extracurricular learning contributes significantly to the improvement of students' personal, social and emotional development. Outdoor learning is a field of interdisciplinary education, the external environment is great not only for the subject of Physics or Biology but also of Mathematics, Art, History, Language or even a second language - anything!

The training included learning methods based on experience and sensory awareness. We actively participated in all activities that were mainly implemented in nature and visited a school in the area where we were informed about how it works.

 

 It was an amazing seminar with highly qualified trainers, which offers essential theoretical and practical training to teachers of all levels.