Our courses are designed to provide practical training which teachers can apply in their schools. They blend practical learning activities with theory to transform learning; and of course we have lots of fun too. The courses are intended for teachers, teacher advisors, NGOs and educational institutes and are suited to both primary and secondary education. Our ‘Outdoor learning in nature’ course us ideal for teachers in geography, biology and civics; the ‘Entrepreneurship for schools: using green economy as context’ course is ideal for teachers in economics, business, geography, biology and civics; and, the ‘Whole school learning for sustainability’ course is beneficial for all subjects.

Each course will include a mix of activities:

• Workshop sessions to introduce new ideas and thinking for effective learning;
• Case studies to apply learning to the real world;
• Visits to see learning in action;
• Planning to explore how to integrate new ideas into your practice;
• Cultural activities to enjoy vibrant local cultures.

Our courses can be taken as stand-alone units or integrated into longer term learning programmes. We are happy to advise you how to integrate our courses into your programme. Each course will include pre-course preparation and time to plan how to integrate the results back into your teaching.

Each course is delivered by a team of experts in the field with more than 40 years’ experience.

Richard Dawson is the founder of Wild Awake, a not for profit social enterprise. Its purpose is to develop and provide learning which inspires change towards a more sustainable planet, and support people to live healthy and happy lives which respect natural limits. It achieves this through providing learning which reconnects people with the natural world through first-hand experience. It brings educational expertise in curriculum development, writing activities, training and consultancy in pursuit of this.

Juan Diego Lopez Giraldo is an international experienced environmental educator, with background in biology, education and coastal management. He is presently managing an entrepreneurial initiative VITA XXI SLP an environmental consultancy group based in Murcia, Spain. He lead for almost 10 years Regional Environmental Volunteer program in Natura 2000 sites in Murcia. He has been working as international consultant for education and environmental issues in Europe in Latin America in short and long cooperation projects.

Stoyan Faldjiyski is a founder of Ecosystem Europe Association. In the past 10 years Stoyan has been working in environmental topics with a special focus on education and training for teachers. He has been part of many international teams working on the development of innovative methodologies and content for delivering quality and modern education. He is fascinated by nature enjoys connecting to it wherever and whenever possible, and sharing his inspiration with others.

All participants will receive a Europass Certificate detailing their learning achievements.

Our courses are delivered in beautiful locations in France, Bulgaria and Spain. See individual courses for details.

TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST IN ONE OF OUR COURSES PLEASE CONTACT US AT: STOYAN@ECOSYSTEMEUROPE.ORG ; RICHARD@WILD-AWAKE.ORG.

What is the opportunity?

Erasmus+ Programme offers the opportunity to send or receive school staff for teaching or professional development purposes.
Whether you are a teacher or support staff in a school or college, Key Action 1 is the funding strand that applies to you and your organisation.
The application process is managed by the National Agency (NA) of the country where the applicant organisation or consortium is based.

What mobility activities are possible?

Key Action 1 is about mobility which would usually mean you spend time abroad. Mobility projects can cover one or more of the following: study courses, observation, job shadowing, training, and teaching. Overall, projects last from between one to two years, but for individuals or groups of staff, this can mean activity for as little as two days or up to two months in duration.
Mobility projects are transnational, and so all project activity except structured courses or training events must involve at least two schools – your own school and the partner school(s) abroad.
To successfully apply for funding for a Key Action 1 mobility project a school should be aiming to support the professional development of some or all of the school staff, as a part of the school’s European Development Plan.

School staff mobility activity could include:

• A teaching assignment: allowing staff of school education organisations to teach at a partner organisation abroad;
• Staff training: supporting the professional development of school staff (including non-teaching staff) in either:
• Participation in structured courses or training events abroad;
• A job shadowing/observation period abroad in any relevant organisation active in school education.

If you have not applied for funding before, please visit your NA website before you apply.
Please also sign up to eTwinning and the European Commission’s School Education Gateway portal.

Our team can assist you in preparing your Key Action 1 application, so please don’t hesitate to contact us with such a request!

For more information, please visit your NA website or the EC Key Action 1 information page.

TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST IN ONE OF OUR COURSES PLEASE CONTACT US AT: STOYAN@ECOSYSTEMEUROPE.ORG.

Outdoor Learning for Sustainability

Exploring nature to create a sustainable future

What are the foundations of our course?

Three great principles underpin our course and learning.

• Firstly, nature provides a model for a sustainable system upon which humans depend for survival.
• Secondly, current trends in human development are unsustainable and in danger of irreversibly damaging nature and us.
• Thirdly, many human actions are driven by values which increase harm to the natural world and these need to change if we are to adapt and thrive.

We are living in times where human-made linear systems need radical change if humanity is to prosper. We continue to seriously undermine nature’s ability to maintain and regenerate the resources required to satisfy the lifestyles of the 21^st century. We need new solutions to the challenges created by us i.e. global warning and climate change, the depletion of fertile soil and deforestation, and human impacts on the global water cycle. We also need to challenge the values that have driven humanity’s decision making in the past 100 years and offer different values which support our ability to bring about positive change.

Education plays a vital role supporting and empowering young people to create and implement new solutions by reconnecting them to the natural world. By discovering how nature solves a myriad of problems through circular thinking and by applying nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience in creating sustainable systems, young people get an inspiring vision of how to build a sustainable future.

The experience we are sharing …

The outdoor classroom provides a wealth of opportunities to engage pupils in hands-on learning. Learning outside the classroom has the aim of improving students’ knowledge of a subject and to develop skills, values and personal development which are vital elements of students learning and achievement.

This course draws on over 12 years of European project experience. Participants will gain from recent pan-European projects including:

• Lessons from Nature (LfN) asks what sort of future young people would like to live in and how this preferred future can be made reality. It challenges traditional assumptions about how things are made, economies managed and lives lived. LfN presents opportunities to learn outside the classroom. First-hand experience helps to inspire discovery and foster real understanding in relation to insights from nature that can be applied to the modern world.
• Real World Learning Network (RWL) explores and shares successful approaches to outdoor learning that increase action for sustainable development. We believe that outdoor learning offers one of the best approaches for young people to engage with the world around them, and provides a stimulating context to explore how we can all contribute to a more sustainable present and future.
• Green Entrepreneurs Europe (GEE) brings together the twin necessities of a green economy and increased entrepreneurship that provides meaningful jobs and restores our natural wealth. GEE marries an understanding of the natural world with the skills for entrepreneurship. The natural world is a model for sustainability; it is both a mentor and measure. By learning the principles that make nature sustainable, we can apply the same principles towards entrepreneurship to create new opportunities that meet Europe’s need for a circular economy.
• Urban Science is delivering a means to teach pupils how science can develop solutions for sustainable cities, motivating them to view the positive benefits of science to the urban environment. Urban Science focuses on how science can develop solutions to urban issues, so motivating students to view the positive benefits of science to the urban environment.

Participants will learn how these projects have created innovative resources for schools and experience how to implement them in their own school. All resources are provided free of charge and in a range of languages.

By the end of this course you will have taken part in a range of practical activities as well as shared good practice with other teachers, and:

• Experienced a range of different approaches to outdoor learning.
• Gained a toolbox of activities to take back home.
• Explored how to deliver outdoor learning in your institution.
• Been inspired by what nature can teach us and how we can help create a sustainable future.
• Be more self-confident while using the outdoors as a unique educational resource.

The course is for all teachers with a passion for learning outside the classroom; and is suitable to teachers of science, engineering, applied mathematics, arts, and technology (STE(A)M) and geography, entrepreneurship and economy, ethics, and philosophy.

This course will take place in Excideuil (24160), Dordogne, France. Participants will have the unique opportunity to be part of the local countryside lifestyles and explore the beautiful surrounding natural environment.

The cost of the course is €1175.
This includes €400 course tuition fee and materials, and, €775 full board accommodation within the course. Participants are expected to pay the full amount to the organizers.