The project "Learning Communities of Rural Europe" LCRE develops training materials for educational organisations that are interested to become an "ecosocial place of learning". Such places characterize a creative integration of formal learning programs and opportunities for informal learning. They support academic trainings through programs for university-students and research projects that are carried out in cooperation with universities. They convey practical skills and offer space for orientation and personal development. They address local young people that have difficulties with vocational training and integrate people from the local community as far as possible in their activities. Through supporting learners to set up entrepreneurial projects they support the revitalisation of rural areas. They cooperate with companies and other educational organisation locally as well as on a national and european level. The project LCRE is carried out by five organisation that pionieer in building up ecosocial places of learning in rural areas. The coordinators of the project are leaders or important project developers of these organisations. One central aim of the project is the mutual support the participating organisations can offer to each other in the process of becoming a full-featured ecosocial place of learning. Moreover they develop a handbook and other training material as a support for other organisations and for the multiplication of the concept. Concretly these are a handbook for the development of ecosocial places of learning, webinars and e-learning-tools and a literary book, which should make the concept available to multiplyers as well as learners and to comunicate to a broad audience. Another output of LCRE is a suggestion for a new program in education policy to support ecosocial places of learning. To reach this goal, effective lobbying will be carried out. The project LCRE will fill a gap in the european education landscape through using the endogenous forces and ressources of rural regions with their specific social, ecological, economic and educational potencials. By initiating a european network, rural places of learning will develop supraregional importance and will become role models for a new generation of integrative educational projects all over Europe.
This project established the term »Learning Communities of Rural Europe« (LCRE) for the first time. Such places can have many faces. As a common denominator they combine educational work and regional development. They have a common understanding of socio-ecological transformation assuming that nature, culture and economy are not separated areas standing next to each other, but form a larger whole, creating »good life« in the meaning of »buen vivir«— not only for humans but for all earthly beings. Such learning communities combine formal and informal education. They support academic education by offering programmes for university students or realise research projects with universities. They teach practical abilities and open up the space for personal growth. By supporting learners to set up their own economic projects they support the economically weak rural areas. They integrate locals wherever possible, cooperate with local businesses and edcuational insitutions, and integrate into national and European networks. The main result of this project is a handbook for pioneers who want to set up new LCRE. Parallel to that a webinar-programme was developed, so that the authors of this handbook can share the main insights of the handbook directly with the interested audience. Another output is a storybok. It addresses especially young people and wants to draw their attention to LCRE as places, that can support them in their own learning journeys. In addition, a political brochure was created, that communicates the model of LCRE to policy makers and authorities. By setting up a European network the project consortium intended to help Learning Communities to develop a stronger impact and act as role model for a new generation of inclusive, transdiciplinary educational projects all over Europe.