Modern world places new demands on school and on the educational environment as a whole. An important problem today is the question of forming the students' universal educational skills and the ability to learn, seek and acquire knowledge, and cooperate effectively. Also, an important place is given to the skill and ability to come to terms with and, later, to change the outside world with a keener eye to the future and a brighter perspective. This way, we are talking about the upbringing of a competent person that is capable of acting on one's own in any situation, including a non-standard one, on the basis of the wholesome perception of the world. It is very important that each of our students is involved in dynamic educational activities. This can be achieved by creating authentic teaching scenarios to carry them out not only in the classroom but also beyond it in order to facilitate experiential learning and engage students in more motivating unconventional educational process. In the modern world, where everything that surrounds us is in one way or another permeated by a huge volume of information, a very important skill is the ability to effectively find one's way in this ocean of information, the ability to exploit it, the ability to structure and to differentiate reliable information from unreliable. Planning and conducting classes outside the classroom can lead students to more adventurous and enjoyable learning pathways. Outdoor learning can cater for all types of intelligences and give the opportunity to students to know and appreciate their strengths especially to those who in conventional classrooms do not fit the mold and are usually underachievers. The school's main task today is not simply to arm the students with a fixed set of facts, but to form their ability to learn, to work in a team, the ability of sled-change and self-development. We want our students active participants, co-creators and decision makers in the learning process and eager to take initiative and use their potential as fully as possible. Non-standard learning environments can be a perfect context to achieve better learning outcomes as well as reinforcing students’ self-esteem. New innovative practices in education outside the classroom within the framework of lifelong learning process can grip students’ interest, inspire and give space to their imagination and creativity capacity. Because our project is aimed at creation and implementation of the practical approach to studying different topics from different subjects, we see no complications in involving both teachers and students in the activities. For the teachers, this is going to be a great opportunity to develop and to try out various work methods together with their colleagues from different countries, to share and acquire the practical experience. For the students, it is an opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills on the basis of practical exercises, and also to show both their artistic skills and their scientific knowledge. Creativity is a feature which exists in every person and it doesn´t depend on differences in cultures, educational results or economic or social background. It is open to everyone and, what is more, it helps connect people and give our students the opportunity to express themselves. It comes in different forms and it takes into consideration the only thing: willingness and eagerness to create something. We are convinced that the hands-on approach to teaching media literacy is the one which will support and benefit especially students with fewer opportunities. Modern world demands each person to be involved, engaged, alive. This is why our task within the framework of this project is to turn our attention to developing the 4 important skills of the student: communication, cooperation (team work), creativity, and critical thinking. Our task within the framework of the project's activities is to widen the study environment: to show that studying can take place (can and does!) not only in the space of a regular classroom, when sitting behind a desk, but also outside the classroom and the school. This way, we aim at showing the students that the process of studying does not begin and end when the bell rings, that the school environment can be interesting and gripping. Many museums, educational centers offer various educational programmes. But how compatible are they with the reality of the school? How much do the methods that the museum workers employ when working with the students suit these students and are in accordance with the school programmes? We want to attempt to employ the outstanding equipment of the museums to study the school programme and conduct the lesson activities outside the schools' walls. We plan to develop the methods of working with the students in the informal environment: at the school yard, on the streets of the cities, at various informational or environmental centers, nature reserves and Nature itself.
The world today presents new demands to the school and the educational environment as a whole. An urgent problem today is the forming the universal educational skills and activities of the students which define a persons’s altitude to education, acquisition of knowledge, collaboration. Also, an important role is played the ability and skill of mastering and, in future,of changing the worlxx do around us. This way, we are talking about the upbringing of a competent individual who is able to act in any situation including a non-standard on, on the basis of wholesome perception of the world. It is very important that every student is involved in the active education activities, and that every student feels comfortable during the educational process. This is why a very important moment is the educational environment surrounding the child. And in the modern world, where everything around us, one way or the other, is infused with a huge amount of information, a very important skill is the ability to efficiently navigate in this sea of information, the ability to acquire it, to structure and use the received/studied information in the real life. Our task within the framework of the project activities was to expand the educational space: to show that education does not only happen in the confines of a regular classroom, while sitting at thd desk, but also outside the classroom, the school. This way, to show the students that the process of education does not begin and end with a bell, but that education/acquiring of knowledge of something new is happening everywhere at all times, and the school space can be interesting, educational. The task of the school today is not to simply arm the students with a fixed set of knowledge, skills and abilities, but to form their ability to learn, to work in a team, the ability of self-change and self-development. We were able do develop methods of organising the educational activities in an informal setting: at the school yard, in the streets of the city, at the various informational centres. It is only necessary to learn to use all the possible sources of information around us for education. And also to create the conditions for the students for conducting the educational process in an informal setting. I.e. it is important to drop the educational stereotypes which, in turn, will ease the students’ tension related to the education itself. What is happening is the reimagining and re-allocation of the teacher-student roles. The teacher is no longer the sole source of information, the student is no longer a passive participant of the educational process. It is important to create the conditions in which the student will always have an active role, will to some degree become the conductor of the process of solving the task set in front of him/her. The teacher will only be guiding the student and helping if there is need. And the organisation of the education in an informal setting – outside the walls of the classroom – only supports that. This way, every student had an opportunity to become an active participant of the educational process. Education is becoming more and more practical, the interdisciplinary connections and conducting the lessons in an informal setting are occurring more and more often. Where better to study the animal world if not at the zoo, and the world of plants – at a forest? A course in astronomy? – we are going to an observatory! We are studying the alternative sources of energy – we are building the wind turbines! It was the practical orientation that specifically helped the student to become an active participant of the educational process, to become a partner of the teacher in creating ye educational materials, in conducting the lessons and developing a new image of school. This, we were able to form a group o teachers at schools, who are ready for collaboration, to look for new active methods of work. And, as a result, we were able to create a number of lesson materials for organising lessons: in the city space – project module Home City as a classroom,, in the nature - Nature as classroom, at the museums and educational centres - Museum as a classroom, and also how the school space and school walls can be used for educational activities- project module Educational and active school breaks. Also, at each school were formed the principles of organising lessons of these types, which allows us in future to continue the development of this theme also after the end of the project. Which, in general, is happening at the moment. Considering the fact that during the project 4 international meetings of the students (Short-teram Exchange of students) took place: 3 meetings in contact and 1 in a digital format, in which at least 80 students and 30 teachers took part in total, in the meetings themselves. While various project activities during the entire project included about 200 students and 40 teachers. This, the project work and the activities within the framework of the project allowed us to involve the students to be more active in organising the educational work (module Educational and active school breaks), to give feedback to the teachers in a more open way, to suggest their ideas and possible places to visit within the framework of studying particular topics (module Home city as classroom, Nature as classroom). At 3 schools (schools of Greece, Lithuania, and Estonia), conferences were held to exchange the experience with the teachers from the local schools. During these conferences, there were discussions within the framework of the project themes and the developed materials, the project results were presented, so we can say that the ideas of the project have reached a wider audience. The approach to education that is touched upon by the project is relevant in the modern world of education.