Learning from Nature – Biomimicry in Education (BioLearn) Biomimicry (i.e. nature inspired innovation) is a major scientific and economic force today. Current revolutions in artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning and neural networks), gene and immune therapy, material science, and much more are biomimetic, they are largely the result of biological research being applied to computer science, medicine, manufacturing, etc. Biomimicry teaches us how to live in sustainable way on the planet. BioLearn project intends to introduce the concept of biomimicry into education: This project would be the very first EU-coordinated effort to integrate biomimicry and STEM learning in European schools. We aim to inspire young people to view nature not only as a source of beauty, but also a source of learning for a sustainable future, for clever technological solutions achieving the twin aims of conserving the environment and sustaining human progress. Biomimicry can be used by STEM and STEAM education as a new topic and approach of them. Project partners are NGOs dealing mainly with environmental topics: Magosfa Foundation (MA), Hungary – Biomimicry NL (BNL), the Netherlands (www.biomimicrynl.org) – The Center for Learning with Nature (LWN), U.S.A. (www.LearningWithNature.org) – CEA, Slovakia (http://www.cea.sk/ ) – SEVER, Czech Republic (http://sever.ekologickavychova.cz/ ) – Wild Awake (WA), United Kingdom (https://www.wild-awake.org/ ) – The main activities of the project: During the project we are going to elaborate Biomimicry Learning Resources and Biomimicry Teacher Training Programme. These materials will based upon the experiences and existing materials of two project partners (LWN and BNL) who are experts of biomimicry topic. Selected teaching materials will be translated and adapted to other countries and a new toolkit will be elaborated by all the partners and tested during programs by European partners and pilot schools. The tested toolkits will be translated and adapted in the countries. Biomimicry Learning Resources will be available on the project website in the 5 languages of the project and on websites of all project partners in national language and English. In the middle of the project 5-5 teachers and 2-2 members of the partner organisations will take part on a study trip in the Netherlands held by BNL and LWN experts. Biomimicry Teacher Training Program will be also developed, adjusted to the education system of all countries. 30 teachers will be trained in the European partner countries by the help of the material. The Program will be available for teacher trainer organisations. A national conference for 30-30 teachers, teacher trainers, and environmental educators will be organised in the European project counties as dissemination event.
Biomimicry (i.e. nature inspired innovation) is becoming a major scientific and economic force today. Current revolutions in artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning and neural networks), gene and immune therapy, material science, and much more are biomimetic. They are largely the result of biological research being applied to computer science, medicine, manufacturing, etc. In providing inspiration for scientific and economic development, Biomimicry draws on the principles nature uses to be sustainable and thus teaches us how to live in sustainable way on the planet. BioLearn project goal to introduce the concept of biomimicry into education and was one of first EU-coordinated efforts to integrate biomimicry and STE(A)M learning in European schools. Our aim was to inspire young people to view nature not only as a source of beauty, but also a source of learning for a sustainable future, for clever technological solutions achieving the twin aims of conserving the environment and sustaining human progress. Biomimicry can be used by STE(A)M education as a new topic and approach of them. Project partners are NGOs dealing mainly with environmental topics: • Magosfa Foundation (MA), Hungary (http://www.magosfa.hu/) – coordinator • Biomimicry NL (BNL), the Netherlands (www.biomimicrynl.org) – • The Center for Learning with Nature (LWN), U.S.A. (www.LearningWithNature.org) • CEA, Slovakia (http://www.cea.sk/ ) • SEVER, Czech Republic (http://sever.ekologickavychova.cz/ ) • Wild Awake (WA), United Kingdom (https://www.wild-awake.org/ ) Within the project 22 modules were elaborated by the partners in topic of biomimicry, altogether 311 pages in English language, available for all educators and teachers – see: https://biolearn.eu/universal-manual/ . The majority of the modules were adapted and translated into national languages; these can be found on the national pages of the website: https://biolearn.eu/ . • Czech: 20 modules – 269 pages • Dutch: 17 modules – 227 pages • Hungarian: 19 modules, introduction presentation, 2 experiments – 293 pages • Slovakian: 22 modules – 312 pages • English version for schools in the United Kingdom: 18 modules – 281 pages A teaching framework and teacher training program was also elaborated: 38 pages long Teacher Training Guide was written by the partners and uploaded to the project website: https://biolearn.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/BiolearnTeacherTraining_EU.pdf This material supports others to deliver biomimicry teacher trainings and provides background material for those teachers who want to know more about the biomimicry and its educational background. This material was also adapted and translated into national languages, see on the national pages. For reaching the project goals the following issues were implemented: • Implementing of 5 transnational project meetings – four in the partner countries and one online (because of the COVID situation). • Organising and implementing a study trip to the Netherlands for 29 participants in February, 2020. • Piloting most of our modules in pilot schools. • Organising teacher trainings for at least 30 teachers per country online or face to face (based on teacher training guide) in all European partner countries. • Organising national conferences for at least 30 participants in all European partner countries. • Evaluating the teaching material and teacher trainings. • Disseminating project results in national and international levels. Altogether the project activities reached about 700 adults (teachers, educators, stakeholders) and about 1800 students. Through the dissemination activities approx. 5000 adults and 1000 students were reached. The topic of biomimicry was completely new to many schools in the project. Indeed, for the Hungarian, Czech and Slovak partners this was a new approach to learning. Only the Netherlands had significant previous biomimicry experience. As a result of the project, all partners now have a significantly improved capacity to understand and deliver biomimicry education with schools. This is a critical step in ‘building the base of the pyramid’ upon which others can learn. As the partners became competent in biomimicry, this was transferred to schools, teachers and students. Initially this was through the piloting of modules and later in the project through teacher training and multiplier events. Evaluation with pilot schools shows that an impact has been made, especially in opening the minds of teachers and students to the opportunities a biomimicry approach to STE(A)M learning offers. More work will be needed to embed this further, but the foundations have been laid and all partners are continuing to deliver biomimicry education. This is perhaps the biggest impact of the project, that after three years of funding the work continues and will grow.