Four public regional bodies responsible for education cooperating for a long time decided to focus on exchange of good practices in the field of school education. Special emphasis is given to extending the cooperation into local communities . Kraj Vysočina - with about 500 000 inhabitants is the founder and responsible body for secondary schools in the area. The Office of the Lower Austrian Land Government – the Office is responsible for about 1.6 million inhabitants , primary and secondary education is administered on the state level by the Lower Austrian Land Government. The Rectorat in Reims, supported by The Great Eastern Region is a regional public administrative body created on January 2016 from 3 regions located in the north-east of France: Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine. Its huge territory covers 57 433 km square and 5.5 million inhabitants live in the region. /attached is a letter of commitment/ Tampere City - Compulsory education is mainly provided by the City of Tampere. The City of Tampere also maintains general upper secondary schools and a large vocational institution with adult education included. Education and Training is offered in the Tampere Region which has about 500 000 inhabitants. The project supports exchanges of practices through practical focus on STEM subject with a special focus a sustainable development and institutional improvement in school capacities on all levels of the school system. Cooperative teaching and learning of STEM subjects is a form of active learning that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios, rather than simply presenting established facts or portraying a smooth path to knowledge. The programme for training events includes a programme for professionals from schools and pupils in the countries involved. They will have the possibility to promote their competences thanks to sharing experience under the supervision of experts from partner institutions. We would like to build a greater sense of professionalism at schools and give learners and staff a chance to promote their aspirations in science. Primary target groups are: decision makers, members of local bodies, teachers, experts and pupils Secondary target group: people involved in education, members of local communities, people from public visiting courses, the unemployed using the school premises, migrants attending courses, primary school learners regularly coming to laboratories at secondary schools etc. The project would give an excellent opportunity to share experience among regions, to share the European attitude in STEM teaching and learning in science.
The project supported participants in sharing new methods and implementing innovative practices, as well as collaborating in the field of STEM, including incorporating science education into environmental and cultural contexts. The activities supported active learning, critical thinking, presentation skills, and increased awareness in schools about civic participation in environmental topics. The project supported the exchange of practices through a practical focus on inquiry-based learning and teaching in the natural sciences. Inquiry-based learning is incorporated into the educational policy strategies of all partner countries involved and is the opposite of passive (ineffective) acquisition of knowledge and skills in the natural sciences. The aim of the project was to share and spread examples of good practice and to introduce activation methods in science education and motivate participants to engage in these activities. All implemented activities led to personal and professional growth for all participants.
The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project was implemented by the Vysočina Region as coordinator together with project partners from Vysočina and its partner regions in Europe (the French region of Grand Est, Lower Austria, and the Finnish city of Tampere). The project aimed to promote the sharing of best practices and the exchange of experiences and procedures with a focus on STEM subjects and the implementation of environmental topics in secondary school education. Sustainable development was the main idea of the project, and all ESD project activities were developed within this framework. The project also provided an excellent opportunity to share the European approach to teaching and learning in natural sciences and to develop cooperation and strategic partnerships between the Vysočina Region and its partner regions. The primary target groups were educators, students, and professionals working in the field of education. Individuals responsible for shaping and developing the educational process in partner regions (decision-makers, members of local authorities) were also involved. The project also aimed at other individuals and institutions involved in education, members of local communities, and the public.