The unique conditions created by the COVID-19 virus have clearly highlighted a number of issues that need to be addressed within our education system. Shedding light on problems such as: 1.) technical and content support both, to students and the teaching personal alike, 2.) to the modernisation of teaching methods, 3.) the adjustments of study curriculum in order to develop skills and key competences, that are the most relevant to the modern-day competitive job market and changing circumstances. 3 creative organisations from Latvia, Lithuania and Finland in the project will work together in order to facilitate production of innovative educational materials and program that use contemporary art as a tool for learning, exploring and creative thinking. As outputs of the project will be created: 1.) Digital platform a welcoming, interactive repository of knowledge and high quality content that is created by 10 artists and teachers using a methodology of joining artistic and didactic materials with practical tasks; 2.)RIBOCA3 Education program that encourages hands on practice learning in an exhibition venues. One of the key aspects of this program will be a work of at lest 10 trained art mediators, whose primary focus is pupils' education; 3.) Workbooks for 3 age groups that develops skills from recognition of forms and objects in primary school age group to critical research skills in high school. All above mentioned outputs encourage creativity self-directed, project and research- based learning for school children aged 7-19, through the lens of contemporary art. In the long term project activities, while reaching 5-7% of all school children in Latvia, will help to establish a thought-process in pupils, that learning is a present and relevant process, thus encouraging them to be more engaged with the world around them, access information critically and not be afraid to use creative approaches in studies and daily life.
The creative organisations from Latvia, Lithuania and Finland worked together towards a common goal of production of innovative educational materials and programmes that use contemporary art as a tool for learning, exploring and creative thinking. The project outputs, including the development of learning kits, a digital platform, an experiential education programme, and age-specific workbooks, were designed to foster creativity and promote self-directed, project-based, and research-based learning for school children aged 7-19. Our ultimate goal was to instil in students a mindset that learning is a vital and relevant process, to encourage deeper levels engagement with their surroundings, to critically assess information, and to embrace creative approaches in their studies and daily lives. On the teaching side of the project we wanted to give the teaching personal a handy tool to adjust the curriculum to changing circumstances and demands of the job market, that would facilitate their efforts in developing skills and key competences, that are the most relevant today. We also made an effort to elevate the status of teaching profession and bring it to compliance with the real influence it has on the society and its younger members.
When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the social conditions drastically, it became evident that the education system in Latvia needed some urgent modernisation measures to meet the new challenges brought by distant learning. We applied for this project because working in the field of art and mediation we had a chance to recognise specific needs and setbacks in our education system that had to be addressed. The primary reasons for our application and the needs we aimed to address were as follows: – to provide adequate technical and content support for students and teaching personnel alike. The shift to remote learning highlighted the importance of equipping the secondary educational institutions with tools and resources necessary for effective digital education. – to foster modernisation of the teaching methods necessary to adapt to the challenges posed by remote and hybrid learning environments. It was evident that integrating technology and innovative pedagogical approaches was crucial to enhancing the learning experience. – to adjust the study curriculum to better align with current demands of the job market and ever changing circumstances. Developing relevant skills and key competences became a priority.