CONTEXT The iSHRINK project connects Europe’s island schools with one another to create innovative education based around sustainability challenges. In this way the project will provide Europe’s isolated and depopulating regions with high quality education which places the emphasis on pupils active citizenship and the sustainable future of their region. This is particularly essential given the demographic shift that Europe's isolated regions, such as islands, are experiencing. iSHRINK addresses 3 EU school education priorities: 1. Reinforcing the development of key competences by creating innovative teaching and learning materials, in particular active citizenship. 2. Common values, civic engagement and participation by giving pupils the change to engage with sustainability challenges and a chance to interact with and influence policymakers. 3. Strengthening the profiles of the teaching professions by arming teachers of island schools with teaching methods and learning materials which are truly adapted to their unique context. OBJECTIVES The iSHRINK objectives are to : - Create effective and innovative pedagogies adapted to shrinking and isolated regions that educate young people to become autonomous, self-thinking, creative problem-solvers who can contribute to their region’s future. - Support pupils in acquiring and developing key competences (e.g. creativity, problem-solving ability, critical thinking, pro-activity, emotional intelligence, cooperation and cognitive flexibility) in order to foster employability, socio-educational and personal development. - Strengthen the profile of the teaching profession, including in particular teachers, school leaders and teacher trainers by equipping them with the tools they need to adapt teaching to small schools in shrinking regions. - Support youth in acquiring and developing forward-looking skills in fields that are strategic for smart economic and social development of the islands and isolated regions participating in the iSHRINK project and beyond. - Improve the liveability of shrinking and isolated regions by providing high quality education, making these regions more attractive for younger families and thereby mitigating their aging populations. - Influence future policymaking on school education in depopulating and isolated regions, giving practical examples and ideas which take into account the unique challenges and potential of schools in shrinking and peripheral regions. PARTICIPANTS & METHODOLOGY With island school partners, leading universities and technical partners we transnationally join forces to create innovative challenge-based learning resources for use across Europe’s islands, isolated regions and beyond. Top universities working on education and sustainability will work with island schools to cocreate truly adapted materials. A broad pool of network schools outside of the project consortium will increase the impact of the project. The partners P1, Learning Hub Friesland Foundation NL (lead) P2, VMBO De Krijtenburg / De Jutter NL P3, Gymnasium Of Astypalaia EL P4, University of Akureyri IS P5, University of Strathclyde UK P6, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia ES P7, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen NL P8, IDEC GR ACTIVITIES & RESULTS The project involves 4 intellectual outputs (IOs) as well as the horizontal activities required for successful project execution: management, impact evaluation, dissemination. IO1 – iSHRINK Matching Scan will build a network to connect island schools with one another based around common sustainability challenges, allowing schools pupils to work together internationally. IO2 – iSHRINK Teaching and Learning Materials will provide teacher’s packs, challenge packs and ready-to-use learning material for island schools, addressing sustainability challenges. Schools can use this to work with the international partner school they were matched with using the scan. IO3 – iSHRINK Online Learning Community and Platform will bring IO1 and IO2 together in an online form, giving a platform for schools to work together on shared challenges and allowing more schools from across the world to access the scan and be matched with one another. IO4 – Policy recommendations on innovative education in shrinking and isolated regions will take the lessons learnt during the course of the project and the solutions to challenges which pupils have worked on and present these to the policymakers which affect Europe’s isolated and shrinking regions. The vital role that education can play in sustainable development will be broken down into practical recommendations. IMPACT & LONG TERM BENEFITS With iSHRINK, we shape a more sustainable future for Europe’s isolated and island schools and their communities through quality, innovative education. Pupils will feel more connected to their regions and have the key competences and sense of active citizenship they need to shape their communities’ futures.
The iSHRINK objectives were to: - Create effective and innovative pedagogies adapted to shrinking and isolated regions that educated young people to become autonomous, self-thinking, creative problem-solvers who could contribute to their region’s future. - Support pupils in acquiring and developing key competences (e.g., creativity, problem-solving ability, critical thinking, proactivity, emotional intelligence, cooperation, and cognitive flexibility) in order to foster employability, socio-educational, and personal development. - Strengthen the profile of the teaching profession, including in particular teachers, school leaders, and teacher trainers by equipping them with the tools they needed to adapt teaching to small schools in shrinking regions. - Support youth in acquiring and developing forward-looking skills in fields that were strategic for smart economic and social development of the islands and isolated regions participating in the iSHRINK project and beyond. - Improve the liveability of shrinking and isolated regions by providing high-quality education, making these regions more attractive for younger families and thereby mitigating their aging populations. - Influence past policymaking on school education in depopulating and isolated regions, giving practical examples and ideas which took into account the unique challenges and potential of schools in shrinking and peripheral regions.
The EU underwent a demographic transformation. Per a 2019 European Parliament policy briefing on Demographic Trends in EU Regions, the ageing of populations and a rise in urbanisation were precipitating depopulation in the EU's distant and rural regions. The escalating average age of residents in isolated and pastoral areas exerted additional pressure on education due to a dwindling student count. This tendency "sharply impacted the social, economic, and territorial cohesion of the EU.” This was distinctly observable on Europe’s numerous islands, which faced even greater challenges owing to their remoteness from the mainland. Contracting populations presented a substantial challenge – and in numerous instances, a dire threat – to the schools on Europe’s islands. In confronting adversity, creativity and innovation emerged as paramount tools; hence, the inquiry was how could inventive teaching methods be employed to assist island schools in providing optimum education amidst falling populations? This was the question that the iSHRINK project aimed to resolve. NEEDS Depopulation posed an existential risk to Europe’s island schools, bringing about particular challenges and needs. Island schools were compelled to accomplish more with fewer resources, to modify their teaching to accommodate mixed age and ability classes, and to become a vital part of the social infrastructure for their adjacent communities. To tackle these challenges, island schools required inventive teaching methods that were adjusted to their particular context, and which augmented the pupils’ attachment to their island, enabling them to envisage a future within the community. In addition to these pragmatic needs, island schools, often being a small subset of institutions in their regional or national contexts, could experience isolation and demoralisation. To narrow this divide, it was necessary for island schools to have opportunities to unite with similar schools throughout Europe, sharing their challenges mutually and collaborating on solutions.