Learning and Education

DEHORS

Description

DEveloping innovative learning contexts in pre-scHools’ OutdooR Spaces

Outdoor education in pre-schools represents an indispensable educational strategy complementary to indoor education, based more on direct contact with the environment and its phenomena. The partnership, consisting of 7 organisations from 4 EU countries(Sweden, Italy, Latvia and Cyprus), believes there is a need to rethink and improve the pedagogical use of outdoor spaces of pre-schools in order to promote children’s learning.

Objectives

The general objective of the 3-year-project is to enhance pre-school quality by developing and enhancing knowledge about the design and planning of stimulating outdoor environments.
The Specific Objectives of the project are:
1. To improve the quality of children’s learning through innovative outdoor learning environment
2. To improve pre-school teacher’s skills and strategies about outdoor activities
3. To design innovative outdoor learning spaces by bringing together expertise from different fields

Activities

The project activities include 6 transnational project meetings an 3 training seminars aimed at supporting the production of three main products of the project: Two models of outdoor learning spaces in pre-schools, a guide for the development and valorisation of outdoor spaces and an Online Training module on outdoor activities for teachers based on the content of the guide.
Such products will be disseminated in the four countries of the partnership towards the key target groups of the project: Pre-schools managers and municipal decision-makers, pre-school teachers, researchers, families, Professionals from other fields and children attending pre-schools.

Project results/Products

The main expected results will be the development of innovative outdoor learning spaces designed and tested with the support of experts from other fields than education (architects, landscape designers, science educators) and improved pre-school teachers’ skills pertaining the planning and implementation of outdoor activities.