Beyond the Walls
Beyond the Walls aims to strengthen educators’ ability to support young people’s active participation, sustainability competences and engagement with their local communities.
The project supports teachers and youth workers in using participatory and project-based approaches that encourage young people to identify real-life challenges in their communities and take meaningful action to address them.
This is what we do!
Objectives
Beyond the Walls aims to strengthen educators’ ability to support young people’s active participation, sustainability competences and engagement with their local communities.
Instead of seeing students only as recipients of knowledge, the approach encourages them to become active participants who identify issues that matter to them, develop solutions and act together with schools and community partners.
The project combines sustainability education with project-based, experiential, interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning
Beyond the Walls builds on the Action Pedagogy approach developed in an earlier Erasmus+ project in Hungary and Romania. In the ongoing project, the approach is further developed and adapted for wider European use.
Implementations
One of the key principles of Beyond the Walls is that learning should lead to action.
Educators first develop their skills through the project’s curriculum, online training and international peer learning. They are then supported by trained mentors as they plan practical sustainability projects together with young people. During the final phase of the project, at least 24 action-oriented sustainability projects will be implemented across the four partner countries. These projects will focus on environmental or social sustainability challenges identified by young people themselves.
Young people will be encouraged to explore issues in their own communities, cooperate with local stakeholders, develop solutions and reflect on the impact of their actions. Educators act primarily as facilitators who provide structure, guidance and support.
The experiences gained from these projects will also be used to improve the online training and other project materials.
During the project, the partners will:
- develop an internationally applicable Beyond the Walls curriculum
- create an open and modular online training course for educators
- train teachers and youth workers in Action Pedagogy and sustainability education
- develop a structured mentoring model and peer-learning practices
- support educators and young people in implementing local sustainability projects
- collect and share examples of good practice from the participating countries and
- disseminate the project results to educators, schools, youth organisations and other stakeholders across Europe.
Expected results
The project seeks to strengthen not only sustainability competences but also participation, civic engagement, collaboration and young people’s ability to act on issues that affect their communities.
By the end of the project, Beyond the Walls will have produced a set of practical and openly accessible resources for educators.
The main results will include:
- an internationally adapted Beyond the Walls Curriculum
- a modular online training course available as an Open Educational Resource
- a practical mentoring methodology and mentoring guide
- a European network of trained mentors and educators
- at least 24 locally implemented sustainability projects involving young people
- an Action Guide for Everyone presenting practical examples and lessons learned from the projects and
- national dissemination events in all four partner countries.
The project aims to reach approximately 200 educators through its training activities and to increase awareness of Action Pedagogy and sustainability education among a much wider European audience.
International cooperation
Beyond the Walls brings together four organizations with complementary expertise. The international partnership allows the methods developed in the project to be tested and adapted across different educational and cultural contexts.
Újpedagógia, Hungary
Újpedagógia, Hungary coordinates the project and contributes expertise in Action Pedagogy, teacher training and educational development.
Spektrum Educational Center, Romania
Spektrum Educational Center, Romania contributes extensive experience in education, teacher training, digital learning and cooperation with schools and local communities.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences brings expertise in teacher education, interdisciplinary learning and innovative pedagogical practices.
Xamk, Juvenia
South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Finland contributes expertise in youth work, participation, social empowerment, mentoring and research-based development.
Experiences and articles
Youth oriented approach in food education
Now is a great time to apply for summer jobs!
BRIDGING FUTURE COACHING AND PEACE EDUCATION IN MIKKELI
Blooming in Finland: A Guide to Career Opportunities for Immigrant Women in South Savo
PeaceAct – Training of Trainers: democracy and peace education on an international training mission
Do you feel connected?
Everything is fearful for the first time!
Midsummer workshop with working life quests
Facts
Beyond the Walls – Promoting sustainability projects and developing action competence in and out of schools (BtW)
Info
Budget
Contact information
