“WATERSCHOOL - strengthening open digital education and innovative practises through relevant, innovative teaching tools about water consumption in schools”More than 20 percent of children and young people in the EU are either overweight or obese. These rates have increased significantly over the past decades. The consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks is often associated with obesity in children and can also lead to dental decay and the resulting fillings. Almost 40 percent of the sugar consumed by young children comes from drinking sugar-sweetened drinks. Childhood obesity is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, mental disorders, underachievement in school and lower self-esteem. These health problems can be avoided by encouraging the consumption of drinks without sugar. Promotion and provision of drinking water in schools has shown to prevent overweight. The importance of drinking water in schools is well known by teachers. Besides improving health, proper hydration is an important prerequisite for concentration and performance in school. Even mild dehydration can cause cognitive impairment, tiredness and headaches, all of which will negatively impact academic attainment. Yet, about half of the children do not meet their minimum hydration requirements. These issues can and should be addressed by actively promoting tap water drinking in schools. Every minute, a million plastic bottles are bought around the world, and this number will still rise during the next years. Schools that promote tap water drinking are free of single use plastic bottles and play an important role in helping to implement the EU Plastics Strategy.The project “WATERSCHOOL strengthening open digital education and innovative practises through relevant, innovative teaching tools about water consumption in schools”, funded by the Erasmus+ program, started in September 2018 and ended in August 2020. It involved partners in Austria (lead partner), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Aim of the project was to create and provide free accessible open education resources in the English, German, Bulgarian, Italian, Czech and Slovenian language, that encourage schools all over Europe to become Waterschools and enable pedagogues to acquire new skills and competences, innovative methods and pedagogies which will assist them in developing and implementing water drinking related activities in the school and the classroom. This will help improve children’s health as well as the health of the environment, but also increase personal development and employability of educators and students, and contribute to the achievement of the EU Sustainable Development Goals, the Drinking Water Directive and the European strategies to reduce obesity and tooth caries rates in children and the EU Plastic Strategy.Target groups of the project were schools and kindergartens, teacher, pre-school pedagogues, school headmasters, local and school authorities, municipalities, parents and water supplying companies. In the development, testing and the implementation phase of the project, about 24.400 persons were involved in one or several of about 190 dissemination activities like workshops, meetings, public events, conferences, computer based trainings, personal meetings etc. Much more were reached via webpages and Facebook. Feedback concerning the implementation of the project, the tools created and results obtained was extremely positive. The involved target groups discovered a very important topic to deal with in schools, not only in the classroom but also in the overall school culture and developed a collection of valuable ideas and practises for teaching. Teachers especially appreciated the case studies, digital tools and the practical guidelines for a school to become a Waterschool. The importance of these tools and materials has been further highlighted by the need for online training programmes during the coronavirus restrictions.Results in detail:• A set of guidelines and didactic concepts for the Waterschool project (in 6 languages).• A survey of drinking behavior, water quality and access to water in partner countries’ schools (in 6 languages).• A Waterschool online portal with an e-learning course, various educational resources, good practise examples, a guide how to become a Waterschool, an interactive map of European schools that already became a member of the Waterschool-network, FAQs and a news section (in seven country versions – AT, DE, BG, CZ, SL, IT, UK – and in an European version).• Multiplier events in all partner countries have been carried out.• About 190 seminars, online-trainings, conferences and other dissemination activities have been carried out.All results, the educational tools and guides on how to become a Waterschool are available for free on the portal www.waterschools.eu, also through the SchoolEducationGateway and eTwinning.

In the Strategic Partnership „Sustainable food for kindergartens“ 8 partners from 7 countries developed an e-learning course and interactive online portal, offering learning materials and Open Educational Resources (OERs) on sustainable food in kindergartens for pedagogues, kindergarten staffs, caterers and kitchen staff.The vocational profile of and requirements for pedagogues and staffs employed in kindergartens, children crèches and schools in Germany and other countries in Europe have changed radically in the past 10-15 years. In nearly all European countries the number of hours a child stays in kindergarten is increasing. Pedagogues and kindergarten staff have to take over responsibility for a lot of new tasks among others the care for food and full board service with 2-3 meals a day. The project accomplished to enhance and complete the professional profile of kindergarten pedagogues and staffs by learning offers on sustainability of meals and food.New challenges for kindergarten staffs and manager rise for the integration of refugee children and families. The kindergarten is the place where families with young children meet and where there is a way to integrate them into the European culture through direct interaction and knowledge exchange. But to integrate families as well as children from other countries kindergarten staff has to have basic knowledge about the eating habits, the religious background and rituals. Parts of the project’s results contributed especially to these needs.Target groups were pedagogues, cooking personnel, kitchen staff and chefs in kindergartens, caterers of kindergartens, who need a specific education in sustainability and its aspects in nutrition and food system that they can transfer this knowledge to children and their parents. Another important target group were headmasters and personnel manager of kindergartens, decision makers in public administration, universities and higher schools educating (future) teachers, students and parents.The partnerships consisted of 8 partners from 7 countries - Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. The partners are institutions with experiences and competences in different areas of sustainability and education, this partnership covers a wide area within the European Union.The first results of the project are “Guidelines and a Didactic Concept for training on Sustainable food for kindergartens“ (O1). The guidelines support pedagogues and kindergarten staffs to apply the teaching materials, the e-learning course and other learning tools and OER of the portal. They are provided as PDF for download and print in all partner languages and English. The second result comprises the content for training course “Sustainable food in kindergartens” (O2) for 5 thematic modules with learning offers for pedagogues, kindergarten staffs and manager, kitchen staff and caterer. It is provided as PDF for download and print in all partner languages and English. The third result is the Online Portal „Sustainable food for kindergartens“ (IO3), available in all partner languages. It comprises a broad spectrum of interactive educational resources - the e-learning course, additional training materials, as well as interactive tools like videos, audios, photo galleries, blogs, chats, forums, assessments, working groups etc. The fourth result is the English pilot e-learning course „Sustainable food for kindergartens“ (O4). With 5 thematic modules it provides learning offers for pedagogues, kindergarten staffs and manager, kitchen staff and caterer. The course is based on learning materials and course content developed before. The course is provided at the online portal as OER and based on the Learning Management System EasyAdmin, which has been developed especially for this project.The fifth results are seven national versions of the e-learning course „Sustainable food for kindergartens“ (IO5) in all seven partner languages, shaped according to their particular national conditions, requirements and needs. It consists of 5 modules. Based on a testing with important national target groups and stakeholders and regarding evaluations revised final versions are published on national online platforms in each partner country. The sixth results comprises the Evaluation Report about the testing of the functionality of the e-learning course and online portal “Sustainable food in kindergartens” in practical application in all partner countries; and the evaluation of the results of the test. Furthermore the report includes the overall evaluation of the project, its results, transfer and dissemination, and the project management.Further results are dissemination workshops and multiplier events carried out for pedagogues, cooking personnel, kitchen staff and chefs in kindergartens, caterers of kindergartens and educational institutions and an international network established within the project.

In the Strategic Partnership “Learning place Bio-Farm” 8 partners from 7 countries developed an e-learning course and interactive online portal, offering learning materials and Open Educational Resources (OERs) for training of teachers, farmers, staff of coordinating agencies, other pedagogues and NGO staffs as “Bio-Farm Guides”. Educational farm visits provide an alternative and innovative space that enables “informal and formal learning” to take place alongside the more conventional school learning environment. Bio-Farms are ideal for teaching. Groups of children and young people can spend the day on farm in practical way. Visits on the farm are interactive workshops. Learning first-hand on a farm about the realities and challenges of food production can be an important formative experience. Farm visits are ideal practical complement to the knowledge acquired in the schools (biology, geography, economics, ecology and environmental protection, sustainability). Teachers and other pedagogues can find in farm life various links to school curricula and experience areas, to open a practical and non-cognitive access to educational subjects and issues. Attending a farm visit brings particular benefits for teachers, who educate pupils with difficulties in mainstream learning systems. Classes including children and youth with special needs (e.g. refugees, children with migrant background, and children with developmental disorders, learning disabilities or social problems) get intensive and new experience for the group apart from conventional patterns of learning and competing in classrooms. Visits on organic farms can support teachers in integrating those children and young people.A special focus in the project was laid on refugee children and families. Europe has to face the challenge to integrate a lot of refugees in the society. The “Learning place Bio-Farm” has a big potential to offer this group of people new perspectives outside their living in refugee camps. Visiting the countryside offers an inside into the European culture and nutrition behaviour. Besides this the organic farming sector is an economically growing branch that needs motivated young people to work in. Job perspectives (as an organic farmer, bakers, butchers, or shop keepers) can be explained during the farm visits not only for young European pupils but as well for refugees.Target groups were farmers, coordinating agencies, pedagogues, teachers and educational institutions, other trainers and stakeholders, NGO staffs, representatives of public administration, teachers, other educators and farm guides. The partnerships consisted of 8 partners from 7 countries – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom. The partners are institutions with experiences and competences in different areas of farm education.The first result of the project is “Guidelines and a Didactic Concept for training at the Learning Place Bio-Farm” (O1). It contains materials for the preparation and implementation of visits at the “Learning Place Bio-Farm” and instructions for the use of the e-learning course and online portal. It is provided as PDF for download and print in all partner languages and English. The second result is the English pilot e-learning course “Learning place Bio-Farm” (O2). With 6 thematic modules it trains teachers, farmers, farm education officers and coordinators how to prepare and structure farm visits and workshops. The course is based on learning materials and course content developed before and available as PDF for printing. The course is provided at the online portal as OER and based on the Learning Management System EasyAdmin, which has been developed especially for this project.The third results are seven national versions of the e-learning course for training on “Learning Place Bio-Farm” (IO3) in all six partner languages, shaped according to their particular national conditions, requirements and needs. It consists of 6 modules. The course is not only translated, but adapted to the specific backgrounds, needs and requirements in of the partner countries. Based on a testing with important national target groups and stakeholders and regarding evaluations the revised final versions are published on national online platforms in each partner country. The fourth result is the Online Portal “Learning Place Bio-Farm” (IO4), available in all partner languages. It comprises a broad spectrum of interactive educational resources - the e-learning course, additional training materials, as well as case studies and examples of educational activities that can be accessed to demonstrate good practice in outdoor learning. Further results are dissemination workshops and multiplier events carried out for farmers, coordinating agencies, pedagogues, teachers and educational institutions and an international network established within the project.

Context and Background to the ProjectThe aim of the Strategic Partnership was to develop an e-learning course and interactive online portal called “Education from Field to School”, offering learning materials and Open Educational Resources for training teachers and educators and enable them to develop food and farming learning experiences within the school. Farms and gardens provide an excellent real-world environment to teach children about food production, environmental issues and the cultural heritage of food. Our project provides the tools to take these practical learning experiences into the school and classroom. Research on school-farm cooperations have shown that farm visits are most effective if they are followed up in the classroom before and after the visit and referred back to later during primary education. Real-world learning and green spaces bring particular benefits for teachers, who educate pupils with difficulties in mainstream learning systems, and children with special needs.ObjectivesOur Field to School web-based/digital training platform (www.fieldtoschool.eu) aims to provide support for educators to acquire new skills and competences, using the theme of food to help tackle social and diversity issues; entrepreneurship education; environmental thinking and practical opportunities for disadvantaged learners. In turn, these activities will help provide softer outcomes of increased personal development and employability of educators and their pupils, and contribute to the celebration of European cultural heritage. The training gained will provide new skills to education and training professionals in both formal as well as informal educational settings.The project aimed to: - investigate the best practice Field to School examples that partner organisations are involved with - develop case study information and films to demonstrate the activities to others - share the background information required for running these farm links projects through the web-based training platform - provide open source educational resources on e-twinning and or the SEG - disseminate and promote the project in the partner countries and more widelyNumber and type of ParticipantsThe partnerships consists of eight partners from seven countries – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom. The partners are institutions with experiences and competences in different areas of school and farm education and a core group of staff with relevant experience were involved in meetings and developing the materials . A total of 21 different participants from the partners and eight participants from other organisations were involved in the transnational meetings. Over 3200 participants were involved in the wider engagement and dissemination work of the project.The project delivered the following activities:Didactic guidelinesThe benefits of Field to School activities and outline to the project e-learning portal were prepared for the guidelines section of the website, with links to all the partner organisations.Transnational meetingsRegular Transnational meetings were held throughout the project in the partner countries involved, providing an opportunity to plan and update on progress. Each meeting also included a best practice visit so that meeting participants could discover more about innovative approaches in each country. Case studiesWe investigated and showcased examples of best practice in partner countries where the farm visit connection is maintained with the school. Our case study section comprises 28 written, photographic and filmed project examples to provide the inspirational training content on the Field to School portal. ResourcesTo help enable teachers to run projects in their own schools, over 50 resource sheets and films were created on the following topic areas:Enterprise; Farming; Growing; Food; Social and Digital project ideas.Field to School portalAll the resources are on the freely accessible fieldtoschool.eu website and adapted and translated where required for use in all seven partner countries. The Project website has been uploaded to the Project Results Platform suggested content for School Education Gateway October 2020 topic of Project Based Learning.DisseminationThe partners were involved in dissemination of the work of the Field to School programme throughout the duration of the project. This included information on websites, engagement with colleagues, presentations at events and conferences, promotion to other Erasmus projects, discussions with stakeholders and social media/press contact. These are reported further in the report, together with Multiplier Events that were hosted for key stakeholders.Results and ImpactThe partners have been able to learn from each other and embed the resources into their own programmes in each country, drawing on the resources for their physical and online training delivery.

Our project seeks to inspire people to be the change they want to see. We will develop an online e-learning platform to share best practice from across the 10 partnership countries on how we can all make small changes in our lifestyles to help combat climate change and environmental damage. The project partners are a mix of environmental NGOs, universities, Vocation and Education Training (VET) bodies, and change-makers that are all engaged in finding, sharing and multiplying practical solutions to the environmental issues that face us today. Climate change and environmental issues are affecting all of us. In the face of the huge global crisis we see in the media, many people feel powerless to act and make a difference. Greta Thunberg has become the focus of an young individual trying to make a difference, and we want to harness this interest amongst children to help enable them to act. The IPCC and campaigns such as Extinction Rebellion both reflect and instil concern amongst the public, but are often directed at governmental level change, rather than the positive behavioural changes we can all make as individuals and organisations. Food is a key focus of environmental damage and climate change (food production accounts for around 25% of greenhouse gas emissions), and it is an area in which we can all play a positive role. Greta Thunberg has shown there is a huge concern amongst young people. Our project will help empower schools, together with the communities they serve, to become factors of change though more sustainable food choices and greener consumption habits. Three key objectives are:1. Sharing innovation and best practice examplesResearching and distilling the inspiring planet-friendly food projects in each country that others can learn from. Each partner has its own wealth of experience to contribute, but also a community of stakeholders that they can engage and empower. The project partners will investigate, summarise and share the best examples of planet-friendly food projects that school communities are engaged with in their own country. These may then be replicated by the partners in other countries, and promoted to a wider audience across the EU. 2. Engagement of target groupsInspire and empower our target groups to make change happen through small practical steps. The project partners have robust and close links to the target group of schools and educational institutions, and thereby to pupils, university students, parents, NGOs, local public bodies and their surrounding communities. This therefore provides the opportunity to trickle-down best practice and innovation to change-makers on the ground. This provides an opportunity to promote innovative ideas and projects in their own country, but also to inspire with ideas coming from across the nine partnership countries3. Multiplying practical solutionsUsing digital technology and networking to reach a wide audience and multiply the change. We will use digital resources to make the best practice examples easily accessible in todays digital society, creating filmed case studies and a dynamic website platform to enable easy browsing and sharing. We will create a social media platform to help disseminate the ideas more widely and share the project on the Erasmus+ project platforms. We will work with our own networks, multiplier events and dissemination activities to spread the ideas widely.People are usually willing to make small sustainable changes to their lifestyles, but often need to be shown the ideas and be inspired to take part. The growth of recycling of packaging and avoiding plastic carrier bags is an example of how people have embraced a new sustainable habit, once the concept has been embedded in society. Likewise people are buying more local food to reduce food miles; choosing organic produce for environmental and health reasons; eating less meat and more plant-based diets. The project is based on the premise that small individual changes can make a big difference when multiplied by a large number of people. Like throwing a pebble into the pond, the ripples will move out and influence a wider group of people.The content for the e-learning portal and will be easily accessible, simple to browse, and relevant to the countries involved. The best-practice resources will cover the core themes of:a) in-school projects (these may include growing healthy snacks in the school grounds for the tuck shop to reduce food miles, reducing food waste, or drinking tap-water instead of bottled/fizzy drinks to save on plastic waste)b) school-community projects (these may include grandparent gardening projects to link younger and older generations to share skills, or linking the canteen to local food producers to procure local produce)c) multiplier projects (these may be regional or national eco-school, forest school or NGO/municipality led food projects that schools can engage with to multiply their efforts)