Digital Food Education aims to enable teachers to access online training and support in delivering food education in a post-Covid digital arena. Following the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, lockdown and social distancing measures, our project partners in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia and the UK have had to respond quickly to the change to new digital approaches, and offer support to schools and teachers in this transition. Coronavirus has prevented physical training courses from taking place and we have the challenge of redesigning training systems to meet the sudden shift to online training and distance learning. There is increased demand to meet the needs of teachers and stakeholders, supporting them to develop digital competences and access inclusive online and blended learning. Although we were already noticing a greater interest in online training, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for the digital transformation of our training systems. As education and training organisations, we are keen to work together transnationally to develop digital tools for food education training. Our project aims to:1. Support teachers in adapting to online training and educationProviding support and activities for learners, teachers and trainers in adapting to online/ distance learning. For many teachers and trainers it has been difficult to adjust to working online, and we are keen to improve their competence with engaging and user-friendly digital options for gaining the learning support and training they require. We aim to give useful advice on how to best use the technology available; top-tips on digital platform etiquette, how to create user-generated films and social media content, together with templates and best practice examples of webinars and online lessons.2. Provide digital food education training resourcesDeveloping blended training, learning and teaching activities using digital tools and methods to deliver quality and inclusive food education through online/virtual means. We envisage this being a combination of online-training modules, webinars, podcasts, films and 121 sessions to offer teachers the support this need. A personal approach is most effective, so virtual conference calls sessions can replace a visit to the school, and then lead to online training platforms for more in-depth training and resources3. Demonstrate innovation and best practiceWe will develop and signpost activities to help teachers understand how best to incorporate digital online technology into subject-specific teaching, training and learning. This will include demonstrating good practice case studies in using digital technology for student learning in class - for example a virtual farm visit via FaceTiming a farmer, or virtual cookalong sessions to help with food education sessions.Our Digital Food Education training portal will be an open educational resource, enabling schools with partner networks, participating countries and more widely within the EU access online training and learning resources in food education.

BackgroundThe AWARE Project targets the improvement of animal welfare in organic livestock husbandry. Organic animal production aims to deliver excellent animal welfare, while independent annual inspection and certification aims to confirm this and to provide a guarantee on a ‘good life’ of farm animals, meeting the high expectations of consumers buying organic animal products. Any failure in the delivery of the aspect of animal welfare risks undermining of the reputation of organic production as well as inspection and certification throughout the EU. The legally defined standards for delivering welfare were interpreted in the past in a resource oriented way, including e.g. space per animal in housing, type of housing, and type of feed. The exclusive use of resource related criteria is becoming outdated, as experience and recent scientific knowledge indicate insufficiency of this approach alone. An innovative and scientifically informed evaluation of the animals in order to determine their ‘welfare outcomes’ is more meaningful in underpinning the inspection process and aiding communication of any deficiencies to farmers in a way that they can understand and act upon.Number and profile of participating organisationsThe six organisations which participated in the AWARE project delivered specialist knowledge on the inspection and certification of organic livestock farms, being competent and highly qualified in animal welfare inspections. These organisations included three organic control bodies, namely Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz mbH (Germany), CCPB srl (Italy), and Agro Bio Test sp. z o. o. (Poland), further project partners were leading organic farmers associations with a high competence in animal welfare inspections (Soil Association (UK), Naturland e.V. (Germany)). The Georg-August-University of Göttingen (Germany) brought learning and teaching competence to the project.Objectives and undertaken main activitiesThe inspection of ‘welfare outcomes’ is an emerging approach that the partners pursued in their own standards and inspection systems. The AWARE project included the interconnection of these pioneering organisations, to share experiences, evaluate the preceding work and to develop a common and coherent concept on organic animal welfare inspections. After agreement on a concept of common animal-related criteria, an accessible training and learning package was created with the support of a University and made available to other organisations, being easy to disseminate to support an optimum training approach. The concept added to the widely accepted inspection toolkit that has been successfully initiated under a previous project by the lead partner organisation GfRS.Methodology, project management and quality assuranceThe Project coordinated a stepwise approach to the activities as well as ensuring proactive dissemination through multiple platforms, including seminars, specialist media, and the internet for communication of the project outputs. The work of the partners was facilitated by Skype meetings, face-to-face meetings and training activities. The approach to welfare assessment was tested and evaluated on farms over the different farming systems associated with the diverse geographical locations of the partners, therefore producing robust output that is widely relevant and applicable throughout the EU. The implementation of the AWARE concept was supported by a quality management component which included ongoing evaluation of the project implementation. Results, impact, and long term benefitsThe project outcomes allow consistent improvement of the performance in organic animal welfare inspections, using a harmonised robust approach to its assessment. It benefits the individuals involved, their organisations, the organic farmers and the wider organic sector that now has access to the high quality learning and training materials. Thus, a positive and lasting impact on the welfare of thousands of farmed animals throughout the EU is expected.

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.

“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.