THE PROJECT
Widespread School
outside the classroom
It is a European project funded by the Erasmus+ programme – KA220 Action. Led by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia in Italy, it involves seven partners with diverse skills in the school and educational sector.
Three partners from Italy: Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Reggio Children Foundation and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; one partner from Croatia: City of Zadar; one partner from Finland: Saunalahti School; and two partners from Spain: Carme Auguet School and University of Girona.
This project stems from the experience of “Scuola Diffusa”, which originated in Reggio Emilia during the Covid-19 pandemic as an emergency solution to promote the resumption of in-person teaching during the health crisis.
Drawing inspiration from Scuola Diffusa’s experience, the project aims to revolutionize teaching methods beyond traditional classrooms by promoting the integration of the Education Outside the Classroom (EOC) approach within partners’ educational contexts, considering communities as valuable educational resources, and enriching school systems. Primary goals include enhancing the quality of primary and lower secondary education, reinforcing teachers’ competencies, and positively impacting students by fostering key skills such as critical thinking and creativity.
What is WIDESPREAD EDUCATION?
It is a pedagogical approach that engages primary and secondary schools in developing curricular objectives in cooperation with other organizations and actors outside the school. This approach focuses on contextualized, real, and authentic issues and questions that matter to students and communities. By co-researching, co-designing, and co-teaching, it bridges formal, non-formal, and informal learning environments, connecting learning experiences both in and out of school.
Widespread School is characterized by:
- The outdoor visit is not sporadic, but occurs over several days (minimum 1 week).
- The collaboration among formal, non-formal and/or informal agents is sustained over time.
- Learning environment is considered a “community funds of knowledge and identity”, that is, a “contextualized board” to extend and link the schooling practices and empower collective/shared identities.
- Learning environment planning is an integral part of instructional co-design.
- Learning objectives are chosen considering both learners’ curricular needs, interests, motivations and inquiries and the potential that the space and the skills of the agents involved can bring to reach them.
- Multiple actors co-design and are present together during the teaching action to support active student learning.
- Learners become co-researchers of issues and questions that matter to them and communities.
- Some kind of involvement and support from local government (i.e., municipality) are provided.
