OUR STORY

What makes OTTER unique

Sitting down in a classroom while your teacher is speaking is not the only way to learn. And probably not even the best one.

Real learning happens by doing real things, not only by reading the theory in a textbook.

Learning outside the classroom is about teaching and learning in different settings and environments. With the right educator, museums and heritage sites, adventure camps, streets and towns, farms and zoos can inspire and foster a new set of skills amongst students.

This methodology is incredibly effective, there are many studies and testimonials to prove it but it is not officially standardised, or accredited, across the EU.

With OTTER, an EU project, we aim to make Education Outside the Classroom more popular. And, together with passionate educators, we hope for students to improve their scientific knowledge, get closer to STEAM subjects and become better citizens.

How?

We set up focus groups, meetings and discussions with educators and scientists in Finland (i.e. Harjuniitty school in Nokia, and in Atala school in Tampere), Spain (i.e. Mare de Deu de Montserrat and Institut Moisès Broggi, Barcelona), Hungary (i.e. KRK Szilády Áron School, Kiskunhalas; Szamóca Gardening School, Budapest; Green Bridge Foundation, Pécs; Farkaskölyök Youth Association, Budapest), Ireland (St. Flannan’s College, Ennis; Coláiste Nano Nagle and Scoil Ide, Limerick) and in the Netherlands (ScienceLinX, Groningen).

Together, we will discuss methods, exchange ideas and good practices that can help us co-design new Education Outside the Classroom experiences. This information will be transformed into toolkits and guidelines practitioners will use in the Outdoor Labs. Finally, we will compare students who received formal vs informal education and analyse the results.