Learning by Doing: Job- Shadowing Other Realities

Europe is a continent formed by urban and rural areas. Rural areas tend to disappear overtime and only few young people are willing to stay and work in agriculture and stockbreeding. However, living in a rural area gives the citizens the opportunity to be close to nature in general. This involves being more acquainted with agricultural work and stockbreeding since families of the area may live on them. At the same time students in rural areas are often isolated and is difficult for them to have access to varied educative and cultural opportunities . With this context, young people usually feel unmotivated and willing to abandon their hometowns and family businesses. Rural areas need active, participative , committed and innovative youth who add value to the community and guarantee a long-term future to these areas.Our project aims at:a) Raising values such as entrepreneurship, teamwork ,peer cooperation and cooperative learning, which are crucial for the future of rural areas and to raise employability among young people.b)Appreciating the environment and quality of life of rural areas and add value to the traditional sectors in which they can make a living on. c) Getting exposed to new, innovative work methods and put them into practice as well as commiting themselves to enviromentally-friendly practices This project embraces the philosophy of learning by doing by job shadowing other work practices related to agriculture,stockbreeding and gardening.In this methology learning is relevant and practical, and encourages active learning, hands-on projects and cooperation between students from rural communities facing similar challenges. Three different countries -Spain, Greece and Portugal- will take part in this project and twenty-one students of basic vocational training in gardening and agriculture and stockbreeding vocational formation will have the opportunity to know other work practices in Europe by different exchanges among these three countries. These exchanges will happen after a deep work on the matter we are dealing: Rural abandonment and ways to battle it.These international experiences will definitely broaden their horizons. Students will get inspired and motivated by other practices and shared knowledge and therefore will definitely make an impact on their community, supporting the future of these areas and fighting isolation through international networks and collaboration.We believe that the world is interconnected and this way, students can witness other realities, learn together, take example of other good practices, take action and transmit their knowledge to the rest of the world.