Green Learning Environments – Taking advantage of the stimulants in green environments for non-formal learning with children with mental disabilities and learning disorders

This project taps into the stimulants provided by green environments for facilitating non-formal learning. We collected and peer reviewed good practices that use parks, nature and woods as green learning environments, and more specific for the target group of children between 8 and 14 years with mental and/or mixed impairments and/or learning disorders. Research suggests this target group takes even more advantage of the green environment for non-formal learning and basic and transversal skill development. The aims of the project are (1) to increase the awareness on the stimulants in nature to facilitate non-formal learning, (2) to collect and review existing practices for non-formal learning in Green Learning Environments with the target group, and (3) to develop, test and disseminate a toolbox.Our multinational, interdisciplinary project team comprises four green partners experienced in education in green areas, and six specialised schools for children with special needs, from Slovenia, the UK and Belgium. The project involved children with special needs from 6 schools, and the staff members from these schools. Through exchanging and peer reviewing existing practices within the participating organisations and other organisations within and beyond the project countries, we have built an interactive and searchable database of and report on good practices for Green Learning Environments. Based on this review, we further developed 18 educational materials, methods and tools that are included in the Green Learning Environments Toolbox. The joint work on the Good Practices Database & Report and the Green Learning Environments Toolbox has led to joint capacity building with the project partners. Finally, we have compiled a Policy Brief, stating the advantages of Green Learning Environments for children in general and our target group more specific. The Policy Brief also includes a summary of the project and will introduce the materials and outputs developed.The projects results are further disseminated through a number of concluding seminars in each of the participating countries. The high number of participants is a good indicator of the level interest in this topic by local practitioners. In total, about 300 people participated who also experienced the activities hands on. The Policy Brief has been sent out to relevant local, regional, national and European administrations, authorities, expert networks, umbrella organisations, politicians and policy-makers. Apart from the results during the project, we aim at leaving a legacy trough the Green Learning Environments Toolbox, which will be widely promoted and will be freely available online, also after the end of the project, and trough the Policy Brief. We are assured that the project will lead to an increased awareness on the advantages of green areas for formal and non-formal learning. We are assured the Toolbox will stimulate schools and organisations to go outdoors for learning, leading to increased learning outcomes, and eventually to a better inclusion of the target group in society.