The term Outdoor education means a great variety of pedagogical experiences characterized by active teaching that takes place outside the school and which is based on the characteristics of the territory and the social and cultural context in which the school is located. Originating and widespread in Northern European countries, in recent years Outdoor education is rapidly spreading also in Italy. It is based on principles that transform the traditional way of elaborating teaching and the relationship between children, teachers and the natural environment, without losing sight of disciplines and experiences
educational indispensable for training. A program of lessons dedicated to kindergarten children based on the principles of Outdoor education is making its debut today, May 4, in Venice.
The link with the Re-Nylon collections
At Ca ‘Corner della Regina, the Venetian headquarters of Fondazione Prada, the Prada group and the Unesco Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission presented the Kindergarten of the Lagoon-Asilo della Laguna project, in the presence of Lorenzo Bertelli, head of corporate social responsibility of the group Prada (in the photo above with Francesca Santoro from Unesco), Ana Luiza M. Thompson-Flores, director of the Unesco Regional Office in Europe, and local institutions.The initiative is part of the Sea Beyond program, led by Prada and Unesco since 2019 and aimed at promoting education to preservation of the sea and its resources; the project was officially linked, in January 2021, to the United Nations Decade of Marine Sciences for Sustainable Development. The educational program, supported by revenues from sales of the Prada Re-Nylon collection in regenerated nylon, has already reached over 300 international secondary school students worldwide.
External and internal training
From June 2021 the program has been enriched with two new activities: a training project for the more than 13,000 employees of the Prada group on a global scale and the initiative for the city of Venice, which intends to offer a program of lessons dedicated to kindergarten children. based on the principles of outdoor education.The activities will be carried out both in natural contexts (islands of the lagoon) and in urban contexts (monuments, museums). The environments will be chosen on the basis of the object of the activity (for example Lido di Venezia to understand the dynamics of the beach and Falconera Island for the fishing valleys).
The centrality of Venice
The next 27 and 28 May, the Scientific Committee of which the speakers are an active part together with other education experts, will meet in Venice to finalize the details of the program. one-day course also open to city families. Why Venice? Because with its lagoon it is an ecological unicum that has evolved over time, a dynamic transition system between land and water, characterized by cyclical fluctuations, which requires continuous “maintenance” interventions such as the excavation of canals, surrounds the city and it is an integral part of it, it helps to reconnect with nature.
From study to field experience
The Venetian schools, which can choose to join the project without any financial contribution, will be selected on the basis of their programming and interest in experimenting with outdoor education activities. Thematic lessons will be offered for groups of about 25 pupils aged between 3 and 6, during which children will be encouraged to learn through outdoor experiences.At the end of each cycle, it will be important to verify what they have learned by stimulating their creativity, for example through drawing. In addition, training courses will be held for teachers, supported by facilitators for the organization of outdoor activities. “The Prada group and the Unesco Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – explain the promoters of the” Kindergarten of the Lagoon “project – confirm their intention to create an educational program that intends to involve a plurality of subjects, to ensure that the School is part active part of the Community “.