By Daniele Pagani
As you may recall from some of the previous newsletters, Folkecenter is leading a project called POEASE – Promote Online Education for Agriculture in a Sustainable Environment. The goal, as the name suggests, is to provide agricultural VET[1] schools with tools which can help them facing modern challenges – both in terms of digitalization and of access to new knowledge.
During these months we conducted a number of digital meetings, where we discussed the key aspects of the project but, as you may imagine, not everything can be done exclusively online! An important part of the project activity was also to meet in presence with the whole partnership; this has two functions: first, to being able to solve any challenge which cannot – or which is more difficult to – solve in a pure digital environment. By meeting in person, we had the chance to exchange our views, solve problems and discuss the following steps of the project.
However, there is also a second reason, which, being this an Erasmus+ financed project, is crucial: interaction. The EU wants people to meet also in person, because that is the way to bind together and to establish solid relationships….and so it was.
We really saw a huge benefit in getting together in the two appointments we had during these months: the first taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece (14-15 June) and the second one few days ago, in Pamplona, Spain (8-9 November). During both, besides the usual project work, we also had the chance to visit the facilities of the hosting agricultural organizations and, in Pamplona, also the premises of an agricultural VET school. On top of that, in both occasions we had the opportunity to present the project to our target audience, during a public session and, most important, to get good feedbacks that we will now use to further develop the project.
During the meeting in Pamplona we also presented the prototype of what will the educational modules that we need to develop look like; the audience was quite positive about that, which gives us the hope that we are progressing on the right path.
Those who would like to stay updated on the project can mark their interest here.
[1] VET = Vocational Education and Training
