Living Lab Nature Inclusive Education

On Oct 30th, a fruitful kick-off event took place with plenty enthusiasm, good questions, many ideas and meaningful discussion. Stakeholders were present from departments such as Society Based Education, Teaching and Learning Centre, the RegNL project and several students and teachers.

We discussed the meaning of nature inclusive learning for higher education, explored what is already taking place and themes or actions to work on within the Living Lab.

Several clusters emerged:

In/Outdoor learning spaces: how we arrange learning spaces on and beyond campus to create more possibilities for NiE? Concrete ideas are to create a nature walk, map or create outdoor learning spaces, bring nature more indoors.

Food culture and community building at WUR: how to connect people through food to the landscape and each other? Concrete ideas were locally connected catering, yearly harvest festival, students harvesting their food from the food forest, other local spaces, link to loneliness and wellbeing

Voice for nature: how can nature become a voice in educational and managerial processes at WUR? Nature as commissioner, stakeholder or voice in courses/policy making/meetings

Teaching support: how can teachers be supported with NiE? Link to skills program, society-based education, teacher training and manual, community of practice, peer learning.

New learning arrangements/curriculum: What could be new learning arrangements to foster NiE? Community service learning (in many countries this is part of education), adventure club, food forest course, year long course for developing connection to nature (lint vak), MOS module Nature Based Thinking.

Research on NIE: how can we research the effect of NiE on staff and students? What is the understanding of and wish for NiE at WUR?

These clusters/potential working groups will be presented and elaborated further in the follow up event on January 21st from 9 till 12.30. This is a good moment to join an initiative or present new ideas for the living lab. We will send you a calendar invite separately.

We are working towards the next Nature Inclusive Education symposium on April 15! Save the date!

In addition, we have created a Teams channel to share materials with each other Living Lab NiE WUR | Living Lab members - shared chanel | Microsoft Teams

And an intranet page has been created on Nature Inclusive Education Groep - Intranet WUR

You can still register for the 2nd Onboarding for the Teacher Training in NiE in January:Educational Staff Development Courses

We will also be present to explore NiE in one upcoming event: Teacher day 10 dec.

Hope to see you at one of these activities!

Louise van der Stok and Lian Kasper