Co-ILE, Xylophaghou (2026)

20/07/2026

✨ Another important milestone for the Co-ILE project!

The pilot implementation phase has now been successfully completed in the participating primary schools across Cyprus, Italy, Latvia and Spain, while implementation is still underway in Australia. 🌏

As we move into the next stage of the project, our teams are analysing the pre- and post-implementation data collected from teachers, headteachers and students.

📊This analysis will help us better understand the impact of the pilot implementation across different educational contexts and will contribute to the development of a cross-country impact assessment study and practice report, supporting future initiatives for more innovative, inclusive and effective learning environments.

27/05/2026

✨ From Seed to Space - Building a Learning Environment Together

Over the past few months, teachers across six schools in Latvia have been exploring how to reshape their learning environments, both in theory and in practice.
As part of the CO-ILE project, educators dived into the principles of co-designing spaces that inspire creativity, collaboration and meaningful learning spaces where every student feels seen, valued and included. At Garkalne Arts and General Education Primary School, something truly special happened students and teachers joined forces to co-design collaborative spaces together. From the very start, the process was built on inclusion: every voice mattered, every idea had a place, and every student had a role to play.
And it all started even earlier than the building. In February, seeds were sown and the school's inner courtyard became a makeshift winter greenhouse nurturing the first signs of life through the cold months. By April, everything had grown beautifully and was ready to be planted out flowers and herbs finding their new home in the pallet planter boxes.

At the heart of this project was a simple but powerful idea: give materials a second life. Pallets, fabric scraps for cushions, old tyres nothing new, nothing wasted. Through hands-on making, students didn't just build furniture; they discovered sustainable thinking in the most tangible way possible.

Students were invited to join a community workday building outdoor pallet furniture from scratch. Parents donated and delivered the pallets, and the whole school community came together to sand, saw, oil, nail and create. A shared project, a shared space belonging to everyone.

A group of girls from the school headed straight to the sewing workshop, where they stitched cushions from fabric offcuts and stuffed them with leftover materials from art classes. Nothing wasted, everything transformed and every pair of hands part of the story.

💡 This new space is more than just a place to sit, it is both a learning environment and a symbol of participation. Because truly inclusive, sustainable learning spaces aren't built for students they're built with them.
The result is a new, innovative learning environment, an outdoor space for creative expression, skill-building, lessons and leisure. But more than that, it is a symbol of participation: proof that when students help shape their environment, they don't just use the space they belong to it.

👉 Learn more about the CO-ILE project: ucy.ac.cy/co-ile

30/03/2026

Take action with the Action Plans 🏫✨

In Italian primary schools involved in the Co-ILE Erasmus+ Project, the work has now moved into a hands-on and transformative phase.

Teachers and students are actively collaborating in the implementation of Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs), bringing to life the spaces co-designed during the training activities.

These images capture not only the physical transformation of school environments, but also the emergence of new ways of learning, more inclusive, participatory, and student-centered.

A meaningful step forward, where research meets practice and classrooms evolve into dynamic learning ecosystems. 🌱

Dipartimento di Architettura e Studi Urbani - Politecnico di Milano

30/03/2026

From training to local impact 🎓

After the Train the Trainer Program, the Italian team has now moved into the next phase of the Co-ILE Erasmus+ Project: the implementation phase.
Across the schools involved in the pilot project, trained teachers are now leading in-person training sessions, sharing the Co-ILE approach with their colleagues and fostering an innovative learning culture within their institutions.

This phase represents a crucial step in scaling up the project’s impact, transforming shared knowledge into concrete educational practices.

Dipartimento di Architettura e Studi Urbani - Politecnico di Milano

11/03/2026

Co-ILE reaches Australia

We are delighted to officially begin implementing the Co-Designing Innovative Learning Environments (Co-ILE) program with Australian educators.

Led by the Australian team at the University of Melbourne, the workshop marked an inspiring start—filled with thoughtful reflections, shared insights, and lively discussions among educators about the role of learning environments in supporting teaching and learning.

Teachers and school leaders explored how learning spaces—both inside and beyond the classroom—can be intentionally designed and used to support quality, equity, and inclusion in primary education. The session also sparked rich conversations about how spatial design and pedagogy can work together to support innovative practice in schools.

This is just the beginning of the journey. Over the coming months, participating educators will collaborate, experiment, and reflect on how learning environments can be activated to better support students and teachers.

We look forward to seeing the ideas and innovations that will emerge as the Co-ILE community grows across Australian schools.

13/02/2026

Our school visits across Cyprus continue, and we are happy to share moments from different school communities.

📸 From Geri B’ Primary School, we share a photo of the school’s outdoor space, highlighting how the environment supports students’ everyday experiences.

📚 At Pano Deftera Primary School, initiatives focus on promoting reading for pleasure and encouraging students to read both during lessons and in their free time, along with activities organised during the “enjoyable break time”.

✏️ At Makedonitissa A’ Primary School, games for all grade levels take place during the “enjoyable break”, creating opportunities for participation, interaction, and positive school experiences. The school also encourages engagement with the traditional “argaleios” (loom), which students build themselves and use for weaving, connecting hands-on learning with local cultural heritage and creativity.

All actions aim to promote equity, inclusion, and acceptance, while contributing to the creation of innovative learning environments for all learners.

04/02/2026

This month, we officially kicked off our school visits in Cyprus as part of our project, supporting teachers in designing inclusive and innovative learning environments (ILEs) that promote quality and equity for all learners.

Through these visits, we have the opportunity to see how schools are transforming their indoor and outdoor spaces based on our guidance, as well as the actions they are implementing within their school communities.

📍The photos shared here are from Xylofagou A’ Primary School, located in the village of Xylofagou in the Larnaca District of southeastern Cyprus. Xylofagou is a thriving rural community close to the coast between Larnaca and the popular Ayia Napa area, known for its fertile red soil, agricultural heritage, and picturesque surroundings.🗺️

It is inspiring to see how thoughtful design and collaborative efforts are creating spaces that support inclusion, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences. 🎨✏️

We look forward to continuing our visits and sharing more examples of how schools across Cyprus are reimagining their learning spaces in practice.

01/12/2025

Knowledge Multiplies: The training travels beyond Milan!

A few weeks ago, our team of teachers returned from Milan brimming with new ideas after participating in the “Train the Trainer” program. The program brought together primary school teachers from Cyprus, Spain, Latvia, and Italy. But the journey didn't end there—it was just beginning!

We are already seeing results: our trainer-teachers have begun replicating and adapting this training in their own schools. By sharing what they learned, we are ensuring that the training:
- Transcends borders and reaches more classrooms and students.
- Generates a real and lasting impact by creating a robust network of knowledge.
- Engages a broader community, collectively driving educational innovation.

In the first and second modules of the training, teachers explored what learning environments can encompass beyond traditional classrooms. They reflected on how education also takes place in corridors, playgrounds, libraries, community spaces, and in nature. Working with natural settings is already part of the daily routine for many of our partners, who integrate outdoor learning as a powerful tool to foster curiosity, autonomy, and meaningful connections with the world around them.

The journey continues, and we are thrilled to have more and more people join us!

Co-ILE

01/11/2025

Looking Ahead: from Training to Practice 🚀

The third and final day of the Train the Trainer Program marked an important milestone for the Co-ILE Project.
The Cypriot team presented Module 5: Formative Cycle of Assessment to Reflect on ILE, providing valuable tools for continuous reflection and improvement. They also shared a comprehensive guideline to help teachers implement the Co-ILE model in their own schools.

This moment officially launches the next phase of our journey, as trained teachers return to their countries to share their learning locally and inspire the creation of innovative, inclusive learning environments across Europe and Australia.

A heartfelt thank you to all teams and participants for their energy, collaboration, and commitment!

01/11/2025

Collaboration in Action! 🤝

The second day of our Train the Trainer Program focused on co-creation and inclusion within Innovative Learning Environments.

The Italian team guided participants through Module 3, during which teachers worked in groups, co-designing learning spaces and experimenting with collaborative design methods.
The Latvian team continued with Module 4: Use of ILE practices to promote quality, equity and inclusion, exploring strategies to ensure that ILEs foster meaningful and inclusive learning experiences for all students.

A vibrant exchange of ideas, creativity, and teamwork! 💡

Co-ILE

20/07/2026

27/05/2026

30/03/2026

30/03/2026

11/03/2026

13/02/2026

04/02/2026

01/12/2025

01/11/2025

01/11/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request