24/10/2023
[Gathering Project GLOW in Portugal]
On October 21st, the national event of the GLOW Project took place, presented by Carla Gonçalves, project coordinator in Portugal. The Gathering "Dialogues for the Development of Outdoor Educational Paths" brought together educators, teachers, local decision-makers, enthusiasts, and experts in the field of outdoor education. The event was graced by the presence of the Councilwoman of the Municipality of Coimbra, Ana Cortez Vaz, who opened the session with an inspiring speech on the promotion of outdoor educational practices.
The first panel discussion was moderated by the Regional Delegate of Education for the Central Region at the Directorate-General of School Establishments, Cristina Oliveira. Titled "The School is Also Out There," the discussion involved the Directors of three School Clusters in Coimbra, Nuno Dias, José Marcelino, and António Couceiro, who deliberated on the existing practices and the paths to be taken.
The second panel discussion, titled "We Are All the School," was moderated by Professor Marlene Migueis from the University of Aveiro. The panel featured two public elementary school teachers, Ana Oliveira and Graça Marcos, an ambassador for the GLOW Project in Portugal, Sílvia Martins, and a parent representing a child who had experienced the GLOW Project, Sónia Pires. It was evident that all participants recognized the importance of a broad educational team, which includes school leaders, teaching and non-teaching staff, families, and the local community, in promoting outdoor education.
The event also included a presentation of the GLOW Project and its implementation in Portugal by one of the national coordinators, Isabel Duque. This project was applauded and seen as a potential solution for expanding outdoor educational practices in our city. The symposium concluded with remarks from Emília Bigotte de Almeida, President of the CASPAE Board, and Cristina Agreira, Secretary of the Parish of Santo António dos Olivais. These contributions highlighted the commitment of local management bodies to actively participate in projects that encourage children to explore beyond the classroom.
CASPAE extends its gratitude to all the participants and attendees, as this was a significant moment for outdoor education in our city. Thank you very much to everyone!
ℹ The symposium "Dialogues for the Development of Outdoor Educational Paths" was organized by CASPAE as part of the GLOW Project, with the support of ISEC and Águas de Coimbra.
ℹ️ The GLOW Project is developed by the Danish Nature Approach (Denmark); Frederick University Cyprus and Το Σχολείο του Δάσους (Cyprus); Eco - Logic (Republic of North Macedonia); Synthesis Center for Research and Education (Cyprus); CASPAE (Portugal); Strom života (Slovakia) and Sølvstuffen barnehage (Norway), within the framework of Erasmus+ (Erasmus plus).