Soil + Education = time for emancipating our undergrounds

A brand-new pan-European initiative has been launched at the cross-roads of education and soil. The ultimate aim is to embed soil health in all education levels throughout Europe. ESHA is also involved in the project CURIOSOIL, managed by Portugal’s University of Aveiro.

Help needed in 20 countries

The first step of the project is the assessment of all education levels in twenty countries as to what extent soil health knowledge is integrated in curricula and each country’s education policy. All really means all here: pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, tertiary BS/MS, post-tertiary and life-long learning. No matter the format. Voluntary or obligatory. Fragmented or well-balanced. Theoretical or tacit. Are you still here? Good, because it’s too much work for ESHA and our handful of partners alone, so here is where you come in.

We expect soil health knowledge only to be fragmentarily embedded in Europe’s curricula – if present at all. Please help us get this a bit more precise. Soil expert or not, you may have some experience with soil health education – or with the absence of it.

About fifteen Q’s per country

To guide you a bit, ESHA has written a list of questions for each country to answer:

• How does your country educate at all?

• How does it educate soil health (if it does)?

• What’s the soil awareness per education type?

• Is soil awareness scattered across disciplines or balancing perspectives?

• Are soil theory and experience two worlds apart or well-connected?

• Do soil education objectives match budgets, methods, course materials and whatever else it takes to teach?

• Are there historic landmarks in soil health awareness in your country?

• Is soil education adapted to geography?

• Are courses/modules targeting stakeholders?  

• What’s the level of dynamics?

• A near stand-still? Developing gradually? Rapid change? Chaos?

• What is foreseen for the near future?

• What attitude would you expect the moment soil health education is intensified?

• Do or do you not expect a willingness to adapt the educational routines?

• Do you expect an easy adoption? Resistance?

The countries to be assessed are Spain, Italy, Croatia, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Norway, Portugal, Swiss, Slovenia, Denmark, France, Romania, Ukraine, and Finland.

The need to return to healthy soils again

So why is soil suddenly that important? According to the experts, soil health has been neglected for too long, resulting in a range of sustainability problems today. Biodiversity – did you know life in healthy undergrounds ought to be a magnitude richer than above? Hydrology. Erosion. Fertility. You name it. Since the chemical revolution in the 18th century, mankind has thought to be master of the undergrounds and throughout Europe that has resulted something anything but sustainable.

You can check the project Curiosoil’s website here. You can check our questions for your country here. You can ask for help concerning this topic at harry.teriele@esha.org or puck.deboer@esha.org

How can you contribute?

We are happy with whatever input you can give us. Be it in the form of a one-on-one conversation, some text and explanation that you write directly into our research document, or some articles and other sources that you send over via e-mail. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about your potential contribution.

No time – no future

We know you don’t have time for this. We know you think you are not an expert in this. Still, we ask for your help. Because it is time to fill a gap. It is time to return to healthy soils. Thanks for any sign of co-operation.

Harry te Riele / Puck de Boer

In the dynamic landscape of education, one steadfast principle stands out: the significance of diversity. As leaders within our educational institutions, we must acknowledge this importance and actively foster inclusive environments where every student feels acknowledged, valued, and empowered.

Leadership in diversity extends beyond mere recognition; it entails a proactive effort to understand and celebrate differences. We must create spaces where diverse perspectives are welcomed and integrated into our decision-making processes. Extensive research consistently highlights the benefits of diverse classrooms and staff, emphasising the correlation between enriched learning experiences and improved student outcomes.

Professional Development Programme

In light of this imperative, we are thrilled to introduce our new professional development programme, created in the framework of the Leadership for Diversity project, tailored specifically to address leadership and diversity in education. This programme is meticulously crafted to equip school leaders with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to foster inclusive learning environments where every student can flourish.

Through a blend of workshops, seminars, and hands-on activities, participants will embark on a journey to:

• Delve into the significance of diversity in education and its profound impact on student success;

• Acquire strategies for nurturing inclusivity and equity within their respective schools;

• Obtain practical tools for confronting bias and promoting cultural competence among staff and students;

• Engage in collaborative exercises with peers to develop actionable plans for implementing diversity initiatives within their school communities.

We firmly believe that investing in the professional development of school leaders is paramount to effecting enduring change within our education system. By arming leaders with the requisite skills and knowledge, we can collaboratively cultivate more inclusive schools where every student is allowed to realize their full potential.

Upcoming E-Hub

Moreover, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming launch of our e-hub – a centralised online platform poised to serve as a nexus for school leaders across Europe. This platform will offer many resources, facilitating the exchange of best practices and fostering connections among like-minded professionals dedicated to the cause of inclusive education.

The e-hub will feature the following in English, Spanish, Dutch, Greek and French:

• A comprehensive repository comprising articles, case studies, and research papers elucidating the intersection of leadership and diversity in education;

• Discussion forums providing a platform for school leaders to engage in dialogue, to seek expert guidance, and to share insights gleaned from their experiences.

We firmly believe that the e-hub will emerge as an invaluable resource, enabling school leaders to deepen their understanding of diversity while forging meaningful connections with peers committed to inclusive education.

As school leaders, we possess a distinctive opportunity – and obligation – to lead by example and cultivate learning environments where diversity is embraced and celebrated. By prioritising our professional development and leveraging resources such as our new programme and upcoming e-hub, we can collectively forge a path towards more inclusive schools and lay the foundation for a brighter future for all students.

Stay tuned for the launch of the e-Hub in June via http://leadershipfordiversity.eu.

Are you ready to take your leadership and diversity skills to the next level? The much-anticipated Leadership for Diversity Handbook for Professional Development is now available!

This comprehensive guide offers a wealth of exercises and resources to support leaders in education in their journey to become more effective and impactful, including:

1. Recognise the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion

2. Understand Key Terms and Concepts

3. Identify and Address Biases and Stereotypes

4. Develop Inclusion Strategies

5. The handbook is available on leadershipfordiversity.eu in English, Spanish, French, Greek and Dutch.

More Leadership for Diversity

Have you been enthusiastic about leadership for diversity before and would you like to contribute to the final development phase of the project? An e-hub has been developed and we will organise a usability workshop in September. Would you be interested in partaking in this? Reach out to Myrthe Stienstra (myrthe.stienstra@esha.org).

Have you already discovered our ESHA Academy Podcasts? Obtain new leadership insights from school leaders across Europe while enjoying your morning coffee, commuting to work, or doing the dishes. We have 20-minute podcasts on a variety of topics, all centred around everyday leadership questions.

This month’s recommendations:

Inclusivity in education
Stig Johannessen, president of the Norwegian school head organization and Vasileios Kotoulas from the Greek organization Educom+, are addressing basic questions regarding education of children with disabilities.

Collaborating with parents
Leendert-Jan Veldhuyzen, executive board member of Stichting Kolom in Amsterdam, and Leezan van Wijk, school head of Marnix Gymnasium in Rotterdam, discuss the collaboration between parents and teachers. How can you as a school leader also empower your teachers to cooperate with parents?

Ensuring children’s agency in schools
Luca László, education consultant, and Petra van Haren, director of ESHA, share their thoughts on determining the ‘right amount of risk’ in facilitating children’s agency. How can you encourage and enable your school staff to help children express their opinions and practice their decision-making rights?

It was a distinguished honor to partake in the illustrious World Education Forum Bulgaria's master class entitled "Leaders Who Make a Difference" held at the opulent Hotel Imperial in the historic city of Plovdiv on March 28th, coinciding with the prestigious 10th anniversary of WEF Bulgaria. This extraordinary event was adorned with three captivating keynote addresses and expert panel discussions, each meticulously crafted around its thematic core.

Dr. Maria Gaydarova, the visionary founder of the forum and Head Teacher of Raina Kniaginia school, set the tone with her enlightening discourse titled "Digitization in Secondary Schools: Challenges and Solutions." In her presentation, she eloquently illuminated the profound impacts of globalization and artificial intelligence, underscoring the imperative of discerning misinformation in today's digital milieu. Dr. Gaydarova also offered invaluable insights into WEF Bulgaria's involvement in transformative initiatives such as Open Schools for Open Society project and the value of ESHA membership. Her visionary proposals regarding the integration of Adaptive Learning Platforms, VR/AR Technology, and AI-Powered Educational Assistants ignited a spirited exchange among the distinguished panelists, skillfully moderated by Dr. Irena Dushkova.

(https://www.openschools.eu).

Panel: Asen Alexandrov, Dimitar Asenov and Vihra Eramyan

Innovations on a Journey to a Successful School

My presentation, titled "Innovations on a Journey to a Successful School," unveiled a compelling narrative championing innovative pedagogical methodologies and visionary leadership in educational advancement. Delving into the pivotal role of ESHA in fostering global collaboration and knowledge exchange, the discourse highlighted the transformative EU-funded projects led by ESHA or in which it plays a pivotal role. Dr. Eleonora Lilova orchestrated a thought-provoking discussion among the expert panel of Prof. Manol Manolov, Mariyana Velikova, and Irena Kotseva.

Open educational paradigms

Richard Tallaron from LFEE Europe gave a dynamic presentation on the 21st-century skills indispensable for navigating the ever-evolving global landscape. Stressing the importance of effective communication, logistical prowess, and international collaboration epitomized by programs like Erasmus exchanges. The ensuing panel discussion, expertly moderated by Dr. Vanya Kastreva, delved into nuanced topics such as soft skills cultivation, digital literacy promotion, and the imperative of lifelong learning and adaptability in modern education systems. The dialogue artfully underscored the transformative shift from closed to open educational paradigms, emphasizing the indispensable role of emotional intelligence and resilience.

Panel: Prof. Dr. Siika Chavdarova-Kostova, Prof. Dr. Dora Levterova, Antoaneta Hristova

Dr. Maria Gaydarova's illuminating interview on Bulgarian television served as a poignant epilogue to the master class, offering further elucidation on the rich discourse and profound insights generated during the event. It affirmed the imperative of embracing innovation and fostering collaborative partnerships to effectively address the multifaceted challenges confronting education in the digital era.

Link to Dr. Maria Gaydarova's TV interview: https://dox.abv.bg/download?id=5232e55008

Paul Byrne

On April 23rd, the Educational Leadership Network Europe (ELNE) hosted a very successful first annual conference in Brussels at Les Ateliers des Tanneurs. ESHA participated as one of the five lead partners of the Network to represent European school leaders.

The programme was designed to deepen our understanding of collaborative leadership, and the organisers were thrilled to see how the attendees embraced this concept. Each participant brought with them a collaborative leadership token, an object that symbolizes their personal journey and growth in understanding collaborative leadership. Attendees shared newspaper cutouts, parsnip seeds, and even a song!

In addition to the hands-on activities, the participants had the chance to listen to School Head Jan Peeters' engaging presentation about the family culture at his open-air school in Belgium.

One of the conference's goals was to work towards policy that supports the developments in practice, embracing sustainability and recognising practices that have proven to work.

The ELNE network will start its second year of work in June 2024 with a kickoff meeting in Brussels.

Stay up to date on the work of the network by subscribing to social media channels:

Linkedin: educational-leadership-network-europe
Instagram: elnenetwork
Twitter: elnenetwork
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ELNENetwork

Dynatex is a small team with decades of experience in education, technology, and business. We came together because we believe that as an educator you should have access to top-notch communication products and services without having to pay the price of a small car to get them. As we built our platform, we worked closely with the ESHA team and are grateful to them for their collaboration, feedback, patience and support. In fact, our organisations became friends: www.esha.org/about/friends-of-esha. We are now ready to launch our services with ESHA and the educational community and this is our feature suite and introduces what it can do for you and your team.

Our headless Content Management System (CMS) that is hosted with Azure, Microsoft’s secure and GDPR compliant cloud-based platform will change the way that you connect with your community of students, parents and educational partners. For one, you will be able to create, manage, and distribute content and share it across your customizable, branded website, your intuitive app which literally puts information in the hands of your community when they need it, and your dynamic multimedia-based newsletter — all with pre-scheduled alerts for added convenience. It is our promise to digitally support you to maximise your reach and impact, strengthen your connection with your community and boost your community’s engagement.  

We will help you do this with the following tools that are part of the Dynatex platform:

• Translation functionality which ensures that your messages reach audiences in over 100 languages, promoting inclusivity and diversity;

• Powerful analytics for data-driven decisions;

• Seamless integration of your Google or 365 calendar to keep your community informed about upcoming events and activities;

• A free branding package for consistent visual identity. 

Please reach out to us for answers to any questions that you may have about our platform or service agreements or if you would like a demo. We’d be happy to hear from you: tam@dynatex.io    phil@dynatex.io

HEADstart provides guidelines for school leaders. Two new editions are available now covering the subjects ‘Stimulating collective learning in teams’ and ‘Feedback processes’.

Download your copies from https://www.esha.org/academy/headstart

Final Conference of Dive in Dialogue 

In a world often characterized by division and discord, the importance of meaningful dialogue cannot be overstated. It's amidst this backdrop that initiatives like the use of Dialogic Gatherings emerge, seeking to foster understanding, bridge divides, and cultivate empathy through the power of meaningful conversations.

During the Dive in Dialogue Final Event that was held in Ljubljana on the 20th of April 2024 about 35 school heads from various European countries discussed what the Dive in Dialogue project could mean for them and their schools.

In a world marked by polarization and strife, initiatives like Dive in Dialogue offer a beacon of hope, demonstrating the potential of dialogue to heal wounds, build bridges, and forge common ground.

Read the article Nurturing understanding through discourse