Schools As Living Labs

About the project

The Schools As Living Labs project ran from 1 September 2020 to 30 August 2023.

The SALL project aimed to open-up schools to their local communities by transforming them in Living Labs. In this way, SALL proposed a new framework for schools across Europe to approach their science education programmes, in order to make STEM teaching more relevant, systemic and inclusive for their students, collaborating with their local ecosystems and research centres, and with the active support and involvement of science centres and museums in this process.

Scope

SALL proposed the living lab methodology as a new technique of unique value and possibilities for the development of open schooling activities linked to science learning. The project strategy was to build an open innovation concept on the impactful OSOS framework for open schooling tapping in the food system theme, using its strong links to science education, current challenges, as well as ambitious European policy making. SALL brought together school communities, including teachers, students and their families, research institutions, science museums and centres, spaces of informal learning and open innovation, as well as policy makers, and engaged them in intensive dialogue and mutual learning and exchange.

Building on its previous experience in projects such as VOICES and Fit4Food, Ecsite was in charge of the communication and dissemination of the results and outcomes as well as the organisation of two paneuropean events targeting policy-makers.

The SALL project received funding from the European Union´s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement No. 871794.