BioLearning for the Future - Smart by Nature

It is clear that current approaches to achieving environmental sustainability and addressing climate change are not achieving change fast enough. Biomimicry offers a bold approach to it, based on the experience of nature. The BioLearning for the Futur (BLF) project helps young people think about what sort of future they would like. How can they contribute to that future? It provides pupils with the core competences to observe and question the natural world, to understand how nature provides lessons for humans to live sustainability. Biomimicry education is a pedagogical approach to teaching; it has broad applicability to a variety of subjects, especially those relating to science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as to art (STEAM). During our research within pilot schools, we have identified the need for: - Concrete experiences: turning abstract ideas about a sustainable future into concrete actions. - Pedagogy: inquiry-based learning situated within meaningful content. - Collaborative learning: demonstrating how working together both delivers better solutions and builds a movement for change. - Creative thinking: enabling learners to grasp new ways to envision a sustainable future based on hope and aspiration.

1) Develop the competence of pupils to learn from nature and apply biomimicry to understand sustainability challenges. Aim: Enhanced STEAM content enriched by biomimicry, connected with real-world issues of concern to pupils. It enables pupils to connect their learning with practical ways to influence change, and increase their motivation to take action for a sustainable Europe. 2) Provide STEAM learning that develops the competences of pupils to be confident learners, creative thinkers and adept at solving problems. Aim: Pupils increasing their ability to link STEAM learning with everyday life, improving their understanding of science in supporting a healthy environment. 3) Provide support for teachers to integrate STEAM subjects with biomimicry. Aim: Teachers having greater confidence and competence to deliver STEAM learning which delivers sustainability, and ensuring their teaching links with. 4) Provide learning resources for teachers to deliver sustainability and biomimicry learning. Aim: Teachers with greater access to high quality learning resources that deliver STEAM learning which is attractive and motivating. It leaves a lasting legacy for teachers to constantly improve their teaching practice.

Within the project the partnership implemented the following activities: We elaborated a project website in 5 languages (EN, CZ, HU, NL, SK), saving the results of the previous BioLearn project (Learning from Nature - Biomimicry in Education; 2018-1-HU01-KA201-047807; https://biolearn.eu/en/biolearn) and using separate page for BioLearning for the Future project (https://biolearn.eu/en, https://biolearn.eu/cs/future, https://biolearn.eu/hu/future, https://biolearn.eu/nl/future, https://biolearn.eu/sk/future); we elaborated 22 biomimicry stories (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/biomimicry-stories) and 35 additional activities connected to them (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/cool-activities) in 5 languages; we elaborated a teacher support page (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/teacher-support) with background of biomimicry, resources and guides for teaching it; we established a Biomimicry Day site with guide and shared stories (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/biomimicry-day); a more detailed guide and roadmap for those who register on the website (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/biomimicry-day/biomimicry-day-guide); we developed the structure of the Biomimicry Day and piloted it in 4 countries (CZ, HU, NL, SK); then encouraged other schools to organise it on their own; we also tried out the biomimicry stories with our pilot schools; we organised a 4-day-long high-quality study trip to the Netherlands in March, 2023 for 5-5 teachers and educators from four countries (CZ, HU, NL, SK); we elaborated a card game of 64 pieces about 32 biomimicry examples and the inventions about them in 5 languages and printed it in 100-100 copies in 5 languages; the cards are also downloadable from the website (https://biolearn.eu/en/future/teacher-support/biomimicry-card-game); three partners (CZ, HU, SK) compiled toolboxes for teachers - usable during the programs, in schools and for rent; four partners (CZ, HU, NL, SK) implemented workshops about the results of project for 60-60 teachers and educators; at the end of the project we organised an online conference about the results of the project with international and national parts; besides these activities we organised four transnational project meetings (TPMs) and kept 24 online meetings.

Concrete outputs: - Project website (https://biolearn.eu/en/future) with most of the results; - 22 biomimicry stories and 35 connected activities in 5 languages; - Teacher support page in 5 languages; - Biomimicry Day guide and roadmap in 5 languages; - 100-100 copies of 64 pieces biomimicry card game (32 example and the inventions of it) in 5 languages and the downloadable versions of them; - 5-5 toolboxes in 3 counties (CZ, HU, SK) for the partners and for rent.