Vilnius is a School demonstrates how a technology-enabled platform can transform the educational process, making it more open, inclusive, and engaging.
ADDRESSING DISSATISFACTION IN EDUCATION
The way we organise schooling has stayed almost the same for hundreds of years. Research shows that students are disengaged from school (Gallup Student Poll, 2016). Old ways of teaching don't encourage competency learning, are usually theoretical, and don't lead to career opportunities for students. Also, many citizens are dissatisfied with the education system but don't have tools to change the system.
BRINGING SCHOOL INTO THE CITY
Vilnius is modernising the education system and encouraging schools to make creative use of a wide range of spaces by moving at least 10% of lessons from the school building to urban spaces. This is done through: an online platform which brings together teachers, companies, and institutions inside the city; teacher training that aims to give tools for different classroom management outdoors; and, equipment systems for each school to use the time outside for learning.
INCREASING MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
The project focuses on more than 80,000 students (grades 1 to 12) from all 170 schools in Vilnius and their 7,000 teachers, as well as institutions and companies based in Vilnius which can embrace their social responsibility through the platform. The aim is to increase students' motivation, civic engagement, and career opportunities. All content on the platform is free and coordinated with educational consultants to ensure integration with the official curriculum and subjects.