Seed network in VET
"Seed networking in VET" (SEEDNET) is 24 months Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project (2019-1-PL01-KA202-065239) which aims to protect sowing endemic seeds, to let the world of VET to know about the value of endemic productions and to combine different European traditions in a shared network of project partners' countries involved. The coordinator of the project is EUROPEA Polska.
SEEDNET is created by different partners - two VET schools from Italy and France, two NGOs working in VET from Estonia and France and two networks of VET schools (EUROPEA) from Poland and Hungary. Coordinator of the project is EUROPEA Poland. Partners' organisations belong to different economic and educational sectors which gives synergy for this project in order to promote the diffusion of native seed saving practices on local, national and European levels.
The target groups of the SEEDNET project are VET staff members, teachers, trainers and mentors that need a professional growth to answer to new challenges of the labour market. Through the sharing of good practices and knowledge we want to create an interest of different stakeholders about endemic seeds production and safeguard inside a sustainable developing economy, enhance the respect to biodiversity and to safeguard to rural heritage.
Project activities starting from the learning methodology which applied during short-term joint staff training events will include the exchange of good practices, safeguard seeds and ancient species through the creation of local seeds banks. Partners will establish models and competencies which are required for building the virtual and real SEED BANK named "Treasure".
The specific objectives of this project are:
* to develop an innovative joint VET cross sector network in order to save endemic seed species;
* to test the training methodologies coming out from the exchange of good practices using didactic materials based on digital tools;
* to improve and explore different forms of validation of competences for VET educators;
* to strengthen the European cooperation in green economy.
The main actions of the proposed project are:
* to identify the special training needs of VET educators and farmers for keeping and reproducing ancient seeds;
* to develop short-term joint staff training events for exchange of good practices and test collected materials;
* to build real and virtual SEED BANK "Treasure" in each partner organisation;
* to develop common criteria for validation of competencies acquired through the participation in this project;
* to disseminate and exploit the results of the project, in order to develop a link between SEEDNET and key stakeholders and beneficiaries in the seed saving system.
The partnership will produce tangible results and create seed real and a virtual SEEDNET BANK - virtual place of seed exchange and also virtual natural museum containing endemic and ancient seed to keep in each partner organisation. Partners will produce a SEEDNET toolkit for all users containing learning results acquired during the short-term joint staff training events and guidelines to custody process.
Our final goals are to make more attractive and interesting SEED network in VET and to show and recommend the good practices implemented and shared to the local stakeholders and regional reference authorities. The impact of the project will be seen on VET educators and students/learners increased skills about old seeds identification and collection, including also custody process. They will gain new methodologies and approaches learned from trainers and from project partners' organisations, inspiration for new training methods and work-based learning. VET institutions and stakeholders (project partners and associated partners) will gain better quality of education and training methods.
The project will have a positive impact on the promotion of common traditional values within Europe. Working together beyond national borders will help to encourage the exchange of experiences in agricultural field to preserve environment and biodiversity building new form of networking. Recognizing a common European practices about old seed preservation is a form of common European heritage and has the potential longer term benefits as a form to safeguard diversity in Europe in the future.
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/SeedNet-106824054094238
This project has been founded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.