The main objectives of the course are:

• Integrating digital skills related to current and emerging geotechnologies into educational practices to enhance both participation and success in STEAM disciplines, as recognized through various studies and models.
• Leveraging the digital opportunities of the ongoing transformation by creating and utilizing innovative GIS, Remote Sensing (RS), and Earth Observation (EO) tools, applications, and modeling schemes.
• Employing Digital Storytelling and supporting materials as pedagogical tools to foster an interdisciplinary teaching and learning environment, empowering teachers across Europe to be skilled, open-minded, and prepared to address Sustainable Development topics and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
• Elevating the role of schools as social innovators and active contributors to efforts addressing climate change, positioning schools, teachers, and students as “green and geo innovators,” ambassadors, and environmentally conscious citizens.
• Promoting sustainable professional learning and development for both pre-service and in-service teachers by offering flexible training opportunities that incorporate cutting-edge professional development approaches, supported by teaching materials and guidelines for student instruction.#

The GEO-Academy Winter School is designed to be highly engaging, creative, and interactive. Participating teachers will work as individuals and in small groups. Thus, they will be able to collaborate with teachers from other countries, discuss ideas, and exchange experiences to create lesson plans and group activities which will encompass all the features of successful inter-disciplinary science activities.

The course will last for 5 days, consisting of a total of 29 hours of workshop-based training, such as presentations followed by hands-on sessions (12 hours of lectures and demonstrations, 17 hours of hands-on workshops). The lectures and the demonstrations of the training courses will be held in an auditorium equipped with a data projector and a laptop,we kindly ask each participant to bring their laptops will have direct access to a laptop with an internet connection and will carry out planned exercises.

One important aspect of the training activities is the collected feedback and the common discussion among participants. We will provide a platform to exchange ideas and talk in detail about the requirements concerning various aspects of the tools shown to facilitate their further development, maximize their efficiency, and enhance their adaptation potential.

To ensure the proper preparation for the training course an online platform will act as a main hub of communication and for sharing and distributing preparatory material with the participants. Through this platform the participants will have access to all materials necessary for their preparation (suggested reading, digital tools, relevant websites, guidelines, and support material etc.) and a common workspace. Moreover, all the information regarding the training course such as the course description, the program, travelling and accommodation guidelines will also be accessible through the website.

Participants will familiarize themselves with the training topics as well as the course methodology by accessing the relevant resources, materials and tools. Based on their interests they will be invited to participate into one of the working groups each of which will have a different main topic of focus.

At the end of the course, following the presentation of their work on the last day of the course, participants will receive a training certificate that confirms the successful completion of the course and its objectives.

As members of the GEO-Academy community participants will have access to support provided by the training team, and they will be able to communicate with other teachers in European countries, who have a common interest, share their ideas, and experience, and collaborate in joint activities.

Through the training sessions they will organize they will be able to further disseminate their work and inspire more teachers to use their activities and the GEO-Academy tools and services.

To assess whether, and to what extent, the course has reached its objectives and expected results the participants will have to answer, during and at the end of the course, a set of relevant questionnaires that will be provided by the course providers. The results of the questionnaires/survey or a so-called evaluation report will be available to all participants of the course.

Course fee

The course fee for all ESIA Winter Schools is 480€ (80€/per day) and fully within the funding opportunities of the Erasmus+ Programme.

The course fee covers:

• Expert lecturers for lectures, seminars and workshops
• All materials and equipment needed for the course
• Participation in the social programme & excursions (e.g. visiting Schönbrunn Palace , farewell dinner)

Subsistence & accommodation

The Winter School will be held at Kardinal König Haus Vienna, near the historic location of Schönnbrun palace, at the center of Vienna.

OeWF has made special arrangement with the hotel and are happy to offer to all participants a single or double room with all-inclusive services (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee breaks).

The costs for subsistence are also within the ceilings of the Erasmus+ programme for KA1 mobility actions.

ACCOMMODATION Kardinal-König Haus 2024

COST FOR THE PARTICIPANTS for entire stay (All Inclusive)

• Per person in SINGLE:  434€

EXTRA SERVICES (the following refers to other project participants that don’t pay the course fee)

Schönbrunn Place Tours (optional)

* The above prices are presented based on tickets preises of the museum (https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/)

School Heads and Teachers participation in the summer courses can be funded by the ERASMUS+ KA1 Programme. In such case your school or organization must have the funds (from previous years) to cover the costs of your participation in the Winter School.