New nature park school in Spitz

The rating nature park school stands for a close connection between the school and nature. There are currently a total of Austria-wide 136 nature park schools: Elementary schools, new middle schools, agricultural vocational and technical schools and a general special school, as well 59 Nature park kindergartens and after-school care centers. Now, with the middle school in Spitz, another school has been added. 

These schools focus on topics such as nature conservation, biodiversity and sustainability in connection with education and agree to permanently integrate these into the classroom.

In order to receive the title "Nature Park School", the following six criteria must be met:

• The school has to be in a Nature park community lie
• There are three formal resolutions necessary: ​​- resolution in the school forum - resolution in the nature park board / general assembly - resolution in the municipal council or by the school operator
• The Mission statement of the school and the school profile are coordinated with the content, goals and plans of the nature park
• Taking into account the specifics of the respective nature park, the school and nature park define together Learning objectives based on the 4 pillars: Protection, recreation, education, regional development.
• Contact person in the nature park and at school
• Information about the nature park at school: the nature park and the school develop and implement a project together

“As part of the cooperation with the nature parks, the pupils receive answers to their numerous questions on a wide variety of environmental issues. For example, through joint project work in which the students themselves become researchers and discover nature. (...) The nature park schools are therefore not only valuable holistic educational institutions, but also important multipliers in the field of nature conservation ”, said the education state councilor Christinane Teschl-Hofmeister on the occasion of the award of the title“ nature park school ”to the Spitz middle school.

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