Our project is called Open Doors to Europe – Implementing more various teaching methods and wider learning environments. The main goal in our KA1 project is to increase the ICT skills and utilize the surroundings of our school as learning environment. In order to reach these goals it demands new working and teaching methods. The staff’s ICT skills also demand constant developing in order to reach the requirements of today’s needs. The new working methods must be variable and they must also support the learning goals. The pupils and teachers must be motivated by these working and teaching methods. The activity of the pupils, learning by doing and interaction skills must be developed. Our school is a pilot school in School Forest project lead by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC). A school forest is nearby our school and it is suitable for teaching, education and recreation. Outdoor learning should be an essential part of science lessons but also in any other subjects as well as in integrated lessons throughout the curriculum. With this project our school forest will be more suitable for this purpose. European cooperation enables new contacts to European teachers and schools. We achieve new ideas for teaching. Also our knowledge and point of views will be expanded and extended through this cooperation and contacts in Europe. Using foreign language and dialogue with our European partners broadens and gives depth to our perspectives. These can be used by developing new special education working methods and learning environments (for example outdoor learning) into Finnish schools. The main objectives of our project are • to develop teaching science and ICT skills • to develop experimental and functional working methods • make efficiently use of our surrounding environment and ICT skills • improve teachers’ abilities and professional knowhow in outdoor learning • give new and improved procedures about using different kinds of teaching environments into our everyday school life (job shadowing) • improve the teachers’ communication skills in using foreign language Taking part in the cooperation with other European schools and in-service training responds to the staff’s on going need for improvement and training. Through Job Shadowing and various courses new contacts are made with teachers around Europe and cooperation will continue through eTwinning and maybe with a future KA2 plan and a project. One of the aims in our curriculum is to help pupils to understand Finnish and European cultural identity. Also in today’s school we have to develop abilities needed in interaction with other cultures in order to become global citizens. By increasing the staff’s mobility these aims can be reached. An enthusiastic teacher with several international contacts is more likely to inspire pupils to learn about other European cultures. European co-operation requires communicating in foreign language and this is a great opportunity to challenge, learn and improve our communicative skills in English. There are ten teachers taking part in this KA1 project from Turenki School: six class teachers, three subject teachers and one special education teacher. With the help of this project teaching will be carried out in more experimental and functional way in the future. As a result our school will be more tolerant towards other cultures and people. Also variable teaching methods will be used in daily bases. Outdoor learning will be an essential and important part of our new curriculum in 2016. Through these experiences our school’s environment and the surroundings will be used as a new learning environment. While learning in the nature the pupil’s understanding and responsibility of our environment will be increased, pupils will be taught to be more critical about their own actions and daily choices. According to many studies spending time in the nature has a positive effect on health. Taking the nearby buildings and built environment as a part of our active education we actually strengthen our identity. Pupils with strong identity are more courageous to meet other nationalities and to understand themselves as a part of Europe and the whole world. Learning, playing and spending time on the net is a part of a normal day to our pupils and the school should support, encourage and teach the proper and useful ways of using the new technology. Through this project the whole school’s abilities in ICT skills will improve and new ways of learning and teaching will be taken into daily use, such as using tablets and smart phones in learning and teaching. Also the cultural consciousness will increase. Several teachers taking part in this project enables versatile and rich experiences for the whole school and in the future to be passed on to other schools in Janakkala. The best practical customs, knowledge and skills will be added into Janakkala curriculum in 2016.