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RCE Fryslan (SPARK), based in the most northerly province of the Netherlands, hosted an inspiring online Europe Regional RCE get together in February 2022. An online magazine has now been launched to share the outcomes of this meeting, with direct access to recordings from the different elements of the programme, interviews with some of the speakers, contributions from other RCEs and poems, songs and practical activities.

Here, Heleentje Swart from RCE Fryslan outlines the programme, and you can explore the many fascinating components of this event in the online magazine, available here .

‘We first dived into what schools as organisations should go for, in order to facilitate the transformative learning we need in the 21^st century. Arjen Wals, a very renowned scientist in the field, introduced to us the concept of the whole school, and teachers and artists contributed to our understanding as well.

After Wals’ lecture we zoomed out to the region. Klaas Sietse Spoelstra, the man with the genuine Frisian name, explained to us why Fryslân is now called the Blue Delta, and how the SDGs are incorporated in the way we weave networks for broad prosperity with local governments, entrepreneurs, citizens, artists, students and educators.

In the afternoon we zoomed in to the personal level, with Bastiaansen and Laverman. In a compelling dialogue, Max, as our host during the day, interrogated them on the correspondence of the educational task and an artistic process. How can we be personally involved and attentively aware in relationships, with our environment, other people and ourselves?

During every session we reflected on these levels from different angles, that is, from a scientific, educational and artistic point of view – scientists being masters in using their brainpower; educators as having the practical hands-on knowledge and skills and artists, who know how to use their heart. But of course, also from your standpoint as participants, as every session was followed by discussions and dialogues’.