Water Adventure

GPS educational routes on life's most precious raw material

Today, environmental education in Germany is characterized by a multiplicity of offerings in the field of conventional learning methods. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that these days the majority of teenagers are hardly being reached in this way. Many teenagers are often unable to develop any enthusiasm for environmental and nature conservation topics unless there are opportunities to learn based on adventure situations which are closely linked to their individual leisure interests and therefore guarantee a high level of motivation.

Within the scope of this project, a comprehensive concept for establishing GPS educational routes on the subject of "water" in environmental education both in and out of the classroom is being developed and implemented. Basic principles for the ongoing training of multipliers in environmental education are being worked out on the basis of an expert conference and a comprehensive manual on the use of GPS educational routes. In this way, GPS educational routes focusing on environmental and nature conservation aspects are being made broadly usable for educational activities. This will be followed by a specific project phase on-site: at two locations in the Federal Republic of Germany, teenagers under supervision autonomously draw up GPS educational routes on the subject. The passing on of knowledge from young people to young people, in other words learning from one another as equals, is the focal point of these activities. In a joint analysis, a recommendation for the continuation of the project is elaborated. The entire project phase then serves as a pilot educational route.