Sustainability & Outdoor Education, Pedagogical innovation
Madeira Outdoor - I.M.P.A.C.T. – Innovation, Mindfulness, PBL & Active Cultural Teaching
6 days
I.M.P.A.C.T. is an immersive professional development course integrating outdoor learning, project-based learning, mindfulness and cultural heritage exploration. Set across Madeira's most extraordinary landscapes, every day connects a powerful pedagogical methodology to a living, breathing outdoor context.
The programme aligns with key Erasmus+ priorities: environment and climate action, inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, and active citizenship.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Design project-based learning activities rooted in local culture and environment
Apply outdoor education methodologies in formal and non-formal contexts
Integrate cultural heritage into curriculum design and school projects
Develop emotional intelligence and collaborative skills through experiential methods
Create innovative, sustainable learning experiences for 21st century classrooms
Build a school innovation strategy integrating mindfulness, PBL and outdoor learning
Programme
Madeira Outdoor - I.M.P.A.C.T. – Innovation, Mindfulness, PBL & Active Cultural Teaching
Monday
Future-Ready Schools and Transformative Teaching
Welcome and course overview. Innovation in education: what the research says actually works.
The I.M.P.A.C.T. framework: connecting innovation, mindfulness, PBL and cultural teaching.
Workshop: auditing your school's current approach to pedagogical innovation.
Introduction to project-based learning: the Buck Institute framework and Erasmus+ applications.
Tuesday
Mindfulness — Learning from Nature's Rhythms
Mindfulness in education: the evidence base and classroom applications.
Curral das Freiras: mindful walk — sensory awareness, slow observation and present-moment attention.
Mindfulness tools for teachers and students: breathing, body scan and mindful movement.
Workshop: designing a school mindfulness programme rooted in outdoor experience.
Wednesday
Culture, Heritage and Inquiry
PBL deep dive: driving questions, sustained inquiry, authenticity and student voice.
Levada as a PBL context: water heritage, engineering and community — a complete project design.
Santana: cultural heritage as the driver of cross-curricular inquiry projects.
Field workshop: participants design a complete PBL unit using Madeira's cultural heritage.
Thursday
Active Cultural Teaching — Place, Identity and Outdoor Learning
Active cultural teaching: using place and cultural identity as pedagogical tools.
Porto Moniz: the Atlantic as classroom — marine ecology, sustainable tourism and global citizenship.
Workshop: designing active cultural teaching experiences for your local context.
Synthesis: building your complete I.M.P.A.C.T. school programme.
Friday
🌊 PLAN A — SPRING / SUMMER
Reflection, Integration & Outdoor Synthesis
Catamaran excursion — whale watching, Atlantic identification and nature observation.
Group reflection on the week's themes in conversation around the sea.
🏫 PLAN B — AUTUMN / WINTER
Indoor Synthesis Workshop
Participants review, consolidate and present their week's learning.
Portfolio work and action planning.
Saturday
Gratitude & Moving Forward
Group reflection and guided mindfulness in the garden.
Sharing best practices and personal highlights from the week.
Certificate presentation ceremony.
Group photograph and informal closing celebration.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.