This article is part of the EPALE European theme week focusing on: “Learning communities in rural areas”. This topic brings together initiatives from Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and Poland.

Flanders is a largely urbanized region and even one of the most densely populated parts of Europe. Nevertheless, there are large local differences, and we find some sparsely populated areas, especially in the western and eastern parts of Flanders. There, we also notice that the provision for adult education is low, and the participation rate is in the same range. Through the ESF Learning Ecosystems project, efforts are being made in these rural areas to dynamise the supply and the learning culture.

Learning ecosystems are broad partnerships, connecting diverse forms of learning at local level with each other and with other sectors. In this way, everyone should be given the opportunity to develop his or her talent in the immediate vicinity and in their own living environment. Learning ecosystems are put forward by the OECD and UNESCO, among others, as levers to make citizens more eager to learn and continue to develop their talents. Learning ecosystems also seem to be promising initiatives to introduce a new way of thinking about learning and education.

A learning ecosystem supports a learning culture from an early age. Learning is happening in everyday life. Within the ecosystem, local players are addressed, players that today we would less associate with learning (local government, entrepreneurs, organisations, associations, cultural initiatives, sports clubs, welfare services,… ). The idea is that they join forces and create learning opportunities together.

'Learning ecosystems are webs of interconnected relationships organizing lifelong learning. They are diverse, dynamic and evolving, connecting learners and community to foster individual and collective capacity. They have three purposes, dedicated to co-creating thrivable futures for people, places and our planet.' From : Learning Ecosystems An Emerging Praxis For The Future Of Education (2020)

In 2021, ESF Flanders launched a call for projects to local authorities in the province of Limburg for the development of learning ecosystems. Meanwhile, the Province of West-Flanders was also developing a regional learning network in the region Westhoek. This also came under the wings of ESF as an extension of the Limburg call. Both the Limburg projects and the network in the Westhoek are currently still starting up, but serious commitments have already been made to participate. In any case, a long-term perspective is important in the development of learning ecosystems. After all, an important change is needed in the thinking and approach of organizations and training providers. Therefore, the ESF is looking at the possibilities of introducing learning ecosystems throughout Flanders in a subsequent program with a longer-term planning.

Westhoek

The Westhoek is one of the least densely populated areas of Flanders, the region has 17 municipalities and 220,000 inhabitants. The number of adults following a course is very low (only 8.8% of the inhabitants between 20 and 64 years). A sharp decline in the number of courses (31% in 2021) is also the cause of the ever-decreasing participation in adult learning. Due to new standards and centralization, adult education and Ligo (basic education) moved out of the region with some services. The region thus ended up in a vicious circle, fewer participants means fewer resources to organize activities and fewer courses lead to even fewer participants. The POM (provincial development agency) West-Flanders, together with the regional intermunicipal company, took the initiative to boost the appetite for learning and since this year has been focusing on a learning ecosystem in the Westhoek. At the same time, they are asking for an adatation of the Flemish regulations and standards for adult education in sparsely populated areas.

Study work

In 2020, the HIVA (Higher Institute for Labor) made an extensive study on the situation of adult education in the Westhoek, commissioned by POM West-Flanders. In its report, the study center made an overview the barriers to adult education participation in the region and made suggestions for improvement. In addition to the highest obtained diploma and gender, the degree of urbanization is one of the top 3 factors impending participation. Living in the countryside even reinforces the non-participation of vulnerable target groups. Within companies in the Westhoek there is a commitment to education and training, even greater than in the rest of Flanders. Unfortunately, this greater engagement reaches too few employees. The region mainly has small companies in which, due to the limited staffing, only very little formal learning takes place. Companies are forced to focus more on non-formal learning in the workplace.

Satellite model

In its report, HIVA suggests that the solution to this problem is not only boosting the training offer, but also to adopt a collaborative model to increase learning and the desire to learn. Research shows that close collaboration between stakeholders in adult education and lifelong learning can play an important role in increasing the participation rates. The question is: what can be done together and how can it involve as many partners as possible and offer learning opportunities? This also concerns learning opportunities outside the system of existing adult education, compulsory education or the workplace. The cooperation model must bring together actors from all walks of life must, after all, it concerns lifelong and also life-wide learning. Informal and non-formal forms of learning are equally important. The study proposes the satellite model as a collaborative strategy. The starting point is to realize together, in partnership, what each cannot do individually. The satellite model not only based on learning needs and thresholds, but also on what is already present: infrastructure, established organizations from different sectors and the people. That is the starting point for putting the puzzle together and finding the most suitable solution for the learning needs. The idea fits in seamlessly with the concept of the learning ecosystems. The plans from the Westhoek were therefore supported by ESF, which had meanwhile launched a call for projects. Thanks to ESF's cooperation and communication, the starting network was also able to expand and find additional partners. The Westhoek will now play a pioneering role in the development of the model.

Cocreation

The POM sees adult education as a real lever to get the entire region of the Westhoek in motion and is going to work with the ideas of the satellite model of HIVA and the learning ecosystems of ESF. In short, they want to increase the learning culture by connecting various authorities and organizations to achieve a more natural learning path and to make learning as close to the residents as possible. After an information event with more than 40 participants, POM and ESF organized a co-creation session in April 2022 for the start-up of a learning ecosystem. A number of themes were pitched, such as limited mobility opportunities; sharing physical spaces to facilitate learning; using Village Points and intergenerational learning. Participants in the session mainly came from the employment, education, welfare, local authorities and social economy sectors. For the time being, there is little interest in a potential partnership with the cultural sector (museums, libraries). Of the 35 attendees at the session, 12 partners intend to continue working together on ecosystems. They want to focus on mobility and physical anchoring through shared use of space and the organization of open learning centers.

First steps

It is hoped that some projects will be launched after the summer. During the start-up phase, ESF provides a guidance trajectory and support regarding vision development, organization of the partnership and defintion of roles. An important partner seems to be De Lovie , a social organization that offers support to people with mental (or other) disabilities. It is active in almost all municipalities in the Westhoek and is already trying to connect with neighborhoods through various initiatives. It is an exemplary partner for a learning ecosystem: not an educational institution, very widespread in the region and looking for connection. A starting point for De Lovie 's partnership can be their Village Points. These are places in villages where there is no longer any supply, no shop, no bank, no cafe… In the Village Point, you can drink a coffee or eat something small and there is a basic offer of sugar, eggs, a pack of coffee, etc. The Village points are run by the target group of De Lovie , people with mental disabilities. Learning can be incorporated in such a Village Point. An anecdotal example of how learning can grow organically: a few village points have also become study places for students. For older ladies it was also a place for a coffee and knitting at those times. From this situation, a mutual demand for learning grew. The students became interested in learning how to knit. The ladies liked that, but in return they asked to learn with them how to use of their smartphones. Another idea for the Westhoek are open learning centers as physical anchor points in the region, set up by 'The house of learning' (learning career guidance for adults) and the employment agency. The link between the learning ecosystem and (opportunities on) the labour market also remains a priority. The focus here is on creating an environment in which employees are convinced of the importance of learning and are given the tools to get started.

Call for Limburg

In the province of Limburg, the eastern part of Flanders, another initiative was launched in 2021. ESF-Flanders launched a call for projects for Learning Ecosystems in Limburg as part of the transition programme Learning Living Working 2050 , in which pioneers put into practice radically new ideas about learning and working. This call is addressed to local authorities. The aim is also to make learning more attractive and self-evident, throughout life. After regular school attendance, many people give up learning. A new learning culture can be introduced through a learning ecosystem. Not by strengthening the existing forms of (adult-)education, but by upgrading informal and non-formal learning. Learning can be fun again. To this end, lifelong learning is smartly embedded in various actors, in services, care, welfare... Through the projects that are now starting with ESF support, the theoretical concept of the learning ecosystem can be made concrete and sample practices can be developed with a view to a further roll-out of the idea. The ESF call is still ongoing, but some projects are already on the radar. The circumstances in Limburg do have some differences with the Westhoek. Limburg has a high unemployment and school drop-out rates compared to a rather tight labour market in the Westhoek. Unlike the Westhoek, Limburg does have many well-supported initiatives, so harmonizing those initiatives will therefore play a more important role.

Regina Mundi site Genk.

The spearhead project of the Limburg ESF projects is the Regina Mundi site in the city of Genk. Regina Mundi is a vacant site in the center of Genk that will be renovated and redeveloped. Genk wants this site to fit in its policy on talent development. The site should accommodate youth and neighborhood activities, innovative technology initiatives, sports clubs, music academy, language campus, childcare, residential elderly care centres… A mix of organizations will be given a place on the site as permanent actors or temporary guests and together they will open up a diverse, nearby and low-threshold range of services. The site can thus form the core of a learning ecosystem that appeals to every visitor as a learner. It must become a place that makes talent visible. Citizens are empowered in their learning by working on three levels of talent development: see it done, do it together and do it yourself. It is an inspiring place by showing what is possible on and through talent development. The site should also encourage people to do and participate, through repair cafes, workshops, a maker learning place, open days. Finally, practice places and studios should also encourage the further development of talent. The process of renovating and reallocating the site also imposes a long-term perspective. The completion of the infrastructure is planned for 2029. However, this does not mean that work on the soft infrastructure cannot be done now. Project-based work on the site is already possible. The core partners can come on board to form a workable coalition. The experiences from experiments that are being set up now will help develop the ecosystem and, in addition to talent, will also make opportunities and thresholds visible.

Learning Ecosystems An Emerging Praxis For The Future Of Education (2020) (eng)

HIVA study on adult learning in rural areas  (dutch)

POM: learning ecosystems the future of lifelong learning (dutch)

ESF project call learning ecosystems (dutch) 

Developing talent in learning ecosystems - inventory report learning where curiosity arises (2019) (dutch)