Value

Direct and indirect outcomes of the collaboration

In Stange municipality, the work with “Children’s tracks” has resulted in more sustainable solutions to local planning. Examples include a new walking and bike path (10 million Euro) and user controlled street lights and other road safety measures like a tunnel under the rail road. The method has strengthened both the local democracy in the region, and the schools’ role as stakeholders for sustainable development in the community.  Children`s track has also contributed to other indirect positive economic and ecological effects. In a socio-economic/welfare economic perspective, the new walk and bike path has positive effects on people’s lifestyle and reduces traffic accidents. This also includes a potential to support ecological sustainability. We believe that the participating children will be more actively involved in local democratic issues in the future, but this is too early to say. All the participants enjoyed the collaboration, including the children.

Experiences and reflections on the value of the collaboration in terms of learning, ESD and SD

The collaboration promotes cross-disciplinary learning for all actors involved, real issues of collaboration, active participation and intergenerational learning. These are all important aspect for ESD. All actors involved report they enjoyed the process and learned from it.

Children’s right to participate in planning that affect their life provided the direction to the collaboration. This right is a highly valued part of the social aspect of sustainable development. It safeguards the value of Children`s rights as it at the same time educates in the theme. In line with the concept of SD the method is collaborative, participatory and inclusive. The collaboration was very authentic as the children’s participation was concrete. It was a two-way collaboration where the children provided the community with new information, and in return they got a safer roads and a local community which is more adapted to children. The teachers were positive and felt that the program fitted the formal curriculum. Ottestad school reported that the students learnt to recognize contexts in their local society and that the project contributed to holistic scientific and ecological knowledge. Through the project the children have learnt about local democracy and planning processes, in addition to science learning in this project through the pupils` experience with mathematics, geography (maps) and the related ICT skills.

The main learning outcome for all the adults involved in the project is how important it is to engage the children in the development of their own local community- and not assume and guess on behalf of the children. The collaboration project also shifts the view on how capable the children are of participating, even at a young age, if the structures are suited to the children. The official authorities that was involved in the Children`s track project was the Children`s representative and a representative from the planning authorities. The collaboration between these offices was good as they were both committed to the task of including the children in planning issues. However, they reported that economic interests often are valued higher amongst decision makers, rather than views of the children.

In addition, the collaboration had direct impact on sustainable development in the community. At a concrete level it led to physical changes in the municipality such as traffic lights, walking and biking paths and railway underpasses that benefitted both children and the general public. In addition the outcome of the collaboration had impact on crime prevention and public health. The perspective of crime prevention became evident as the collaboration revealed areas and spots where children felt unsafe. Examples of this were alleys, around corners (sometimes due to lack of lightening), areas where youth gather or at a municipal housing where drug addicts lived etc.

The public health perspective became evident as the collaboration revealed whether the school (and spare-time) roads felt safe or not – for the children. It is regarded as important for the activities that takes place in school and for the children`s childhood in general, that as many children as possible is able to walk or bike to school and therefore the local authorities was very interested in information on how the children experienced their surroundings. The collaboration revealed and confirmed important areas for play and activities- both organized and not. Skating ramps was put high on the agenda of the youth and the local authorities built one in concrete- based on the youth`s design.

Both The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and The National Rail Administration’s refers to the Children`s track project in Stange in their documents when planning new roads and railroads in the region.

Conclusion

Children`s trackcreated a learning environment of a participatory, inclusive and democratic character. The involvement of children in real planning issues in their local community gave the children experience and competence in democratic decision making, planning processes and issues, and provided the children with new ways of experiencing their natural and physical surroundings. The potential of creating a stronger sense of place and belonging is evident. The school reported that the students learnt to recognize contexts in their local society and that the project contributed to holistic scientific and ecological knowledge. Children`s track has been useful learning for the Children`s representative and the project is continuously referred to. It gives credibility to have concrete outputs and documents to refer to and not just (as adults) “assume” on behalf of the children and adolescents. When it comes to bringing forward the message and policy to the politicians this is very important. The planning department in the municipality is also using the results from the collaboration. The Children`s track has confirmed a need for many new kilometers of walking and biking paths – many already built as a result of the collaboration.

The implementation of “Children`s track” in Stange municipality was carried out without any negotiations. This is due to the fact that the method was already developed and is in line with the formal curriculum. In addition it is important to mention that the municipality owns the schools and is the employer of the school staff.