Ripples in Motion: Outdoor Learning and Teacher Inspiration in Tallinn

In March, GeoCamp Iceland travelled - with three Icelandic educators from Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark - to Tallinn, Estonia, as part of the Nordplus Junior project Ripples of Knowledge: STREAM-Based Outdoor Education for a Greener Tomorrow. Representing different schools and roles within the Icelandic education landscape, the group included Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir from GeoCamp Iceland, Brynja Stefánsdóttir from Stapaskóli, Ragnheiður Möller from Myllubakkaskóli, and Hanna Rúna Kristínardóttir from Háaleitisskóli.

Together with teachers and students from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, they took part in a week of field-based learning, collaboration, and exchange—focused on one key idea: How to turn the immediate surroundings of a school into a powerful learning environment.

At the heart of the project is the development of practical, short STREAM lesson plans—integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and reading—that can be delivered outdoors, often within just a few hundred metres of the school building. 

Each day began at Tähesaju Gümnaasium, a Green Flag school where sustainability is embedded in both teaching and daily life. Students grow vegetables in greenhouses, learn outdoors in purpose-built spaces, and engage directly with their environment.

But the most striking feature was not the facilities, but rather the mindset of the people. Learning was active, creative, and student-driven. From sustainability-themed scavenger hunts to workshops on plastic use and recycled art, students were constantly encouraged to explore, question, and create. The welcome itself set the tone: music, movement, and participation from both students and teachers, immediately breaking down barriers and creating a shared learning space.

Teachers Learning from Teachers

For the Icelandic participants, the experience was as much about professional growth as it was about collaboration. Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir, leading educational development within the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, connected the experience directly to ongoing work with UNESCO schools and outdoor learning in Iceland.

Brynja Stefánsdóttir explored new ways to integrate structured outdoor activities into everyday teaching, particularly how simple exercises in the local environment can spark deeper understanding of sustainability.

Ragnheiður Möller emphasised the importance of participation and emotional engagement in learning, noting how strong experiences—especially those created outdoors—leave lasting impressions on students.

Hanna Rúna Kristínardóttir reflected on practical teaching innovations, including the use of technology in outdoor learning, and the powerful idea of mixed-age group work, where older students support younger learners—allowing multiple competencies to be developed simultaneously.

Across all reflections, one theme stood out. The role of the teacher is evolving from instructor to facilitator, or even “guiding companion”, supporting students as they explore complex, real-world challenges.

Simple Ideas, Lasting Impact

One of the most powerful takeaways was how simple many of the activities were. A scavenger hunt using digital tools like Padlet encouraged observation, discussion, and critical thinking. Open-ended prompts such as “Why does nature in our local environment matter?” pushed students beyond textbook answers. Creative tasks—like making art from recycled materials—linked environmental awareness with personal expression.

These are not resource-heavy innovations. They are mindset shifts. Teachers returned with practical tools they can immediately apply, but also with a renewed perspective on their own school environments. What may once have seemed ordinary—school grounds, nearby nature, local community spaces—now appears full of untapped learning potential.

Learning Across Borders

The programme also included visits beyond the school, such as the PROTO Invention Factory, where science, innovation, and sustainability intersect in a repurposed industrial space, and a guided exploration of Tallinn’s Old Town, connecting cultural heritage with environmental awareness. These experiences reinforced one of the project’s key strengths: connecting disciplines. Science is not taught in isolation—it is linked to history, culture, technology, and daily life.

Building Ripples That Travel

The Ripples of Knowledge project runs from 2025 to 2027 and aims to create a shared bank of STREAM lesson plans, developed collaboratively by teachers and students and made openly accessible to others  . It also includes multiple international mobilities, allowing participants to test, refine, and adapt ideas across different contexts.

For GeoCamp Iceland and its partners, the Tallinn meeting was not just a study visit—it was a catalyst.
A catalyst for new teaching approaches. For stronger collaboration between schools. And for a deeper understanding of how outdoor education can shape the way young people engage with sustainability and climate challenges. Because in the end, the most important outcome is not the programme itself. It’s what happens next—when teachers return home, step outside with their students, and start creating ripples of their own.