CLEAR (Creative Learning Environments, Adapted and Renewed) is an 11-months long Erasmus+ Good practice sharing Strategic Partnership (SP) project, a follow-up of the SP-project called Looking at Learning (L@L).

CLEAR project took place from July 2019 to May 2020 as a long-term cooperation on the topic of Creative Learning Environments between Jaunpils Municipality (LV) and three NGOs: Youth Exchange Service (NL), Associación Promesas (ES), Cooperativa Stranaidea (IT).

In both projects, Creative Learning Environments has been identified as an organic, holistic concept – an ecosystem that includes the activity and the outcomes of the learning. This means that we see learning as a natural, organic process, which allows different paces and styles of learning, it is holistic, using all the senses, the body and mind and soul. It is learner centered and based on creativity and curiosity, on trying out, and discovery, rather than on copy-pasting pre-selected answers.

The CLEAR project aimed to create a synergy to further explore and develop creative learning elements that engage, connect and empower today’s young people’s. The impact that the project brought, was aiming innovation to existing and new learning environments in both the field of youth work (non-formal education) and of school education (formal education).

The focus in this project was on learning on many different levels, on personal and professional, on individual and group, on practical and conceptual level, on local and European level; in classrooms, activity rooms and training rooms. We created opportunities and spaces where educators where invited to experiment and discover new aspects of supporting learning. Not only were these topics addressed in both Learning Mobilities, but educators were also invited to keep a diary and observe certain aspects of CLE, as defined in our previous project (Key aspects: role of educator/ (division of responsibilities/ physical space and material/ synergy and cooperation/ time limit). By reflecting through these key aspects, educators learned about CLE aspects. Educators discovered nature as a learning space, which was one of the envisioned focusses of this project.

The project had the following results:

• Three Transnational Meetings; Two residential (Italy and Latvia, in total 12 mobilities) and due to Covid-19, one online for the project Management team;
• Eleven virtual team meetings;

• Two short-term staff training (In Italy and Spain) on the topic of Creative Learning Environments and exchanging good practices and experimenting on various adaptations. In total forty-two mobilities;
• Twenty-two Local Activities in five countries, in which educators experimented and implemented new methods and tools and transformed it to their own realities and educational setting;
• One Analysis report in which the needs, challenges and dilemmas of educators all over Europe are captured concerning Creative Learning Environment and innovation of education ;
• Eight CLEAR practices that have been selected and describes and experimented with.

The partnership was successful and 2 follow up project have been developed and applied for on the topic of Escape Exclusion Strategic Partnership project ((approved by Latvian NA of E+ on School Education) and Learning Labs on physical Learning Spaces. The CLEAR project has impact on education in Europe and sees change and innovation in educational practices of educators all over Europe in order to support young people to take ownership of their own learning.