Over the past decade, the national educational standards of numerous countries, including the United States, Canada, Finland and many European countries, have evolved to incorporate relevant scientific practices and engineering skills for the modern world. However, as difficult as it is to write modernised national standards, it is much harder to transpose that into schools and classrooms. In most educational systems worldwide, including many countries with modern standards, students still sit in rows and memorise equations in a lecture-style classroom setting. The reality is that school is still disconnected from many aspects of society and does not prepare students for their future role as contributors to society. The formal educational system is inadequate in addressing contemporary society's challenges. To better address the rapid and constant technological, social, and economic change in society, formal education practices should be reinforced by non-formal educational practices.

The EU project Make it Open adopts the concept of Open Schooling where schools are transformed from traditional educational institutions into community partnerships and become agents of community well-being. Open Schooling is an approach in which purposeful collaborations are built between schools and their wider communities. Families, experts and other stakeholders collaborate with teachers and students to address relevant local challenges, contribute to community development, and promote an active global citizenship attitude.

Why is this toolkit relevant?

The Make it Open Schooling toolkit, derived from the learnings of the Make it Open project, provides a range of practical benefits that make it highly relevant for various community actors. By embracing Open Schooling principles outlined in the toolkit, schools can position themselves at the center of addressing both local and global challenges relevant to their communities. Through collaborative efforts involving diverse stakeholders, such as non-formal education organisations, families, and local authorities, Open Schooling initiatives foster community engagement and generate innovative solutions.

The toolkit serves as a guide, enabling educators to design inclusive learning environments that encourage active participation and enhance students' abilities to tackle real-world issues. By adopting Open Schooling practices, different community actors can cultivate a culture of creativity, critical thinking, and social responsibility, empowering students to make a positive impact within their communities and beyond.

Who is this toolkit for?

This comprehensive toolkit on Open Schooling caters to two distinct target audiences: teachers and non-formal learning organisations seeking to implement Open Schooling projects.

Designed to empower teachers and educators on their Open Schooling journey, the toolkit offers access to a wealth of valuable resources. Within its content, educators will discover Make it Open tools, practical guidance, innovative approaches, and inspiring examples, all of which will facilitate the successful implementation of Open Schooling projects in their educational environments.
For non-formal learning organisations, this toolkit serves as a valuable resource that draws upon the direct experiences and invaluable tips shared by the 10 hubs involved in the Make it Open project. These hubs, mostly led by science centres and museums as well as other non-formal learning organisations, acted as educational incubators and supported over 150 schools in their transformation from traditional educational institutions to spaces of community well-being.