“Useful”, “informative”, “user-friendly”, “interactive”, “accessible”, etc. Here are some of the main qualities teachers from Greece have used to describe the SALL community platform. Whether they like it because “it encourages the user to follow specific steps of inquiry learning in a guided way, so the user is not lost in a theoretical exploration” or “ because it provides information on a variety of projects from all partners so that one can get ideas on how to implement the project.”, teachers from Greece had much to say about this platform. Some even recommended it to other teachers “because its structure encourages teachers, even beginners, to start creating educational scenarios.” and because the platform showcases “projects that schools are implementing today, moving away from sterile knowledge.” The community platform is the true face of the SALL project and sets the tone for what is happening on the ground, beyond theory. So what can one find in it?

A source for inspiration and support

The SALL platform offers an interactive environment with ready-to-use resources and tools for implementing open schooling and many features to get inspired by existing open schooling projects. 159 primary and secondary teachers and partners have already created their profiles and started to share inspirational stories that one can use inside their classrooms and adapt to fit their current needs and environments.

The platform also gives access to a library of new tools, tips, and tricks developed and approved by pioneer teachers to perform the SALL methodology. The SALL project made a downloadable repository where one can find translated material in 10 languages, with one simple click.

A place to connect with others

The community platform is also the place to connect with a community sharing the same values, eager to transform schools and empower students. It provides functionality to connect with peers across Europe and facilitates cooperation between teachers in communities of practice; a very useful feature for those who simply just don’t know how to start open schooling! 17 communities are already set up, based on theme or country but many more can be created to discuss common challenges and learn from peers.

A way to highlight initiatives across Europe

Brilliant living lab projects are blooming in schools across Europe with creative energy and real impacts on the local communities. That’s another goal for this platform: offer schools, teachers, and students implementing the SALL methodology the highlight they deserve - not providing room to showcase their potential and success would be a pity

A multilingual environment with many features

The platform is the little sister of the OSOS portal, the first platform ever developed for supporting Open Schooling across Europe. Thus, its development has benefited from the lessons learned and the feedback shared by the users of the OSOS portal, by making it more user-friendly and easy to navigate, the platform offers a multilingual environment available in 10 languages (English, Dutch, French, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Croatian, Estonian, Serbian) where teachers and schools staff can easily connect and access a wide range of resources: a library of tools, an events calendar, an interactive map, several forums, inspiring stories, etc.

• In sum, do you want to implement open schooling in your school but you don’t know where to start?
• Have you carried out one or more open schooling projects and now want to inspire others?
• Do you want to connect with open schooling lovers across Europe to exchange tips and tricks?

If you can relate to one of these questions, the SALL community platform on open schooling is made for you and we highly recommend you to join the crew! Set up your account, share your project, and start connecting with others!

The Schools As Living Labs project has received funding from the European Union´s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under grant agreement No. 871794.