WS 3.113: Mountain Field Schools united! Let’s share what we learned for better learning.

Over the past decade, field-based intensive learning programmes have taken place across the world’s mountain regions in various modalities such as student exchange, study abroad, and summer/winter school. Mountains provide a critical natural laboratory for future leaders to explore the complex intersections between rapidly changing environments and the communities that live in them. This workshop aims to share learning goals, logistics and best practices of mountain field schools around the world to discern a set of common themes to ensure future leaders are well-prepared to address the challenges communities are facing. These themes may highlight the intersection of the natural and social sciences and draw focus on transformative learning. Workshop participants will explore potentials for cross-learning and collaborations, making mountain field schools more effective in inculcating sustainability and global citizenship for future generations. By gathering field school directors, designers, faculty, participants, and local hosts of existing mountain field schools, we can learn what works and what doesn’t, and also develop a collaborative learning network of educators, natural and social scientists, and societal actors in the collective endeavour. Furthermore, at this juncture it is critical to discuss the importance of transdisciplinary approaches that engage and empower local communities, Global South scholars and professionals, citizen scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders and heritage custodians in order to make collaborative learning relevant and meaningful for all.