WWF Adria is looking for two education experts to be temporarily engaged in environmental education topics and activities related to Interreg lifelineMDD project as external experts. They are expected to work as a team during the preparation and organization of the trainings and during the development of didactic materials and tools.

Background:

The project lifelineMDD is a follow up of the coopMDD project that laid a foundation for living cooperation between Protected Area managers and a Transboundary Management Programme for the planned 5-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube (TBR MDD). 

The goal of the project is to improve connectivity and biodiversity within the MDD river corridor by restoring the natural river dynamics. With the development of an integrative, cross-border strategy for river restoration based on scientific research, pilot actions and cross-sectoral learning, lifelineMDD contributes strongly to the goal of protecting ecological corridors and intensifying the cooperation between different actors.

The results of the aforementioned project activities will be supported and anchored by the educational component and work on raising local awareness for living rivers. Environmental education is a process of acquiring skills and knowledge about sensitive environmental issues, engaging in problem solving and taking actions to improve the state of the environment. Through environmental education, individuals may learn how to develop deep understanding and critical thinking of environmental challenges and benefits of natural ecosystems, which leads to making informed and responsible choices and decisions.

The educational WP T3 is focused on reaching out to teachers and guides to empower them to develop and implement high quality environmental projects and promote the values and importance of the TBR MDD in local communities of the whole region. The aim is to ensure continuous awareness of the local population, especially children, young people and other visitors and that their knowledge on topics of ecological connectivity, nature protection and river restoration including adequate didactic tools and methods is safeguarded in the long term.

In order to strongly benefit continual sustainability of nature education in the transboundary region, in the scope of the project’s WP T3, the trainings for the multipliers (guides, teachers, youth workers) will be conducted at transboundary and national levels (Train-the-Trainer (TtT) seminar and National Trainings, respectively), with a goal to strengthen and raise their capacities. In addition, the educational materials, didactic tools and approaches are taken during the coopMDD project implementation (especially the River’sCool component) will be tested and adjusted, primarily during the Nature Academy piloting. To complement this, and to help River’sCool managers and users implement high quality projects and promote the importance and aims of the biosphere reserve, novel joint didactic materials and methods will be developed, including the trainers’ handbook. All these materials will represent the content on which the trainings will be based.    

The requested services shall be provided for the following tasks:

1. Objectives:

1.1. Strengthening support of local populations living along the TBR MDD for natural river dynamics and restoration measures.

2. Activities:

2.1. Develop and compile didactic tools and trainers’ handbook for use in the trainings and adapt the existing education materials. This development will follow the education on main project topics that include: riverine fish and bird species as indicator groups which show the importance of dynamic river processes, river restoration, climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems and sustainable development based on intact natural areas;

2.2. In cooperation with the work package leader prepare the program for the Train-the-Trainer (TtT) Seminar;

2.3. Conduct the three-part transboundary teachers and guides training (TtT Seminar);

2.4. Provide consulting and support (online and possibly in person) to national trainers for preparations of their national trainings and participate and present review at the joint workshop.

3.Outputs:

3.1. Developed tailored didactic materials and tools for integration into the joint materials and for successful implementation of the trainings;

3.2. Prepared tailored materials for the TtT Seminar (ppt, handouts and other);

3.3. Carried out first part of the TtT Seminar in summer 2021;

3.4. Carried out second part of the TtT Seminar in fall 2021;

3.5. Carried out third part of the TtT Seminar in January 2022;

3.6. Provided consultations to the national trainers;

Timeline:

1. Development and compilation of didactic tools and materials (start deadline February 2021, end deadline May 2021) -> Developed tailored didactic tools and trainers’ handbook

2. Preparation of the TtT Seminar (start deadline June 2021, end deadline August 2021) -> Prepared tailored materials for the TtT Seminar

3. Conducting TtT Seminar (start deadline July/August 2021, end deadline January 2022) -> Carried out three-part seminar

4. Consultations with national trainers (start deadline February 2022, end deadline March 2022) -> Provided consultations with the trainers

Estimated number of working days:

≈ 60 working days (one-year engagement: Feb 2021 - Feb 2022) 

Profile:

• Minimum: A University degree in the broad area of environmental education, pedagogy, natural sciences or related fields and at least 5 years of relevant experience in required field of work;
• Thorough knowledge of environmental education principles and practices;
• Experience in the development of teaching resources and didactic tools is an advantage;
• Fluent oral and written English communication skills are required and good knowledge of one of the TBR MDD countries’ languages (Austrian, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Serbian);
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills;
• Good team-work and decision-making skills;
• Awareness and sensitivity to the environment and natural processes.

Information and procedure 

Are you interested in this position and do you recognize yourself in the above profile? Then we invite you to express your interest before February 7th 2021 by sending an email with the Motivation letter and CV in English to nmatovic@wwfadria.org   

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted, and for selected candidates the interviews will be held virtually.