Faculty students in Krka National Park, as part of a volunteer-based project with educational and creative content

Students from the Department of Early and Preschool Education, and the Department of Sociology participated in a volunteer-based project in Krka National Park. Students were selected as part of the Faculty insitututional project titled Developing Natural Science and Environmental Literacy of Students of the Teacher Training Program at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Split. The said Krka NP project was part of a larger project The Unexplored Krka: hidden treasures of the upper and middle parts of the Krka River. The students were housed in the educational and reception complex, the so-called Eco-campus in Puljani, 16-25 of October. Our Faculty students were educated on the local natural environment as well as the cultural and historical sites of Krka National Park.  In addition, they also improved their natural science and ecological literacy,  developed empathy for nature, as well as its protection through the principle of indigeneity. During their stay, the students not only got to know the natural and archeologically significant localities of Krka National Park, but also actively participated, exchanged and gained new experiences and knowledge in a modern and interactive way. Last but not least, they learned the importance of extracurricular, field classes, which serve to connect the classroom and practical life, and are foundational elements of contemporary education. They rounded off their ten-day experience by creating educational workshop for students of the 3rd and 4th grades of elementary school.

And here is the experience described in their own words:

- An experience I will remember for the rest of my life.

- A ten-day stay in nature and a peaceful environment, as well as the exchange of knowledge, experiences and the acquisition of new competencies.

- The perfect team, coordinators Branka and Doris, exceeded our expectations with their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, as well as the entire program.

- Useful education and nice experience.

- After these 10 wonderful days in nature and the series of activities we did, I became even more aware of the education of elementary school teachers for extracurricular teaching, which is very important in today's society when children are more focused on indoor activities due to the development of technology. No classroom can replace what nature offers.

- Unforgetable experience! I am happy that I had the opportunity to make a project for 3rd and 4th grade students with other colleagues.

- I am happy that I took part in this project where I met new friends with whom I built beautiful memories and a great experience.

- Thank you to Branka and Doris, who did their best to make us aware of the importance of extracurricular teaching over classroom teaching. I also thank them for the series of examples that showed how students can observe nature without just flipping through textbooks.

- I recommend such projects to everyone! Nature, socializing, sharing experiences, learning something new = priceless.

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