The “Pathfinders of the Waters” project - part of the United Rivers of Romania programme
Our project is using the "lotca" motif (Danube Delta archaic boat) for the revitalization of traditional boat construction crafting, in the context of a 3-week wooden boat construction workshop, during which children from local communities learn the value of local natural & cultural heritage elements, the importance of education and acquiring new skills, of collaboration, as well as of combining intangible heritage with contemporary tools & methods for the sustainable development of a community.
National
Romania
The project includes, until the present day, eight workshops for the complete construction of a traditional wooden boat, with the involvement of children from different culturally isolated or small communities. They were held during 2018-2022 in the following Romanian localities: Drobeta Turnu Severin, Eșelnița, Sfântu Gheorghe, Sulina, Piscu, Chilia Veche, Comana, Mila 23.
Mainly rural
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Ivan Patzaichin - Mila 23 Association Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Teodor Victor Last name of representative: Frolu Gender: Male Nationality: Romania Function: Vice president of Ivan Patzaichin - Mila 23 Association Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Ivan Patzaichin - Mila 23 Association - Headquarters: Nufarului Street 63, C3, Mila 23 Village, Crisan Commune, Tulcea County, Romania; Correspondence Address: Uranus Street, 150, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania Town: Mila 23 Village Postal code: 827062 Country: Romania Direct Tel:+40 21 312 3835 E-mail:office@rowmania.ro Website:https://rowmania.ro/
URL:https://www.facebook.com/RowmaniaPatzaichin Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #rowmania #canotcascoala #calauzeleapelor #apeleunitealeromaniei #unitedriversofromania
URL:https://www.instagram.com/rowmania.ro/ Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #rowmania #canotcascoala #calauzeleapelor #apeleunitealeromaniei #unitedriversofromania
Yes
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites
Inspired by our leader, Ivan Patzaichin, who used his entire international reputation as an Olympian and world sportsman to give back to the local community that supported him and to the development of our country, we began from an element of intangible heritage found in the Danube Delta – the traditional fishing boat (lotca) - unprotected, with significant potential. We searched contemporary uses for it, finding that it answers countless local and global problems today.
We are using the traditional "lotca" motif as a pretext to pursue the achievement of our scope & objectives and, after extended research and several local interventions, we concluded that the key is to tackle these themes in the educational process.
We went to villages that don't have easy access to cultural activities and, starting from the lotca, an important identity element in the Delta, we generated a system through which we promote it as an excellent exemplification of ways of valuing the local heritage of a community, while also protecting the environment & nature.
We started from the heart of the Danube Delta & generated a pilot project including 8 localities in Romania. We discovered, through quantitative and qualitative results, the potential to scale this project at regional & European levels.
We developed a network of children & defined a methodology of learning through experience, which we want to consolidate & extend to other examples of intangible heritage in need of recovery and valorization. We train & connect kids to the process of development based on local resources and experiential tourism, in which being good connoisseurs of local heritage is an asset.
The pilot project carried out between 2018-2022 had support from partners: local schools & authorities, National Schools Inspectorates, the Department for Sustainable Development of the Romanian Government, Active Citizens Fund - Norway Grants, Kaufland Romania, Bosch Romania & Bosch Foundation, & RO National TV.
Sustainable development
Experiential education
Heritage as resource
Human - nature relationship
Mixing old and new
Key objectives:
- integrating local cultural and natural heritage in education, through a multidisciplinary approach, by regeneration and adaptation of heritage elements for current and future contexts (social, cultural, economic, etc.)
- mixing traditional local practices with contemporary methods and innovation in generating new directions for a truly sustainable development
- encouraging the consolidation of a new generation of future adults preoccupied with the direct connection between heritage and sustainable development, responsible, resourceful citizens, capable of critical thinking and decision-making, caring for their well-being, for those around them, and the Planet, its ecosystems, and natural resources
- encouraging the re-creation of the connection between communities, water (rivers, lakes), and the culture that formed around them, involving children and adults in activities that make us conscious of the essential role of water in our everyday life
The project has a know-how transfer component, through the development of video Open Educational Resources, as good practice examples for the use of a local identity element in the development of a multi- and interdisciplinary education approach - for the use of teachers and students all over the country. The educational resources were developed with the involvement of a group of secondary school teachers, from all over the country, covering a suite of school disciplines, relevant to the context of the project.
For a long-term approach to protecting and creatively valuing local heritage in sustainable development, our project integrates the creation and administration of the children's network – connecting children involved in the workshop's process, having the potential to further develop in fields that creatively use the heritage of a community for sustainable growth and development.
Key objectives:
- valorization of the traditional craft of wooden boat construction as part of the intangible heritage of the Danube Delta & Romania, recovering and revitalizing the craft and proving that our heritage is alive, it must not be frozen in the past, but be actively used as a resource for further creation and development
- understanding the practicality of school subjects in everyday life by young people & children, training them as responsible, capable, adaptable citizens, properly equipped with know-how and skills for future jobs; highlighting the value of multidisciplinary learning for the harmonious development of children
- connecting practical real-life learning with education carried out in the digital environment, adapting content to platforms and instruments with which the students prefer to interact, are comfortable with, and through which they consume information more easily, at their own pace
- developing good practice examples of capitalizing on local identity for the growth and well-being of communities and the delight of visitors in search of authentic local experiences
Our intangible heritage element (lotca) leaves the area of preservation, entering the educational and the practical use zone, thus learning from the past to continue our development in the present, and towards the future.
Our education method is taking into account the rhythm of participants and informational consumption preferences, to ensure the success of the process, mixing digital instruments with real-life practical learning, in order to prove the sense of sciences, crafts, abilities, and skills in our daily lives and realities.
The real-life workshop is doubled by a digital workshop, video resources, articles, and quizzes helping children to better understand the relationship between heritage, nature, people, and the ways the world works. The digital platform also stands as the digital meeting space for the Pathfinders of the Waters.
Key objectives:
- proposing, at the national level, a new type of social learning, based on principles of alternative education: development of practical skills & ability to ADAPT to new contexts, learning in/for solidarity, self-socio-construction, researcher and creator status for all students, freedom of physical and mental movement, civic and ecological spirit, emphasis on social inclusion, acceptance of diversity and collaboration
- creating cohesion among community members and contexts for intergenerational collaboration, involving students, teachers, parents, and volunteers in educational and social development actions
- connecting children in a national network aiming to make them long-term participants in the sustainable development process, each receiving a community role in connection to their local cultural and natural heritage
The project has a focus on social inclusion, increasing tolerance, and acceptance in children and adults. Emphasis is placed on discovering the identity elements of ethnic local communities, for new perspectives on cultural diversity and the ways in which it can be used creatively for local growth and development.
In the Deltaic localities where the workshop took place (Sulina, Chilia, Sfantu Gheorghe), children of Lipovan, Ukrainian & Bulgarian ethnicity participated in the integral construction of a wooden boat, given that Delta is populated with a diversity of ethnic minorities (more than 17 living together in the Delta).
In Comana and Eşelnița, Romanian and Roma children participated, and in Piscu, the workshop was held during an experience exchange camp between local children & a group from the Republic of Moldova. The visitors had the opportunity to join the workshop and requested that it will also take place in their home village.
The workshops drew the attention of the parents - the education process went beyond the workshop, with parents declaring how they learned from their children's insights.
Through a practical workshop on wooden boat construction, children from local communities learn why heritage is so important & valuable, including from the perspective of climate change, how people can reconnect with resources of the areas they live in to develop sustainably and with care for the environment, why some archaic practices make sense to the contemporary, what occupations and skills might be useful in the future and why people are unique in their cultural and multi-ethnic diversity.
Other participants in the process - involvement of teachers and parents in practical educational activities - the meeting between teacher, parent, and student in a non-formal context is a new proposal approaching education, responding to needs and realities of present and future, including preservation & creative use of heritage.
The teachers who participated in the workshop & those who were involved in the development of open educational resources realized the value of such an approach and many decided to try to integrate, in the optional school courses, learning activities dedicated to local heritage.
The workshops drew the attention of the parents, in the sense that the education process actually went beyond the workshop. Parents participating in the boat launching events declared how they learned from the children's insights from the activities.
In most of the localities, the workshop attracted the attention of members of the local communities, who were interested to see how the activities that the children are so excited about are carried out and, at the same time, to participate in the celebratory moment of launching the boat on the water.
These occasions had a significant impact on their perception of the idea of using an archaic craft in constructing a functional object useful today, and on the manner they perceive the water crossing their locality – not only part of the local landscape but also a generator of cultural practices & daily activities.
The project benefits from the involvement of local schools and authorities in the localities where the workshop is organized, the financial support of the Department for Sustainable Development of the Romanian Government, the Active Citizens Fund - Norway Grants, and Kaufland Romania.
In the dissemination of the project, two national media partners joined us: the Romanian National Television and the Romanian Broadcasting Society, with a special focus on creating informative materials regarding the open educational resources of the project.
Furthermore, the National School Inspectorates Administration informed the schools and teachers in Romania about our project's purpose and its components.
In the actual development of the project's components, we had the opportunity to collaborate with over 10 teachers and experts from the national level, who joined the project in the phase of conducting workshops and producing open video educational resources.
Areas in which our multi and transdisciplinary project has a significant impact:
- History – it brings back to our attention an archaic craft that still makes a lot of sense in the present day, given that it answers many problems we face nowadays
- Education – it proposes a new manner and rhythm of learning, responding to current & future realities, with attention to the idea of practical learning, generating new transferable skills in a multitude of fields
- Sustainable development – the project aims to demonstrate to children the value and power that comes from creative capitalization of cultural heritage with current resources and tools
- Environment – our project promotes traditional construction practices, non-invasive with nature & contributes to the understanding of concepts of cultural and natural heritage, communities & the diverse relationship to their territory, slow tourism, cultural tourism, and ecotourism
- Economy – it contributes to the development of future adults who can generate new, relevant & viable jobs and new development fields from the perspective of local heritage, with a focus on a global view
- Tourism – ecotourism and cultural tourism are encouraged, and children learn to identify local heritage elements and new ways to value & promote them
- Social development – it tackles the opportunity to approach the cultural and natural heritage of a territory in an integrated way for the benefit of the community;
- Cultural – it is increasing the local pride and the feeling of identity in the local communities where our project develops, plus development in tolerance and acceptance of cultural diversity
- Local development – The Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, in collaboration with the local school inspectorate, intends, in partnership with the Ivan Patzaichin Mila 23 - Association’s team, to include this project in the extracurricular school curriculum in all schools in the Danube Delta area.
The project revitalizes a local craft born through the relationship between man and the surrounding nature, a local practice proving to be more and more useful and necessary for the contemporary locals of the Danube Delta and other natural fragile areas, which must be valued & protected simultaneously.
We got our inspiration from the traditional Deltaic fishing boat & its craft as tools for exploring communities that were created in the vicinity of water. In the Danube Delta, we have identified multiple directions for generating an entire ecosystem around the boat, as it can become the "pretext" for any community to explore the waters around their locality and the culture created in these places from the perspective of human – nature relationships.
The distinct culture of locals in the Danube Delta was born around these precious local tangible & intangible elements that can generate a flourishing development of ecotourism & cultural tourism done in peace, to experience life in the midst of the extremely diverse local communities in this splendid green heart-shaped territory.
In the context of our project, we are taking the good practice example of our “lotca” throughout the country and are growing the Pathfinders network with children who will be able to guide tourists in search of authentic local experiences through the diversity of their local, natural, and cultural heritage.
The results of the project prove a need for this kind of intervention, both in terms of heritage education and access to cultural activities in disadvantaged areas with limited access to culture. The tools we use can answer a multitude of problems that humanity faces in the present, thus, the project can have applicability in other regions, including other states.
Following the good experience that the association team had in the period 2011-2014 in Ulm, Germany, where a traditional delta fishing boat was built during the Danube Festival, as well as in the Danube Connection project, in which we organized rowing competitions in several European cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and others), we realized that connecting cities and countries along the Danube through such initiatives can truly have a significant impact.
We are considering scaling up the project, by:
- carrying out boat-building workshops in several localities along the Danube, from the river’s source (Germany) to its outlet (Romania, Danube Delta), for the chance to discover together with the local communities along the river their own identity elements that attest the traditional local culture formed around the river - international cooperation for shared objectives.
- developing the web platform with additional educational content, and interactive knowledge testing tools, extending the discussion regarding the value of the heritage of a community for a flourishing non-invasive growth towards nature, with the involvement of the Pathfinders in this process
- creating a methodology to be applied by teachers without the physical presence of our trainer, with minimal remote assistance & access to a digital workshop implementation kit. The methodology will have the ability to be perfectly transferable for other intangible heritage elements, becoming an instrument of collaboration between student-teacher-the community, aiming to integrate into education an attention to local heritage
Phases & progress
Context & research (2011-2018):
1 Field research in Danube Delta to identify locals who preserve the traditional wooden boat construction craft
2 Identification of the last craftsmen, who did not practice – we created contexts to revitalize it for present uses
3 Development of the “canotca” prototype – an innovative design product preserving the “lotca” image, as part of the deltaic cultural landscape, with innovated construction system, responding to needs of slow tourism
4 To cherish the archaic craft and the traditional “lotca”, we invented a new tourist product - pescatourism (experiential slow tourism based on the local deltaic specifics)
5 We concluded that to propose a paradigm shift in terms of bringing heritage elements to public attention, education for heritage is needed. We began to define, starting from the example of the “lotca”, a methodology of learning throughout practice with the aim of developing responsible adults concerned with the heritage of the communities to which they belong
Construction & development (2018-2022):
6 We annually organized a series of one-day wooden boat construction workshops, in order to prospect interest in such activities across different communities
7 Starting with 2018, we organized 2-3 traditional wooden boat building workshops (3 weeks/ workshop) each year, in communities with limited access to cultural and educational activities
8 We created a package of digital open educational resources, including video content and course materials, for teachers all over the country to access and use them
9 We launched the Pathfinders of the Waters network, aiming to coagulate a national community of young people interested in methods to value local heritage & generate new cultural tourism and slow tourism activities
10 We organized a series of events for the network
11 We launched a digital platform for heritage education & sustainable development, connecting the Pathfinders to common goals
The project demonstrates how the identification of an element of local heritage, formed organically through the relationship of man with the surrounding nature, has the ability to become a motif around which an entire network of local development can be constructed, mixing fields & expertise areas, connecting nature, culture, and local community, integrating these elements in the education process.
By raising awareness and preparing adults and young people for the sustainable future we desire and need, through a solution that integrates a series of local elements, this approach manages to address global problems, such as climate change, valorization of local natural & cultural heritage, acceptance of cultural diversity & tolerance, intergenerational collaboration, stimulation of creativity & innovation, experiential education, the importance of multidisciplinary skills & abilities for the well-being and safety of future generations.
Results:
- 8 workshops in 2018-2022 (in the localities: Drobeta Turnu Severin, Eșelnița, Sfântu Gheorghe, Sulina, Piscu, Chilia Veche, Comana, Mila 23)
- over 200 active participants, children from the 8 local communities who acquired basic skills in traditional local crafting, where non-invasive towards environment production activities are involved
- more than 15 school teachers and about 300 parents and family members in direct contact with the project and its components, participating in the re-activation of the organic relationship between communities & local waters
- 18 one-day teaser workshops with over 500 young participants
- over 1m online audiences, reached by the awareness campaign through mass media, social media, Ads, and website visits
Following the success of the pilot project and the qualitative results obtained in relation to the participants, we decided to expand the project by:
- National - Organizing wooden boats construction workshops at the national level, in order to disseminate the model of good practice in the valorization of heritage in education
- International - Organizing of workshops in the communities located along the Danube, from the source to the spillway of the river, in an international educational cooperation effort for the creative use of local heritage in the development
- Network - Further development of the children's network mechanism through frequent meetings and non-formal education activities, online and offline
- Funding - Identifying new opportunities for financial support, through the project's traditional partners and new relevant partners
- An annual event - Organizing the annual festival of the Pathfinders of the Waters, in Tulcea, the gate city to Danube Delta
- Method - Developing a learning methodology to be transferred in the context of new crafts or intangible heritage elements, through which the formation of responsible adults prepared for a volatile future is pursued
By constructing their own traditional wooden boat, the children experience the practical application of concepts & knowledge acquired at school, thus better understanding their usefulness. The workshop, conducted by Viorel Gheorghe (craftsman of Ivan Patzaichin - Mila 23 Association), benefited from interventions from teachers of mathematics, physics, geography, and social education, as well as specialists in sustainable development, art, and computer-aided design, that managed to contextualize their school subjects in the practical activity of wooden boat construction.
The traditional boat construction workshop is designed by craftsman Viorel Gheorghe as a non-formal, experiential education method, through which children from Romanian villages and cities located near the waters become, for three weeks, real craftsmen, shaping the wood, finding out the basic rules of photography, applying notions of geometry, physics, economics, and ecology, etc., while practicing critical thinking and active civic spirit.
At the end of the workshop, the participants test the tangible result of their work with a ride on the water in the boat they built with their own hands. They come into direct contact with nature, become more conscious of its value and fragility, and, both them and the rest of the community, rediscover natural areas with potential in the locality, thus contributing to strengthening the local brand and diversifying the palette of leisure activities.
Through the Pathfinders of the Waters activities, children and adults organically learn through practical experience concepts such as sustainable development, skills & abilities suited for a volatile future, a greener economy & a more inclusive society.
Furthermore, the closeness between the formal learning environment and the non-formal one, the multi- and transdisciplinary approach, can represent a recipe for success in terms of connecting education to the requirements of the present and the future.
