Photo: Free Nature School Ravensburg

Out of the classroom and into life: The Free Nature School Ravensburg at Horrachhof, which opened in the 2024/25 school year, deliberately focuses on diverse learning experiences in the most varied areas of life.

Out of the classroom and into life: The Free Nature School Ravensburg at Horrachhof, which opened in the 2024/25 school year, deliberately focuses on diverse learning experiences in the most varied areas of life.Since September 2024, 25 children in two mixed-age learning groups have been attending the new "outdoor school", which has found its home at the Horrachhof farm in Berg. The traditional Bioland family farm is located a few kilometers west of Ravensburg in the middle of forests and meadows – ideal conditions for natural adventure spaces. Lessons take place here all year round and mainly outside, whatever the weather. The educational concept is based on the approaches of Rebeca and Mauricio Wild and draws on ideas from Montessori didactics and outdoor education: Learning takes place in, with and about nature, which is intended to promote the children's physical, mental, social, creative and emotional skills in equal measure. In addition, pupils develop a close relationship with nature, which they experience as worthy of protection.

The decision-making processes at the school actively involve the pupils. This participatory approach is also reflected in the lesson design, in which learning guides offer both free learning spaces and targeted stimuli. This currently benefits grades 1 to 5, which are divided into two groups. A third is planned for grades 8 to 10. In the long term, around 70 pupils are to be included. Prof. Dr. Matthias D. Witte from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz is providing scientific support for the project. SAGST is supporting the initiative with start-up funding for the first three years, during which there is still no state funding for independent schools. "In this way, we are enabling a forward-looking, didactic nature education project that could have an impact far beyond the region," explains project manager Johannes Schmidt. "Children can acquire important skills here to become mediators between nature, society and technology."