The University Program at CampusAckerdemie
Out of the lecture halls, and onto the fields!
The CampusAckerdemie pilot project aims at integrating ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) into teacher education. Participants acquire the complete set of farming skills required for effective teaching of an in-school gardening class, including planting, cultivation, and usage of up to 30 varieties of vegetables. The input from various subject didactics and educational sciences will shed light on topics such as food production, agriculture, trade and biodiversity from different perspectives. Additional workshops teach pedagogical methods of sustainability education.
CampusAckerdemie: Vermitteln, woher unser Gemüse stammt
From a pilot project to an integral part of teacher education
The project was first implemented in summer semester 2022 as a pilot project in cooperation with Acker e.V.
In the meantime, the CampusAckerdemie has become an integral part of our teacher education for students of all subjects and is coordinated at the BZL as part of the ExtraC program.
Dr. Amélie Tessartz and Dr. Jonathan Hense, both Biology Didactics, are the contact persons for the technical and content-related organization.
Greater appreciation for nature and food
12 million tons of food are thrown away every year in Germany. Half of that by private households. The constant availability of food makes it easier for us to waste it. The CampusAckerdemie program hopes to change that. It provides a hands-on education into just how much work goes into a bundle of carrots. Teachers-in-training can later pass on their own experiences to their pupils through an in-school gardening class. Regular workshops, for example on food preservation, complete the program.
“We teach sustainability—with hands in the dirt, not a raised pointer finger.”
Dr. Christoph Schmitz, Founder & Chairperson of the Executive Committee at Acker e.V.
Working Together for Sustainability
The CampusAckerdemie is a cooperation between the University of Bonn and the Wertvoll NRW project (Verbraucherzentrale NRW), with friendly support from the Am Zehnhoff-Söns Group.
2021
Commendation as one of the 100 Most Innovative Ideas in Education, Research & Science
2022
Establishment of a campus field at the University of Bonn
2023
National Award for Education for Sustainable Development for the University of Bonn