From 19 to 21 November 2025, partners of the Erasmus+ project 2025-1-HR01-KA220-VET-000356995 – Green Care Career: Advancing Health, Sustainability and Purpose in Agriculture gathered in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, for the project’s first international working meeting.
The meeting was hosted by GRM Novo Mesto – Centre of Biotechnics and Tourism and brought together representatives of all project partners: CEKOM 3LJ (Croatia), the project coordinator; Fabula movens Ltd. (Croatia); Braća Radić Secondary School (Croatia); University of Split (Croatia); SUGS Brakja Miladinovci Secondary School (North Macedonia); Sonja Marinković Agricultural School with Student Residence (Serbia); and the host institution, GRM Novo Mesto – Centre of Biotechnics and Tourism (Slovenia).
During the three-day programme, participants took part in workshops, lectures, and collaborative training sessions focused on advancing vocational agricultural education through the integration of health, sustainability, and social responsibility.
The programme opened with a workshop on design thinking as an innovative approach to curriculum development. Participants worked in international groups to identify challenges in existing vocational education programmes and explore opportunities for improvement. Particular attention was given to the importance of students’ mental well-being and the role educational institutions can play in supporting it.
Representatives of the University of Split, Associate Professor Ivana Carev and Associate Professor Mila Bulić, presented the thematic framework and educational modules that will form the foundation of the Green Care Career curriculum. Throughout the meeting, project partners jointly defined the project’s objectives, core activities, and communication slogan while collaborating on the development of learning outcomes for each educational module. These outcomes were reviewed, evaluated, and refined through peer discussions to ensure a shared understanding among all partners.
The workshops also explored the concepts of open pedagogy and service learning, highlighting their potential to strengthen experiential learning, community engagement, and social responsibility within agricultural education.
The meeting marked an important milestone in the development of innovative educational resources for the Green Care Career project. By combining sustainability, mental well-being, and a strong sense of social purpose, the partnership is laying the foundation for a modern vocational education framework that will better prepare future agricultural professionals to address environmental and societal challenges across Europe.