The educational box consists of 3 parts:

• The online tool FarmLife is a farm management tool for agricultural operations that considers both economic and ecological aspects in its evaluation. Originally developed for farmers, the tool has undergone a thorough revision and adaptation for use in teaching.
• A comprehensive package of teaching materials: 12 modules – divided into introductory and advanced modules – connect different subjects in the agricultural school curriculum. The former provide general information on environmental history, sustainability assessment, and life cycle assessment, while the latter focus on the practical, farm-specific application and benefits of the FarmLife tool and help develop strategies for site-appropriate, sustainable agriculture. Brochures, presentations, worksheets, and fact sheets for each module are supplemented by further reading and the necessary materials for the developed educational activities.
• "FarmLife-Tactics"—a thinking and role-playing game specifically designed for FarmLife lessons—is intended to liven up lessons and make connections visible. Additional games and activities related to FarmLife are also provided for classroom use.

The educational kit, consisting of the game FarmLife-Tactics and a (sustainable wooden) USB stick containing all materials for the modules, games, and teaching suggestions, as well as further reading and an informational video, was presented to the school's teachers at the closing conference for interdisciplinary use in regular lessons. An official rollout of the FarmLife educational kit by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism (BMLRT) is planned for autumn 2020 at the Direktorconference in Elmberg.

Best possible support for teachers

Several agricultural schools in Austria – including those in the state of Salzburg – are serving as pilot schools, as they already have teaching experience with the tool and have successfully used it, along with the online educational materials. We at the Eco-Efficiency Research Group welcome active use and frequent feedback from the schools to ensure the quality of the materials and to continuously provide the best possible support for teachers.

FarmLife Train-the-Trainer Seminar

The FarmLife education kit is intended to be presented to agricultural schools in Austria whose teachers (at least one of them) have attended a FarmLife Train-the-Trainer seminar (or webinar). Solid knowledge and practical ideas from our seminars, but above all, the motivated implementation by dedicated teachers, form the foundation for the successful implementation of the teaching concept in schools. The annual dates for the training seminars ("FarmLife for Practitioners – Train the Trainer") can be found in the professional development plan of the University of Applied Sciences for Agricultural and Environmental Education and on the event calendar of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein.

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