Learn to Engage was a modular course that aimed to build botanic gardens’ capacity to develop effective programmes and activities to engage people with plants. The project partnership designed and piloted a modular blended-learning course. Four blended learning modules were developed in Interpretation, Working with Diverse Audiences, Science Communication and Evaluation and Research. Each module was 12 weeks in duration and consisted of 11 weeks of online learning, hosted by partner RBGE’s online learning platform PropaGate Learning, and one week on-site hosted by the module lead partner. The modules offered botanic garden and museum educator professionals a flexible professional development opportunity and promoted equity and inclusion in botanic garden and museum education. The project’s objectives were: To enhance inclusive education in botanic gardens through practitioner training. To develop innovative blended learning models for training botanic gardens on public engagement (what we want to do). To enhance botanic garden professionals’ access to C-VET through embedding training in the digital era (why we want to do it). To improve services through training on new areas of work for botanic gardens. To support the development of transnational standards for evaluating informal education. To increase botanic gardens’ capacity for showcasing the value of plants and plant science to society. The overall project methodology included four overlapping phases. Each phase corresponded to the development and piloting of a module and included the following major elements: 1. Designing the course structure and content. 2. Piloting the module and collecting evaluation data. 3. Reflecting on the delivery of the module and analysing the evaluation data. 4. Finalising intellectual outputs for each module, which took the form of a Trainer and Participant manual and accompanying online resources. Each unit was led by a different project partner with expertise in the area of focus. MUSE led the Interpretation module, RBGE led the Working with Diverse Audiences module, BGCI and MUSE co-led the Science Communication module and ULisboa and NTU co-led the Evaluation and Research module. All project partners contributed to each module through the development of resources, attending the on-site week, acting as module tutors and evaluation. Train the Trainer events built capacity within the partnership to support module delivery. Each module delivered training for up to 20 education professionals from the botanic garden and museum sector in the UK, Italy and Portugal. Priority was given to small gardens/museums with limited funding, those who had not previously attended comparable training and for other reasons did not have access to professional development training. In total, the project trained 79 individuals from 73 organisations across the UK, Italy and Portugal. Of those trained 82% agreed or strongly agreed that they had been able to use what they had learnt from the modules in their organisation. An additional 171 individuals from 18 countries received training in elements of the LearnToEngage module content through multiplier events in the UK, Italy and Portugal (this included an additional event in the UK delivered at no additional cost to Erasmus+). Through the project’s modules, both the participants and partnership representatives have developed their ability to produce effective public engagement and engage new audience groups effectively. In this way, the project has improved the public engagement offering for botanic gardens in UK, Portugal and Italy, which in turn has improved the botanic garden visitors’ understanding of plant science and conservation and reduced barriers to their participation. Combining the partnership and module participants, the number of visitors that will be impacted by this work is approx. 2.6million. In addition, through our multiplier events and wider dissemination activities of the project outputs we have the potential to reach even more visitors (Multiplier attendee organisation visitor total - 2.5 million visitors). The intellectual outputs have been shared with BGCI’s global network of botanic gardens as well as through the partnership’s national and international contacts so that the resources developed can be used to further enhance the education offering of botanic gardens and museums. Botanic gardens alone see over 500 million visitors each year (Sharrock, 2015), so the potential long-term impact of this project is very large. The partnership will continue to monitor the long-term impacts of the project post completion.

"1. Project backgroundMobility for learning purposes is part of our continuing education courses for the ""Certified Technician for Viticulture and Oenology"" as well as ""Certified Technician for Horticulture"" and Certified Technician for Gardening and Landscaping ""The project consistently joined the series of internationalization activities that we have carried out since 2005 either alone or in collaboration with consortium partners - and have planned for the duration of the current and future Erasmus program generation.Mobility as a staff development measure was again offered under this project.2. Project goalsAs part of our mobility project, we pursue goals at the participant level (learners and teachers / VET officers) as well as at the level of participating institutions (sending and hosting institutions).The focal point of our measure was the professional learning / development needs of the participants.The need for personal and social skills played an important, albeit subordinate role at the same time.At the level of the participating institutions, the declared goal was the expansion and consolidation of the already existing partner network and exchange.3. Number and profile of participantsThe project involved the deployment of 31 learners and 15 teachers / VET officers. 3.1. Learners | As part of our continuing education courses, students acquire the qualification of ""state-certified technician"" after the second year of study (DQF Level 6). The stays abroad are completed in the time interval between the 1st and the 2nd year of study.3.2. Staff in vocationaleducation and training | This target group consisted of members of our educational institution whom work as teachers, educational responsibles or mobility coordinators (Erasmus mobility). 4. Description of the activities4.1. LearnersThe stays abroad were completed during the internship periods specified in the curriculum.- Phase I: 15.07.17 - 15.11.17 - Phase II: 15.07.18 - 15.11.18 The learning stays were completed in companies, in a teaching and research institute with affiliated production company in the form of internships. The duration of the stays abroad varied depending on the field of study or the individual learning needs of the participants (21 - 63 days).4.2. Teachers and vocational training officersTeachers and those responsible for vocational training completed hoping / job shadowing or stays for educational purposes lasting between 4 and 11 days.The stays took place in educational institutions, companies or umbrella organizations (garden and landscaping).5. Effect and benefits of the projectThe project had a primary impact on the actors directly involved: participants, sending and receiving organizations. Participants were able to acquire / expand occupational and personal skills.As an educational institution / sending institution, we have gained experience and knowledge that is important for the continuous updating of our educational measures (content and formats) and their alignment with labor market requirements.Thanks to the transfer of knowledge, skills and experience to and from the participating institutions, fields of activity, regions / countries, the project had a positive impact for those all.The mobility measure also led to the further promulgation of the Erasmus + program, its objectives and benefits at the level of directly involved or affected institutions, sectors and regions / countries."