Universities play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through knowledge generation, sharing and cooperation with other sectors (SDG 17) (Seth, 2023). Nevertheless, to address the global challenge of climate change, considerably larger partnerships with a variety of stakeholders outside of higher education are necessary (Ho et al., 2023). School-university partnerships are perceived to be able to close the gap between theory and practice (Green et al., 2020; Passy et al., 2018). Research shows many positive outcomes of schools' active engagement in research such as practice transformation and social change (Goodnough, 2011). Partnerships between universities and museums can offer opportunities for children from a wide range of backgrounds to cross boundaries and experience other times, places and cultures (Wright, 2020).

We recently completed our 3-year Erasmus+ project ‘UPPScale - University Practice Partnerships: sustaining collaboration across learning environment’, where we investigated partnerships between HEIs and schools, early years settings and community groups. This led to the development of a set of Principles of Collaboration Across Boundaries to encourage effective partnership, in line with SDG 17.16 (UN General Assembly, 2015). As part of the project, we completed six Transnational Partnership Projects (TPPs) – one of them about ‘Place-based learning in the school surroundings’ with partners from Belgium, Czech Republic and England. Within this TPP, two groups of children in Belgium and the Czech Republic conducted their own place-based learning projects. Following the TPP, the English partners invited families and children to explore a local museum through the child-led approach.

Supported by SDG 4.7 (UN General Assembly, 2015), children have the right for suitable and supportive education. Their voices and stands should be respected and hope for the future provided. In our research project, we advocate for children to be seen as capable members of society and explore ways to enable their right to be heard and their ‘views ... given due weight’ (UN General Assembly, 1989, p. 5). Investing in children and innovative learning approaches can prepare them to be future citizens that actively engaged in a sustainable society. Every child should have the chance to participate in real-world projects that span national and international borders and involve a variety of stakeholders (Ho et al., 2023 ).

Place-based learning gives children a sense of their own agency and collective capacity (Smith, 2007), even at young age (Boyd, 2019). It helps to develop a stronger connection to the community, enhances appreciation for the natural world, and increases the commitment to be an active, contributing citizen (Sobel, 2004). With the place-based learning approach, learners are more autonomous. That means they get involved in their own learning agenda as they choose an area of their interest, the way to approach it, and they construct personally meaningful artifacts that are representations of their learning (Grant, 2002). The approach can also be used across the curriculum (Beames et al., 2012) and outside of institutional learning structures. Museums and galleries are ‘valuable places for learning with rich contexts and experiences for making sense of the world’ (Wright, 2020, p. 743).

Our original TPP explored how place-based learning projects can be conducted with children in the Early Years and Primary school. Following the TPP, we explored how the place-based learning approach could be used by families and stakeholders in the wider community in a local museum. We also aimed to illustrate ways place-based learning projects can be scaffolded to empower teachers and museum educators to adapt this approach into their practice and engage in cross-sectoral partnerships.

Within the TPP, with the support of teachers and university researchers, 12 Belgian primary school children (9 to 10 years old) and 22 Czech preschool children (4 to 5 years old) conducted their own place-based learning projects within school hours. The primary school children chose to explore a cemetery that was located next to their school. Preschool children explored a nearby hill they visit regularly with their teachers but also with parents in their spare time. Following the TPP, with support of their parents and university researchers, children (3 to 11 years old) explored a local museum during a half-term activity. We drew from the place- and inquiry-based learning approach (Van Helleputte & Cools, 2022), which was initially designed for primary school aged children. Within the TPP, teachers and researchers adapted the approach to be suitable for preschool children. Beyond the TPP, the approach was adapted to be used by families and educators in a museum. Children developed research questions, were data collectors, and were involved in data interpretation, analysis as well as dissemination. Within the TPP, both groups of children voted for the most interesting place in the neighbourhood of the school. Children then explored the place with the help of a ‘hand-exploration’ tool (Van Helleputte & Cools, 2022). They collected all questions they had about things they have seen or noticed, sorted the questions and selected the most interesting one for them. To answer their research questions, they looked up information online and in literature. Children also visited and interviewed members of the community such as undertakers and their parents. After compiling information to answer their research questions, children presented their findings to their peers and teachers. To disseminate their findings further and introduce their place and research to the other children in the transnational project, each group made a video. During the half-term activity, children chose the most interesting area or an artefact within a local museum. They explored with the help of the ‘hand-exploration’ tool and took photos. To answer their research questions, they consulted museum staff, exhibition guides and looked up information online and in literature. Children collated their photos and research findings in an individual scrapbook that was then presented by them to other children and families, museum staff and local stakeholders.

Findings of this research project show that children had agency over every step of their project and activities helped to develop 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication as well as information literacy. Our findings also show that the approach is adaptable to every age group, within the school curriculum and beyond. This indicates that children acquire skills for further collaborative action for sustainability. The international aspect of the project’s first phase helped children to connect across borders, explore other languages and connect across age groups. It also provided a further purpose to disseminate their findings beyond their peers and teachers. The second phase helped children to explore across times and cultures and share their research findings with local stakeholders. Overall, the findings of this transnational and cross-sectoral project provide a guide of place-based learning in the school surroundings for teachers in Early Years and Primary school to draw from as well as stakeholders such as museum educators to discover ways for a child-led exploration of an exhibition. The findings provide valuable information into the use of place-based learning approaches to foster caring partnerships between universities, schools, families and the wider community. Findings also provided the opportunity to apply the Principles of Collaboration across sectoral and geographical boundaries and align the expectations of the role of different stakeholders to sustain partnerships between different sectors. We illustrate how schools, universities and stakeholders from the wider community can collaborate between age groups, countries and sustainably engage in partnerships. Findings also show how the diversity of contributors helped to develop and implement an innovative approach into school practices and outside of institutional learning structures such as a museum.

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