Nantes
Nantes (330.000 inhabitants) is undergoing increased levels of redevelopment and regeneration, following the demise of such traditional local industries as shipbuilding and shipyard activities. Indeed, both the local and metropolitan area economies are growing, balancing activities like IT services, biotechnology, financial activities with industry (aeronautics, food processing, mechanical materials). More than 25.000 companies provide 167.000 jobs. Nantes is also a University city with high research potential and a pool of skills recognised by local businesses, earning the ‘French Tech’ label assigned to French cities for their start‐up ecosystems (2014).
Education has always been a priority area for Nantes, which considers it central for social cohesion and a sustainable society. Despite its prosperity, unemployment is still at 14% and youth unemployment at 26%. The city is member of the Education Commission at EUROCITIES and has participated in numerous European projects on Education, including URBACT Gen-Y, Prevent and Stay-Tuned network projects.
Achievements
Despite the larger dimensions of Nantes with respect to Viladecans (Nantes has a total of 4 Educational Territories and 11 General Districts), and the highly complex administration -also for the education system-, our city has managed to successfully integrate aspects of the Educational Innovation Network Good Practice to the work at the district level. This was done thanks to the pilot projects that involved different stakeholders in two city education territories, North and South. The most important challenge for us now is to take the collaborative and 360º education approach experimented within the last 3 years and embedded into the new PEdT (Projet Educatif De Territoire).
Among specific learning and achievements in Nantes, we have:
- More integration of ON BOARD’s cross-cutting and networking approaches so as to show an approach that can be used at a wider territorial level.
- Increased sense of autonomy and flexibility. The ON BOARD Educational Innovation Network and the URBACT local group method allowed us to facilitate innovative initiatives with a real sense of autonomy, while adhering to the rules set out in the French education system.
- Expanded opportunities and more empowerment to the voices of students. ON BOARD provided the framework whereby schools and teachers could have the opportunity to work together in a common integrated way, enabling the voices of students to be heard (for example, Patrick Vasse from a secondary school and Françoise Gillot-Gravouil from a primary school, who knew each other before, finally got to work together on a project called “Body and well-being”, with students as the creative protagonists).
- New links amongst community members who support education innovation. Our URBACT local group included new external stakeholders and pedagogical professionals, establishing new connections and opportunities depending on each one’s capacity, for example, Air Pays de la Loire, Aelea Linea, Agissons pour l’emploi, ADN Ouest and the University of Nantes.
- Progress using communication tools and channels for collaboration in education in new ways, in large part thanks to the lively approaches and innovative uses of existing media shown by Viladecans, while continuing to use current channels (like magazine publications) to reach target audiences.
Nantes' EducationalInnovation Network KeyCommunity Members
Ourimpact
Schools
participating
in ON BOARD
4
Teachers and principals
participating
in ON BOARD
15
Students
involved in ON BOARD projects and activities
85
Families
directly participating in activities and meetings
3
Companies
participating in ON BOARD activities and meetings
2
Universities
that have contributed to the project
1
Local entities
participating in ON BOARD activities and meetings
1
Mayors and councillors
who have participated in meetings or events of the network
0
People from the municipal staff
involved in the project
12
Pilot Projects
initiated in your city
3
ULG
meetings
13
Nantes voices
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