DRAFT PARTNER REPORT

INTERREG SI–AT Small Project

MURA CALLING

Project Partner

DorfUni Bad Radkersburg (Austria)

Reporting Period: 1 October 2025 – 30 June 2026

Table of Contents

Inhaltsverzeichnis dieser Seite DRAFT PARTNER REPORT    INTERREG SI–AT Small Project    MURA CALLING    Project Partner    Table of Contents    1. Executive Summary    2. Project Background and Context    3. Project Objectives    Overall Objective    Specific Objective 1 – Strengthening Cross-border Cooperation    Specific Objective 2 – Raising Awareness of the Biosphere    Specific Objective 3 – Testing Innovative Educational Approaches    Specific Objective 4 – Establishing a Basis for Future Cooperation    4. Project Implementation    4.1 Capacity Building and Methodological Preparation (5–9 October 2025)    4.2 First Cross-border Encounter – 10 October 2025    4.3 Partnership Development    5. Austrian Action Day – 20 May 2026    Objectives    Educational Design    Community Engagement    Institutional Participation    Reflections    6. Communication and Visibility    7. Results and Project Impact    8. Lessons Learned    9. Sustainability and Future Perspectives    10. Conclusion    Annexes (to be completed before final submission)

- Executive Summary
- Project Background and Context
- Project Objectives
- Project Implementation
- Austrian Action Day – 20 May 2026
- Communication and Visibility
- Results and Project Impact
- Lessons Learned
- Sustainability and Future Perspectives
- Conclusion
- Annexes (to be completed)

1. Executive Summary

The small-scale INTERREG SI–AT project Mura Calling was implemented between 1 October 2025 and 30 June 2026 by the Slovenian lead partner Mura Rafting and the Austrian project partner DorfUni Bad Radkersburg.

The project explored how the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere can become a shared learning space for young people through innovative forms of place-based education, digital learning tools and cross-border cooperation.

The practical work of the project started with an intensive methodological learning week in Bad Radkersburg from 5–9 October 2025, facilitated by Green Steps. During this period the partners, teachers and facilitators jointly explored the principles of place-based education, developed first educational concepts and prepared future learning activities using the ARK platform.

On 10 October 2025, the partners organised the first cross-border encounter at Otok ljubezni (Island of Love) in Ižakovci. The event successfully launched the project publicly, brought together important regional stakeholders and created the first common experience for participating schools. It also provided valuable practical insights that later influenced the educational design of the Austrian Action Day by placing greater emphasis on mixed learning groups and structured interaction between Austrian and Slovenian students.

The central implementation activity took place on 20 May 2026 in Bad Radkersburg. More than 200 children and students from Austria and Slovenia participated together with guest delegations from Hungary and Croatia. Eight schools from the programme area worked together in mixed international groups, exploring the biosphere through educational routes, creative activities and encounters with local organisations.

The project successfully demonstrated that place-based education can strengthen environmental awareness, regional identity and cross-border cooperation simultaneously. It also generated valuable practical experience concerning digital educational tools, teacher cooperation and the organisation of large-scale outdoor learning activities.

An important outcome was the emergence of follow-up initiatives already during the project period. Teachers at BORG Bad Radkersburg initiated plans for extending educational routes along the Mur Cycle Route using the ARK platform. Discussions also began on renewed cooperation with schools in Apače and on extending educational cooperation towards the wider five-country UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

Overall, Mura Calling successfully achieved its primary objective of establishing a solid basis for future cross-border educational cooperation while demonstrating the considerable potential of place-based education within a shared biosphere landscape.

2. Project Background and Context

The UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve is one of Europe’s largest transboundary river landscapes, jointly managed by Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia. It combines the protection of valuable ecosystems with the objective of promoting sustainable regional development through cooperation between nature conservation, local communities, education and economic actors. As defined by UNESCO, biosphere reserves are not only places for conservation, but also model regions where learning, participation and innovation contribute to sustainable development.

While significant progress has been achieved in establishing institutional cooperation within the biosphere, considerable opportunities remain for involving young people more actively in discovering and shaping their shared living environment. Schools play a key role in developing environmental awareness, intercultural understanding and a sense of shared responsibility for the future of the region.

At the same time, digital technologies create new opportunities for connecting environmental education with place-based education. Rather than replacing direct experiences in nature, digital tools can support exploration, documentation, navigation and collaborative learning across borders.

The Mura Calling project was developed to explore these opportunities in practice. Building on the cooperation between the civil society organisations DorfUni (Austria) and Mura Rafting (Slovenia), the project aimed to bring together schools, regional institutions and local communities in order to test innovative educational approaches within the shared biosphere.

Particular attention was given to involving educational institutions at an early stage. Schools on both sides of the border actively contributed to the preparation of learning activities. The project was also presented during the 6th Mura Forum, where its objectives were introduced to regional stakeholders, representatives of public authorities, municipalities and the Austrian Biosphere Reserve Management. These first exchanges helped establish important contacts and laid the foundation for the broad cooperation that later characterised the Austrian Action Day.

By implementing two major project phases and involving a broad spectrum of regional actors, Mura Calling strengthened the educational dimension of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve while generating practical experience for future cross-border cooperation.

3. Project Objectives

Overall Objective

The overall objective of Mura Calling was to establish a solid foundation for future cross-border cooperation in the Lower Mura Biosphere Reserve through the joint planning and implementation of educational activities. The project sought to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation between the two partner organisations while creating tangible benefits for schools, young people and regional stakeholders.

Specific Objective 1 – Strengthening Cross-border Cooperation

The project aimed to strengthen practical cooperation between Austrian and Slovenian civil society organisations, schools and regional stakeholders.

This objective was achieved through joint planning, implementation and evaluation of pilot activities that brought together educational institutions, municipalities, NGOs and regional organisations.

Specific Objective 2 – Raising Awareness of the Biosphere

The project sought to communicate the ecological, cultural and social values of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in an attractive and participatory way, encouraging young people to discover their shared natural and cultural heritage and to become active ambassadors of the biosphere.

This objective was successfully achieved through outdoor educational activities, international encounters and community-based learning experiences.

Specific Objective 3 – Testing Innovative Educational Approaches

The project aimed to develop and test educational formats combining place-based education, digital learning technologies and intercultural cooperation.

The Green Steps methodology and the ARK digital platform were successfully developed and applied during the project, providing valuable practical experience for future educational initiatives.

Specific Objective 4 – Establishing a Basis for Future Cooperation

Beyond the implementation of the planned activities, the project aimed to create favourable conditions for future educational cooperation.

Already during the project period, several follow-up initiatives emerged involving schools, municipalities and regional organisations, demonstrating that the project generated momentum extending beyond its formal duration.

4. Project Implementation

4.1 Capacity Building and Methodological Preparation (5–9 October 2025)

The practical implementation of Mura Calling began with an intensive methodological learning week in Bad Radkersburg from 5 to 9 October 2025, organised in cooperation with the Green Steps team. This first project phase brought together the Austrian and Slovenian partners, teachers, facilitators and educational experts to establish a common understanding of place-based education and to prepare the educational activities planned for the project.

The programme combined theoretical input, field exploration and collaborative workshops. Participants analysed the educational potential of the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere, explored innovative approaches to outdoor learning and discussed how digital technologies could support authentic learning experiences without replacing direct contact with nature.

Particular attention was given to the development of educational routes and to the use of the ARK platform as a tool for orientation, documentation and collaborative learning. The intensive exchange during this week created a common pedagogical framework that guided the implementation of all subsequent project activities.

The Green Steps facilitators documented numerous practical recommendations concerning educational design, facilitation and group dynamics. These recommendations became an important reference for the further development of the project.

4.2 First Cross-border Encounter – 10 October 2025

The methodological preparation was followed by the first joint cross-border activity on 10 October 2025, organised by the Slovenian Lead Partner Mura Rafting at Otok ljubezni (Island of Love) in Ižakovci.

The event combined educational excursions within the Slovenian Biosphere Reserve, a symbolic boat arrival of the Austrian students, presentations by invited experts and a public panel discussion introducing the objectives of Mura Calling to a wider regional audience.

Representatives of educational institutions, regional organisations and public authorities participated in the discussions, highlighting the importance of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as a common space for future cooperation. During the discussion, project representatives emphasised that border regions have a strategic choice: they can remain peripheral regions separated by administrative boundaries, or they can become dynamic centres of cooperation by acting together across borders. This idea became an important guiding principle for the further development of the project.

For the participating schools, the event created the first shared experience within the project and offered an opportunity to discover the Mura landscape together. At the same time, the partners observed that traditional event formats provided only limited opportunities for sustained interaction between Austrian and Slovenian students.

Rather than considering this a weakness, the project partners treated these observations as an important learning experience. Together with the recommendations developed during the Green Steps learning week, they concluded that future activities should place much greater emphasis on mixed learning groups, collaborative tasks and structured encounters between participants from different schools and countries.

These conclusions directly influenced the educational concept of the Austrian Action Day.

4.3 Partnership Development

Throughout the following months, the partners worked intensively on refining the educational concept and expanding the regional partnership supporting the project.

Schools on both sides of the border became actively involved in planning the educational activities. Teachers contributed ideas for learning routes and adapted the programme to different age groups. At the same time, contacts established during the 6th Mura Forum gradually developed into practical cooperation with municipalities, the Austrian Biosphere Reserve Management, regional organisations and local civil society initiatives.

This gradual growth of cooperation proved to be one of the project’s most valuable achievements. Rather than relying solely on formal agreements, the partnership evolved through continuous dialogue, practical collaboration and increasing mutual trust.

5. Austrian Action Day – 20 May 2026

Objectives

The Austrian Action Day represented the central implementation activity of the Mura Calling project. Building upon the experiences gained during the preparation phase and the first cross-border encounter, the event aimed to demonstrate how place-based education can strengthen environmental awareness, intercultural dialogue and regional cooperation within the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

The programme was designed to combine outdoor learning, digital educational tools, creative activities and community participation into one integrated educational experience.

Particular emphasis was placed on creating meaningful encounters between students of different ages, schools and countries.

Participating Schools

The Austrian Action Day brought together more than 200 children and young people from eight schools within the Austrian-Slovenian programme area. Participating institutions included BORG Bad Radkersburg, iHTL Bad Radkersburg, Gimnazija Franca Miklošič Ljutomer, primary and secondary schools from Bad Radkersburg, Gornja Radgona (Osnovna šola Gornja Radgona ) and Apače (Osnovna šola Apače) . We even had to strictly limit the number of participation. The Project „Twin Cities“ supported the participation of Kindergarten Kids from both Bad Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona. Considerable guest delegations from Gimnazija Lenti (Hungary) and Gimnazija Čakovec (Croatia) further strengthened the international dimension of the event. Secondary schools from Serbia, although unable to attend due to scheduling constraints, confirmed their interest in participating in future activities. This broad participation reflected the project’s ambition to create an educational network extending beyond the immediate project area towards the wider five-country UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

Educational Design

Unlike the October encounter, the Austrian Action Day deliberately organised participants into mixed international learning groups.

Older students assumed responsibility as guides and facilitators, accompanying younger participants throughout the educational routes and supporting the use of the ARK platform. This peer-learning approach strengthened communication across age groups while encouraging leadership, responsibility and teamwork.

Educational routes combined natural heritage, cultural history and local knowledge. Participants explored the river landscape, biodiversity, historical sites and the urban environment of Bad Radkersburg and Gornja Radgona while solving educational tasks developed with the Green Steps methodology.

Several groups deliberately crossed the national border on foot to visit the historic centre and castle hill of Gornja Radgona. These routes illustrated that the Mura is not only a political border but also a shared cultural landscape connecting communities on both sides of the river.

Community Engagement

One of the distinctive characteristics of the Austrian Action Day was the broad involvement of local communities.

Rather than limiting the programme to schools, the project actively involved local businesses, civil society organisations, cultural institutions and volunteers.

The local hunting association organised educational stations at the Grünanger, introducing participants to wildlife, habitats and sustainable game management within the biosphere.

The historic Kurkonditorei Bad Radkersburg welcomed the young participants with traditional Baumkuchen, creating a memorable gesture of hospitality and demonstrating the willingness of local businesses to contribute to educational initiatives.

A particularly moving moment took place at the Frauenplatz, where kindergarten children from Austria and Slovenia participated together in the performance “Raus aus dem Schneckenhaus”, developed by Mag. Marlene V. Eibel. The performance encouraged curiosity, openness and confidence while creating a joyful atmosphere that connected children, students, teachers and visitors across generations.

Children painted stones and created multilingual wish boards expressing their hopes for the future. Messages such as “Peace for Everyone” and “Be grateful for every moment”, written in numerous languages, illustrated both the cultural diversity of the participants and the shared values emerging from the project.

Throughout the day, encounters between students, teachers, volunteers and local organisations transformed the educational activities into a genuine community learning process.

Institutional Participation

Although initiated by two civil society organisations, the project gradually succeeded in building broad institutional support.

The Austrian Action Day was attended by representatives of the City of Bad Radkersburg, Regionalmanagement Vulkanland and the Austrian Biosphere Reserve Management.

Their participation reflected the growing recognition of the educational potential of Mura Calling and demonstrated that cooperation between civil society initiatives and public institutions can create significant added value for regional development.

Reflections

The Austrian Action Day confirmed the effectiveness of place-based education as a framework for combining environmental education, intercultural dialogue and active participation.

Compared with the first cross-border encounter in October, the educational design created substantially more opportunities for interaction between Austrian and Slovenian students through mixed learning groups, collaborative tasks and carefully facilitated encounters.

The project partners regard these experiences as one of the most valuable practical outcomes of Mura Calling. They provide an important methodological foundation for future educational cooperation throughout the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

6. Communication and Visibility

Communication and dissemination formed an integral part of the Mura Calling project throughout its implementation. From the beginning, the project sought not only to organise educational activities but also to make the objectives of cross-border cooperation visible to the wider public.

An important milestone was the presentation of the project during the 6th Mura Forum, where representatives of public authorities, municipalities, educational institutions and regional organisations were introduced to the objectives of Mura Calling. This early communication contributed significantly to establishing contacts that later developed into active cooperation during the Austrian Action Day.

The Austrian Action Day on 20 May 2026 received considerable media attention on both sides of the border. The Slovenian television station AS TV Murska Sobota produced a comprehensive feature including interviews with project partners, teachers and students. Additional reports were broadcast by Radio Slovenia International and Radio Agora.

The project also received coverage in Austrian regional media, including the Kleine Zeitung and the BezirksZeitung?, helping to communicate the project’s objectives and achievements to a broader regional audience.

An important contribution to project dissemination was the production of a dedicated radio programme entitled “Mura Calling” for Radio Helsinki as part of the long-running series Willkommen im Globalen Dorf. The programme documented the development of the project from its origins to the Austrian Action Day while reflecting on its broader significance for cross-border cooperation and education within the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

Communication activities were complemented by professional photography, video documentation and continuous communication within the participating schools, municipalities and partner organisations, ensuring that the project’s results reached audiences well beyond the immediate participants.

7. Results and Project Impact

Mura Calling successfully achieved the objectives defined at the beginning of the project while generating several important outcomes beyond the planned activities.

The project established a durable partnership between the Slovenian and Austrian project partners and significantly strengthened cooperation with schools, municipalities, regional organisations and civil society actors. More than 200 children and young people from eight schools actively participated in the Austrian Action Day together with guest delegations from Hungary and Croatia, demonstrating the strong interest in cross-border educational cooperation within the biosphere.

One of the project’s most important achievements was the successful demonstration of place-based education in a real cross-border setting. The combination of outdoor learning, digital educational tools, local knowledge and intercultural encounters proved highly effective in motivating young people to explore their shared natural and cultural heritage.

The project also demonstrated the educational value of involving the wider community. Older students assumed responsibility for younger participants, while volunteers, local organisations, businesses and regional institutions enriched the programme through authentic learning experiences and practical support.

Perhaps the most encouraging outcome was the emergence of follow-up initiatives already during the project lifetime. Teachers at BORG Bad Radkersburg proposed the further development of educational routes along the Mur Cycle Route using the ARK platform. Discussions also began on renewed cooperation with schools in Apače, while contacts established through the Twin City initiative opened new perspectives for making educational routes accessible to schools and visitors alike.

These developments indicate that Mura Calling did not conclude with the final project activity but initiated processes that continue to develop independently.

8. Lessons Learned

As a pilot project, Mura Calling generated valuable practical experience for future educational cooperation within the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere.

One important lesson was the value of continuous reflection. Experiences gained during the October activities directly influenced the educational design of the Austrian Action Day, resulting in stronger interaction between participants, more effective facilitation and significantly improved intercultural exchange.

The project also confirmed that sustainable cross-border cooperation develops gradually through shared practical experiences rather than formal agreements alone. Personal encounters, joint problem solving and mutual trust proved essential for building durable partnerships between schools, municipalities, NGOs and regional organisations.

Another important lesson concerns the role of civil society. Mura Calling demonstrated that civil society organisations can successfully act as facilitators, bringing together educational institutions, public authorities and local communities around common educational objectives.

Finally, the project confirmed the educational potential of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve itself. The biosphere proved to be not only an area for nature conservation but also an inspiring learning environment where environmental awareness, regional identity and European cooperation can be experienced simultaneously.

9. Sustainability and Future Perspectives

The cooperation established through Mura Calling will continue beyond the formal duration of the project.

Already during the implementation period, participating schools and regional partners initiated discussions on extending educational cooperation within the wider UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere. Particular attention will be given to the further development of place-based educational routes, the continued use of the ARK platform and the strengthening of cooperation between schools in Austria, Slovenia and neighbouring countries.

The project partners also agreed to explore future funding opportunities supporting a gradual expansion of the educational network towards the wider five-country biosphere region. The experience gained during Mura Calling provides a strong foundation for these future initiatives.

10. Conclusion

Mura Calling successfully fulfilled the objectives defined at the beginning of the project and demonstrated that relatively small-scale cross-border initiatives can generate substantial educational and regional impact.

The project established a durable partnership between the participating organisations, successfully tested innovative educational approaches and created meaningful opportunities for young people to experience the shared biosphere as a common European living space.

Beyond the planned activities, Mura Calling generated new partnerships, strengthened existing regional networks and initiated follow-up processes that continue beyond the project’s formal lifetime.

The project demonstrated that the UNESCO Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere offers not only an outstanding natural environment but also a unique opportunity for developing innovative forms of cross-border education, civic participation and regional cooperation.

The partners regard Mura Calling not as the conclusion of a cooperation process but as the beginning of a long-term educational partnership contributing to the sustainable development of the shared biosphere region.

Annexes (to be completed before final submission)

The final Partner Report will include the following supporting documentation:

/Annex 1 Project Programme October

/Annex 2 Programme of the Austrian Action Day (20 May 2026)

/Annex 3 Participating Schools and Organisations

/Annex 4 Official Guests and Speakers

/Annex 5 Communication and Media Coverage

/Annex 6 Photo Documentation

/Annex 7 Press Releases and Newspaper Articles

/Annex 8 Links to other Video and Audio Documentation

/Annex 9 Educational Routes and ARK Activities

/Annex 10 Additional Supporting Material