DIGITAL EDUCATION PIONEERS

Youtube Playlist «Digital Education Pioneers» model projects
Approved projects «Digital Education Pioneers»

Contemporary classroom teaching aims to produce responsible citizens equipped with powers of critical judgement who are capable of helping to shape the future in step with the times. As skills such as creativity, critical thinking and the ability to collaborate, as well as curiosity and a productive error culture become increasingly vital for addressing future challenges, the promotion of a novel way of problem-solving assumes greater significance.

On the one hand, schools today have to be up to date with and able to effectively impart an understanding of new technological developments; on the other hand, they need to use digitalization to leverage the potential for exchange and individualization for students. Open teaching formats not only promote research-based and more project-oriented learning, but also the students' self-competence and methodological skills.

Providing digital training that is both fit for purpose and commensurate with students' proficiency is a challenge. "Pedagogy" must therefore come before "technology". It is, after all, people who deploy their pedagogical ideas and didactic skills to make technology accessible to students. A good student-teacher relationship as a driver of learning success. Only students who feel that the subject matter concerns them and that they are in good hands will engage in new and more open forms of learning.

• Bottom-up initiatives by teachers, school principals, schools of all levels (primary, secondary, middle and vocational schools) or cooperation projects with partners from outside the school.
• Pedagogically meaningful teaching projects with a focus on digital literacy, student activation and open education.
• Budget range of CHF 10,000 - CHF 100,000 for project implementation, pure infrastructure costs are not covered.
• The projects must include a letter of support from the school authorities and an appropriate number of schools regarding a possible implementation and scaling of the project idea.
• Provide a letter of support from the relevant school authority and other teachers or school principals regarding the implementation and scaling of the project idea.
• No funding for tool/software development.
• Input and project management by teacher/school principals.

Projects may be submitted to Gebert Rüf Stiftung by one of the quarterly deadlines (1 February, 1 May, 1 September, 1 December) in accordance with the general requirements. The submission procedure has two stages.

Use our web portal to submit your project and upload all the required documents as described in the following guidelines. 

Submission project proposal (1st stage)

Submission project application (2nd stage)

Projects for the «Digital Education Pioneers» area of activity may be submitted at any time. For ongoing calls for projects the selection process lasts approximately six months, from submission of the project proposal (step one) to the final decision after the project presentation to the board of trustees (step two); for projects with a budget of CHF 50,000, it usually takes three months. The board of trustees reaches the grant-making decision at its quarterly plenary meeting on the basis of the support criteria and the strategic objectives of the area of activity.

The first projects (2019) served to sharpen the field of action and are not exemplary for the current funding focus.

There is no procedure for appeals or applications for re-examination or reconsideration; no correspondence will be entered into regarding grant-making decisions.

Approved projects can find more information on the support agreement, reporting and project communications here.

Teachers who, following their mobility or cooperation project with Movetia, wish to implement the school and teaching experience gained at their primary, secondary, middle or vocational school can apply for implementation funding.

The project must aim to develop the «School of the Future» and, in particular, promote future competences such as creativity, critical thinking and collaboration skills of pupils and learners in the digital age.

With the cooperation program «Inspired Teaching», Movetia and Gebert Rüf Stiftung support the concrete implementation of pedagogical teaching projects in schools.

Funding amount up to CHF 10,000: Application via Movetia
Funding amount over CHF 10,000: Application via Gebert Rüf Stiftung and the Digital Education Pioneers program. See above for criteria and deadlines.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: idee@grstiftung.notexisting@nodomain.comch

proEdu's «Schulvisite» enables the exchange of exemplary teaching projects and the networking of schools across regions. Following the «Open Education» principles, project leaders are invited to make themselves available as hosts with their model project.
School visit
Becoming a host school