An outdoor educational project that transforms the traditional fishing technique known as "Arte Xávega" and the Avieira culture into a living laboratory, promoting experiential learning, local identity, and environmental awareness, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and open to the community.
Vieira de Leiria is a unique territory. Nestled against the Leiria Pine Forest, bathed by the Lis River and open to the Atlantic, this town preserves vivid memories of trades, knowledge, and ways of being in the world that time has progressively erased. The Xávega Art — artisanal seine fishing, with nets pulled ashore by tractors and, in the past, by oxen — and the Avieira Culture — resulting from the diaspora of Vieira fishermen who migrated to the banks of the Tagus River in search of sustenance — constitute two of the strongest cultural, historical, and human heritages of this community.
Storm Kristin caused severe damage to the outdoor areas of the José Loureiro Botas Secondary School, headquarters of the Vieira de Leiria School Group (AEVL). Faced with the destruction, the group was forced to profoundly rethink these spaces. From this need emerged a transformative vision: instead of rebuilding what existed, to create something truly new, innovative and deeply rooted in the territory's identity. The intention is that this new space will consciously and pedagogically integrate current environmental concerns, such as rising sea levels, plastic pollution in coastal areas, and the impacts of climate change.
The Educational Glamping project — The Art of Xávega Fishing and the Avieira Culture — proposes the creation of an immersive outdoor educational space, inspired by the temporary, sustainable, and organic structures of contemporary glamping. In this space, the cultural and maritime theme of Vieira de Leiria serves as the guiding thread for the pedagogical work. It is not a traditional classroom, but a true living laboratory where children and young people learn from the territory through experimentation, direct contact with local history, and an active relationship with nature.
The central concept of the project is based on the analogy between the process of Arte Xávega — casting the net into the sea, working as a team, waiting patiently and reaping the rewards of collective effort — and the contemporary educational process: exploring, collaborating, making mistakes, reflecting and building meaningful knowledge. This pedagogical approach facilitates the understanding of a tradition deeply linked to local identity, transforming it into a living, transmissible and potentially exportable educational model — from Vieira de Leiria to students all over the world.
The proposed intervention is aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adjusted to the project context:
SDG 4 — Quality Education
Promoting innovative, stimulating, inclusive, and experience-centered learning environments.
SDG 10 — Reduced Inequalities
Guaranteeing equitable access to rich and meaningful educational experiences for all students.
SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
Creating sustainable and accessible cultural spaces within the school community, valuing local cultural and natural heritage.
SDG 17 — Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthening collaboration between schools, families, local authorities, the local community, and national and international partners.
