Rethinking Environmental Education: Developing a Concept for the Haus am See Schlaitz
The Haus am See in Schlaitz has been an environmental education centre on the northern shore of the Mulde Reservoir in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld for over 30 years. As a facility run by the district’s environmental agency, it combines nature experiences, regional history and extracurricular education. The JTC provides occasional support for the centre’s conceptual development.

How can an established environmental education centre in a remote location reach new target groups and develop its programme in line with current trends – without losing its unique character?

A special place that needs to reinvent itself

The Mulde Reservoir is a post-mining landscape – a place where the region’s transformation is literally visible. The Haus am See brings this history to life through an extensive permanent exhibition, nature trails and activities centred on the nature reserve’s unique flora and fauna. At the same time, its remote location without direct public transport links presents a structural challenge – so far, the centre has been visited almost exclusively by school groups on organised coach trips.

This is precisely where the current development phase comes in: the centre wishes to revamp its educational concept, reach out to new target groups beyond the school sector, and expand its offering to include digital formats. The JTC is providing advisory support during the exploratory phase and assisting with the preparation of a KoMoNa funding application. The aim is to make the special assets of this location – nature, the lake, history and tranquillity – accessible to a wider audience.

Vortrag auf der Konferenz „Postfossile Zukünfte"

Key questions guiding this project:

How can a venue that has primarily served schools to date be opened up to adults, families and new target groups – without losing its identity?


What makes this venue unique, and how can this be translated into new formats?


What role can digital offerings play in bringing the Haus am See to life – whether on site or from elsewhere?


Which stakeholders in the region could become drivers of further development?

Vortrag auf der Konferenz „Postfossile Zukünfte"

Team

Jenny Steinhorst

Research assistant
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Portrait Jenny Steinhorst, Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Team C3, Foto JTC | Markus Scholz