Why is CLASS needed?
Managing and developing these spaces requires specific skills that combine social, cultural, environmental, economic and spatial expertise. Professionals working in this field – including social entrepreneurs, public officers, urban planners, architects, cultural and social workers and community facilitators – need interdisciplinary and practice-oriented training. Existing educational programmes do not always provide the combination of theoretical knowledge, practical experience and cross-disciplinary approaches required to work effectively in common spaces.
What does CLASS aim to achieve ?
CLASS responds to this growing need by developing and testing a 70-hour transnational training programme in Portugal and Germany, inspired by the French University Diploma in Common Spaces (DU Espaces Communs – DUESCO). The programme combines higher education standards with hands-on learning and immersion in real-life common spaces, while adapting to the professional and institutional contexts of each participating country.
Beyond creating a new training programme, CLASS aims to lay the foundations for a lasting European learning ecosystem around common spaces. The experience gained in Portugal and Germany will provide insights into how this approach can be adapted and shared across Europe.
How does CLASS work?
2. Develop a 70-hour European training programme
1. Understand local needs and certification frameworks
6. Assess sustainability and future development & replication
3. Experiment through two Training Schools
4. Build a European learning community
5. Lay the foundations for a European qualification