LLES - Leuvens Leerecosysteem
Campus Corso is part of the Leuven Learning Ecosystem (LLES), an initiative involving various learning spaces in Leuven, supported by funding from the European Union (Europa WSE). Led by the non-profit organization *maakleerplek*, these open spaces have joined forces to bring creativity, a thirst for learning, and sustainability closer to the people of Leuven. The learning ecosystem comprises the following eight learning spaces:
Atelier Circuler
De Drukkerij (The Print Shop)
High Tech Lab (*maakleerplek* vzw)
Graphic Lab (*maakleerplek* vzw)
Textile Lab (MAAKbar vzw)
Tool Library (MAAKbar vzw)
Electronics Repair Hub (Maakbaar vzw)
The offerings cater to a broad audience, with a particular focus on groups that have less access to learning opportunities—such as early school leavers, job seekers, and individuals who face barriers to entering the labor market. Through a wide range of workshops, lectures, Open Labs/Ateliers, Repair Cafés, and social gatherings, everyone is welcome to learn something new and discover their talents in an informal setting. We strive to keep barriers as low as possible, fostering a warm, creative, and supportive community. After all, in Leuven, anyone can create!
LLES for informal learning spaces
At the end of September 2024, we received some fantastic news: the grant application for the Leuven Learning Ecosystem (LLES) was approved, spearheaded by maakleerplek. Through Edushakers | Campus Corso, we are now working to define the practical implementation of this initiative, with the goal of creating more collaborations between informal and formal education sectors.
Leuven offers a vast array of learning opportunities, yet the focus often remains on academic or traditional, lecture-style knowledge transfer. The statistics reveal that not everyone finds their place within this system: truancy and school dropout rates among young people in Leuven have risen sharply in recent years, with as many as 13% of students leaving the education system without a diploma.
The need for alternative forms of learning in real-life context, is greater than ever. This is evidenced by the various non-formal learning (NFL) initiatives that have successfully emerged in Leuven in recent years. Whether explicitly or implicitly, these initiatives reignite a desire to learn by fostering lifelong learning and creating space for competencies that are increasingly overlooked in formal education: making skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and artistic abilities.
The Leuven Learning Ecosystem (LLES) aims to seize this momentum to strengthen these often nascent initiatives and pool their collective strengths. As Edushakers | Campus Corso, we are proud to lend our support to this effort.
