VET education
Vocational education still is one of our core routes
Frank, co-founder of Starbase18, is a certified VET teacher with years of practice teaching software development, digital design, innovation and product design. As FabLab/makerspace manager at a large Dutch VET school, he researched and applied maker education, project based learning and challenge based learning. His vision is rooted in experiential education, learning by doing rather than just reading. Highlights include building an educational living lab in Groningen (Suikerterrein) and publishing the research paper “Purposeful Learning”, presenting a new model for practical, meaningful education. Frank also managed several Erasmus+ projects connecting students across Europe, such as 'Craft Your Future', 'PROGRAM labs', 'Young Social Makers' and 'Teach it Forward'.
At Starbase18, the vision is to reuse and expand this educational living lab model: inviting VET students from across the EU to learn, create and innovate in a real-world context of sustainability, eco-tourism and rural development. The long-term plan includes dedicated student accommodation and deeper partnerships with VET schools inside and outside Portugal.
So far, multiple schools have shown interest and visited us in early phases. Due to funding gaps, we first shifted focus to building a stable eco-tourism foundation. Once hospitality provides steady income, we’ll reconnect with schools and apply for new Erasmus+ projects around innovation, sustainability and regenerative practices.
