Open School: new perspectices for transformative learning
2026-08-12 Children who learn in a self-directed way, adults who share responsibility, and a team that is rebuilding the classroom - this is the “SHIFT: Open School” project. Representatives from schools and beyond are currently collaborating through this initiative in Papenburg. At the kickoff event in the spring of 2026, around 100 participants from the Emsland and Weser-Ems regions came together. With this kind of support, the team is starting the new school year with high motivation. In an interview, Dr. János Lilienthal from the administrative team at the Heinrich-von-Kleist-Schule in Papenburg and Ninja Müller from the Leuphana Innovation Community for School Development and Leadership explain why this collaboration is needed and how schools can truly change.
János, the project name “SHIFT: Open School” sounds ambitious. What exactly is supposed to shift, and who is needed to make that happen?
“SHIFT: Open School” brings together two pressing issues in the education system. On the one hand, we mean a shift in perspective: away from school as a closed system, toward school as an open space for learning and development. We don’t just want to implement individual projects; we want to change structures: more cooperation, more responsibility within the network, and more learning from and with one another. This requires school administrators, teachers, students, parents, school authorities, school supervisors, academia, and extracurricular partners. In my view, school development doesn’t happen in isolation or in a vacuum—it can only succeed through collaboration. That’s why “Shift: Open School” also refers to opening up classrooms and schools, as well as a new way of learning.
Ninja, in March there was a network meeting with 100 participants. The Leuphana Innovation Community for School Development and Leadership actively helped shape this kickoff event. What contribution do you bring with your academic perspective?
We can support the topic of “open classroom” with various theories and models. What schools need beyond that are practical insights, concrete examples, and the experiences of people who have already tried out these models of open classroom. That was also our focus at the network meeting. Schools have so much expert knowledge; it’s just often very scattered and therefore difficult to access. By connecting schools, we were able to pool this expert knowledge and develop it further together.
János, what concrete changes has this already brought about at your school?
Thanks to SHIFT: Open School, we’ve become bolder and more focused in our school development. Specifically, we’ve opened up instruction in two grade levels, integrating self-directed learning, digital structures, and learning support more closely. At the same time, we’re increasingly opening our school to the local community and external partners. The network and the high level of participation confirm that we’re on the right track. This exchange helps us share experiences, pool resources, and avoid having to navigate development on our own.
Ninja, in your view, what does it take for a network like this to function successfully in the long term?
In the Leuphana Innovation Community for School Development and Leadership, we’ve found that regular meetings are important to keep everyone engaged and ensure that the spirit of networking doesn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. No matter how active a community is, it needs a core group of people who set the framework and stay committed. The Heinrich von Kleist School has laid a wonderful foundation with its network meeting. However, this doesn’t mean that this core group dictates everything that happens in the community; it’s important to respond to the needs of the network in order to create a long-term, functional collaboration that is meaningful for everyone.
János, a look ahead: Where is this journey headed?
We’d like to further strengthen the network through regular in-person and online events. A Barcamp is planned for the fall, and together with beWirken, we’re launching the “Learning Companion Journey” across schools. In this way, we’ll continue to learn from and with one another within the network to jointly shape a future-ready education for our students in the region.