TEACHING GREEN

From Climate Change Education and Awareness to Citizen Science Action

Climate change is a global phenomenon that largely impacts urban life. Rising global temperature causes ice melting, sea levels to rise, increases the number of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and storms, and increases the spread of unknown diseases. All these have costly impacts on cities’ basic services, infrastructure, housing, human livelihoods and health.

Education and public awareness are crucial to promoting sustainable living and improving the ability of people and countries to address environmental and development issues and thus fight to mitigate the impact of climate change. At a time when students across the world are skipping school to raise awareness around the climate emergency and protest to ensure concrete action for our planet and their future, current climate education in schools is inadequate and outdated. One of the reasons is that teachers are missing relevant skills, knowledge or, more often, motivation for climate education.

The project TEACHING GREEN – From Climate Change Education and Awareness to Citizen Science Action is intended for teachers and their students aged 10-16, interested in implementing knowledge about climate change into education. As a teacher, you can learn about climate change impacts through an ONLINE TRAINING COURSE, or you can use ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRES as a tool to measure students’ attitudes on climate change issues. Join your students in PRACTICAL MONITORING and find out how the global climate change impacts reflect themselves at the local level. For ideas on what we can all do about it, read the GOOD PRACTICE examples suggested by the students as conclusions from their observations and activities.

The goal of the TEACHING GREEN project is:

  • to increase “climate literacy” among young people,
  • to strengthen the capacity of teachers to provide quality climate education,
  • to make climate education a more central and visible part of the response to climate change,
  • to encourage innovative teaching approaches, such as practical monitoring or citizen science, to be integrated into schools
  • and to help people understand the impact of global warming today.

If you are interested in:

  •  adapting education to global environmental challenges,
  • applying climate education more and report less,
  • focusing on the relationship of human to the environment and his involvement at the local level,
  • improving your professional pedagogical training in climate change topics,
  • completing the missing educational materials and tools on climate education,
  • innovating your teaching methods,

project TEACHING GREEN and its outcomes are just for you.

The project TEACHING GREEN involves 6 partners from 4 countries, active in the field of environmental and climate education, with experience in research activities, citizen science and the use of ICT in education – from Slovakia (INAK, Tree of Life, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra), from Italy (CNR-IBE), from Spain (VITA XXI) and from Cyprus (CARDET) to provide teachers with innovative materials for climate education, which are currently lacking in the educational markets of the mentioned countries.

 

VITA XXI, Spain
VITA XXI is a micro consulting firm focused on education for sustainability, training, learning outside the classroom and environmental issues. Since 2007, VITA XXI has been working on European projects, mainly developing educational materials and Online Open educational resources for environmental education in several environmental fields. VITA XXI has also participated in several initiatives like DIF (Disruptive Innovation Festival), and use educational materials to promote the circular economy, cradle to cradle, or biomimicry. VITA XXI believes in project-based learning and learning by doing outdoors on daily basis with the support of technological and digital media, respecting local wisdom and fostering better life for all.
More information: https://vitaxxi.com

CNR-IBE, Italy
The Institute of Bioeconomy (CNR-IBE) of the National Research Council of Italy is deeply involved in science dissemination at the local, regional, national and international level for more than 20 years, researching the following main thematic areas: biodiversity; climate, meteorology and oceanography; biotechnology, bioenergy; sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem services. In this period, CNR-IBE developed and applied teaching units and activities targeting teachers and students (10-18 years old) based on innovative learning methodologies, such as Inquiry-Based Learning, Intergenerational Learning, Learning in Natural Environment, and innovative tools like Location-Based Games, e-quiz, geographic information systems.
More information: https://www.ibe.cnr.it/en/

CARDET, Cyprus
CARDET is one of the leading research and development centres in the Mediterranean region with global expertise in project design and implementation, capacity building, and e-learning. Is independently affiliated with universities and institutions from around the world, such as the Yale University, the University of Nicosia and the International Council of Educational Media. CARDET has completed numerous projects relating to the development of capacity building and planning in education and VET, youth support, adult learning, literacies, digital tools, eLearning, educational technology, and social integration of marginalized groups.
More information: https://www.cardet.org/ 

Tree of Life, Slovakia
Tree of Life (Strom života) is an educational non-profit organization focusing on environmental and outdoor education, inquiry-based learning, active lifestyle, and youth and children`s personal development. Their activities are based on more than 40 years of continual programming in all regions of the Slovak republic. Programs of the organization are implemented through these main activities:

  • publishing children’s and youth magazines,
  • year-round programs for schools, families and the broad public in an online Academy,
  • various educational activities (expert training, workshops, field trips, seminars and conferences),
  • volunteering programs for children, youth and adults.

More information: https://stromzivota.sk/

Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Constantine the Philosopher University, Slovakia
Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, FNS CPU in Nitra is focused on pregradual training of teachers of ecology, environmental science and environmental education from its foundation in 1994. Training of teachers is realized via the study program Teacher training studies in academic subjects in combination with ecology in two study levels: bachelor and master degree. The department has also an accredited bachelor’s, master and doctoral degree in the single-subject study program Applied Environmental Studies. In a research area, DEES contributes to the development and application of new methods in the fields of ecology and environmental sciences.
More information: https://www.kee.fpv.ukf.sk/

INAK, Slovakia
INAK is an NGO that tries to do things DIFFERENTLY/“INaK“, if possible, „Innovatively and Creatively“. Our organization aims to support and develop innovative approaches, using creative methods in the educational process and whilst working with a variety of target groups – children, youth and adults. Our projects enhance lifelong learning and help to develop learners´ key competences. We try to implement our ideas and bring them into practice through local, national and international projects, usually in strong partnership with a variety of institutions. We focus mainly on the development of didactic materials, projects´ preparation and implementation, the running of educational training, methodical and publication activity, events organization, etc Through our activities, we aim to support environmental and climate education for a sustainable world, outdoor education, civic engagement, professional development of teachers, but especially personal development of children and young people.
More information: www.trochuinak.sk

Coming soon

“TEACHING GREEN – From Climate Change Education and Awareness to Citizen Science Action”
Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
Contract number: 2021-1-SK01-KA220-SCH-000032754