NEUTRAL SCHOOLS 2022-1-ES01-KA220-SCH-000088781
Innovation and School Action for a Carbon Neutral Future
The NEUTRAL-SCHOOLS project
"NEUTRAL SCHOOLS: Innovation and School Action for a Carbon-Neutral Future" is a project aimed at supporting educators in teaching and learning the complex scientific and technical aspects of combating climate change and striving for a climate-neutral future. This project is part of the ERASMUS+ program, which is the program of the European Union that supports education, training, youth, and sports. For the 2021-2027 period, the program places special emphasis on social inclusion, ecological and digital transitions, and promoting the involvement of young people in democratic life.
NEUTRAL-SCHOOLS is an innovation project in the field of school education with the goal of supporting teaching professionals by enhancing their training in key issues related to climate change and sustainable development. It adopts an integrated educational approach to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (i-STEAM), which recognizes the role of the arts in expanding the horizons of science (bringing greater creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and collaboration for action). Although i-STEAM is a growing educational trend, it is still relatively new and, therefore, somewhat immature in terms of theoretical and practical aspects.
Furthermore, NEUTRAL-SCHOOLS aims to integrate the Service-Learning (SL) methodology, which is based on direct and practical action within the students' environmental and cultural context.
Various actions will be undertaken to engage schools in disseminating information about the necessary changes for developing knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to climate change and sustainable development. The project will also provide support materials and facilitate the exchange of best practices among different schools and countries within the EU.
Project objetives
Creating and transmiting knowledge in schools about the climate crisis through an innovative STEAM approach.
Raising awareness among students, as consumers and citizens of today and the future, and therefore significant agents of social change, about the importance of addressing the climate change challenge.
Encouraging innovative and proactive teaching in response to the climate crisis.
Contribution to finding solutions through education, innovative skills, and science-based learning-service methodology.
Fostering critical thinking and preparedness for action through the STEAM approach and the Service-Learning methodology primarily.
Making visible future opportunities related to the climate challenge visible.
Target groups
The recipients are primary and secondary school teachers, and indirectly the students and the rest of the educational community, as well as the communities for whom they are a catalyst for change in their own environment."
Work packages
The project is organized around several specific work packages for the development of actions and outcomes:
Breaking Borders: Its name refers to the redefinition of boundaries between traditional areas of study, as well as to the cross-border coherence pursued at the European level and the indispensable cross-border cooperation required to achieve the significant climate challenge that Europe has set for itself by 2050. The outcome of this work package will be a Primary and Secondary School Curriculum on the challenges of combating climate change.·
Guide for Action Towards a Carbon-Neutral Future: The aim is to provide teachers with guidance (principles, criteria and procedures) for the application of the Service-Learning (SL) methodology to the planning of study scenarios related to the climate challenge. The climate challenge involves socio-economic, cultural, ethical and geographical issues. The transversal approach of the Service Learning methodology provides an ideal response to this issue and provides the capacity to undertake actions beyond the classroom.
Teaching and Teachers in the Face of the Climate Challenge: This package includes activities for informing and providing ongoing training for teachers in competencies related to new approaches to the climate challenge and ecological and energy transition that need to be introduced into European education. It emphasizes the STEAM field, addressing the study of the climate challenge from multiple perspectives, including cultural, gender, values, and rights aspects. It also promotes collaborative work through the Service-Learning methodology, which encourages learning outside the classroom.
¿Any question?
Send e-mail to naturalschools@gmail.com for more information about the project