WeAreEurope SD – A Learning Approach for Sustainable Development Educaon for Primary School Level

Sustainable Development has been in the EU’s political Agenda for decades. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a vital role in pushing forward the UN's Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which the EU has contributed significantly. It is both more efficient and effective to raise new citizens with the sense of responsibility and a right attitude in relation to the Planet than to try changing attitudes and behaviors later in life when they are well established. A strong and lasting investment in ESD is essential considering the urgency in changing lifestyles and behavioural patterns in our society. It is both more efficient and effective to raise new citizens with the sense of responsibility and a right attitude in relation to the Planet than to try changing attitudes and behaviors later in life when they are well established. The WAE-SD project responds to the needs of children and educators by offering a variety of complementary learning solutions that use active learning methodologies, game-based learning, storytelling, and others to engage children, address complex concepts, and include students with different learning needs.

The project aimed to raise awareness of SD issues among young students and equip educators with resources and tools. It focused on promoting active citizenship and critical thinking through storytelling, digital games, and participatory activities The project proposes to address SD with children (6-10 years old) at 3 levels: • Envision the future: depict what might happen if we don’t change our lifestyles, so that they better understand what’s at stake • What needs to change: learn about the UN’s SD Goals, so that they better understand what should be addressed/emended to create a more sustainable world • Call to Action: learn what we can do as individuals and as part of a community to reach the UN’s SD Goals, and act. To this purpose, the project delivered 3 Results : • An eBook to illustrate a future scenario for the Planet if we keep up with our lifestyle • A Game Add-on to the pre-existing WeAreEurope Game, to introduce and explore the UN’s SD Goals, thus presenting children with what needs to be changed for a more sustainable Planet. • An Action Kit, consisting of guidelines for the implementation of SD projects/activities for schools and other settings, thus promoting real change in behaviours and attitudes.

The project created and implemented three main outputs: (1) the WAE SD eBook, (2) the Game Add-on, and (3) the Action Kit. All outputs were co-created and tested with teachers and students, supported by 5 transnational meetings and dissemination events

The main results were made publicly available in five languages and widely disseminated through events, social media, and direct outreach.