Green STEM- Green Deal

The global issues such as pollution and climate change that we have to face are complex problems, and the solution of these problems needs interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Developing and increasing an understanding and taking action against the environmental problems and climate change are more needed than reading them from the textbooks. The students know that we should save our planet and that climate change is a vital problem for our world, but almost all of them do nothing to reduce their carbon footprint. Thus, the main aim of this project is to develop STEM-related skills and competencies for our children through STEM activities inspired environments. In line with the aim of the project, our partnership is focused on developing students' skills and academic success in STEM disciplines while enabling them to create STEM solutions for environmental issues and to fight against climate change.

Main objectives for: Students; -improving attitudes and interest STEM disciplines and STEM career -raising awareness and pursue taking action against environmental problems and climate change (“take the future in your hands”) -developing key competencies and transversal skills through STEM application (megatrends of the world today) -improving and expanding their understanding of STEM. - increasing STEM literacy, supporting lifelong interest and participation in STEM -improving communication skills while working in an international team (development of sustainable cross-border cooperation) Teachers: -developing professional skills to practice new learning approaches in order to facilitate an innovative learning approach in their lessons (future skills) -exploring formative students' assessment methods for STEM education outcomes -developing communication skills in a foreign language while exchanging good practices -improving organisational skills by implementing seminars, dissemination and LTTA’s Parents: - İncreasing awareness of environmental issues and climate change - Reducing carbon footprints at least - Contributing recycling at their home and work

We applied STEM activities not only in our classroom but also in an out-of-school context. Environmental issues and climate changes were used as a common theme for our activities. The students who participated in developed activities worked in teams and developed solutions for environmental problems. The joint activities that we applied in each partner school: -Reduce your carbon footprint: Students calculated their carbon footprints with their parents. They calculated and reduced their carbon footprint every month. Also, each school set up a STEM-based project for reducing energy, water and stationery consumption and recycling. We compared the amount of consumption before and during the project. - Save the planet with STEM solutions: The activities focused on developing solutions for environmental pollution such as water, soil, light pollution, and fighting against climate change. Students developed STEM-based solutions for environmental problems and fighting climate change. - Design by Nature(Biomimicry): The students developed STEAM-based models-prototype, solutions, eco-friendly products which are inspired by nature to save nature. - Robotics Course: The students worked in an international team in order to develop technological solutions ( such as smart irrigation systems, smart energy systems, etc.) -Take action for nature: Students developed action plans against pollution and fighting climate change in their region. Leaflets were prepared to raise awareness in the school/local community. -STEM career days: Professionals from the STEM field were invited and the students visited the STEM workers at their job. -STEM fair: Students exhibited the STEM project every six months at their school. The neighborhood schools, community leaders, and parents were invited. We organized 2 TPM and 5 LTTAs to reach our aims.

The project not only increased the awareness and competencies of our students, teachers, education leaders and partner institutions in the field of STEM but also increased their awareness of environmental problems and climate change. Not only our target group but also parents, teachers and organizations in the neighboring schools indirectly benefited from the results of the project. In order to increase the impact of the project and influence wider audiences, dissemination activities have been carried out at every stage from the beginning of the project and beyond the project. All activities in the project are aimed at developing the key competencies of the participants in line with the European values and goals, as well as ensuring that the participants become democratic European citizens embracing European values. Also, the project will enable us to carry STEM disciplines out of the school walls to in an environmental context. While participants learning science in a different context, they will have the chance to experience hands-on activities. We Our students showed a great interest in science and also they will be able to read scientific news to think critically on scientific issues. To make them ready for the 21st-century and its complex problems we are expecting our students to develop their key competencies as well as 21st-century skills by having attended the activities in this project. The project activities were designed to support team working and collaboration. The mentioned complex problems need cooperation to be solved. All the activities that we applied allowed the students to experience working in a real-life context. Thus, the students developed their competencies such as digital, creativity, self-confidence skills. Moreover, this experience allowed them to develop their awareness against climate change and reduce their carbon footprints and become STEM-literate democratic citizens of the EU.