Embracing uncertAinty wHile fighting for sustainable development

The EArTH project (Embrace Uncertainty while fighting for sustainable development) emerged with the aim of supporting schools in Europe which are facing the challenges of the Green Transition. It ...

The EArTH project, a collaboration among six European partners in the field of education, was initiated to address the challenges of transitioning to a green and sustainable society. This partnership had three key objectives. Firstly, the emphasis was on developing an innovative methodology and 'ready-to-use' learning materials to support schools in addressing climate change and education for sustainability. The goal was to provide efficient resources, tailored to the needs of students and educators, enabling them to face the challenges of a future marked by climate change. The second objective aimed to promote active pedagogies, such as inquiry-based and project-based learning. These interactive methods were integrated into various subjects, creating an interdisciplinary learning experience. The focus was on developing collaboration and problem-solving skills, encouraging students to address circular economy challenges in real-life scenarios. The final objective we focused on was to integrate circular economy challenges into school curricula. Students who were involved in activities understood the importance of STEM disciplines in saving the planet. This approach offered a practical perspective on science and technology.

In achieving the project's goal, we focused on three main components: the creation of the EarTH Curriculum, the development of the EarTH Learning Platform, and the EarTH Challenge Competition. These were accomplished through close collaboration among all project partners, and the stages were managed and implemented through various activities such as TPM, LTTA, Multiplication Events, and local activities in partner institutions. EARTH CURRICULUM Among the key results are the promotion of sustainability skills and support for the Green Transition in line with the goals of the European Green Deal. The project's curriculum targets educators and students aged 12 to 19 and aligns with the European Qualifications Framework. It includes specific modules such as Sustainable Technology, Sustainable Fashion, Energy and Climate Change, and Circular Economy-Based Design. The methodology used within the EarTH Curriculum was based on two key concepts. Firstly, constructive alignment involved the proper integration of teaching components, curriculum, and anticipated outcomes. Secondly, Pedagogy of Uncertainty aims to develop students' skills to cope with rapid changes, uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity. The key principles of this pedagogy include prerequisites, accepting and negotiating uncertainty in the learning process. Each module of the EarTH Curriculum was elaborated in detail as follows: • The Sustainable Technology module focuses on raising awareness of the impact of digital transition on the environment and promoting the use of digital technologies for sustainable development. It includes practical activities such as interactive games and travel plans to encourage students to explore concrete ways to use technology to protect the environment. • The Sustainable Fashion module provides students with a comprehensive perspective on sustainable development in the fashion industry. Here, students learn about fast fashion, fashion models, and consumption trends, exploring the impact of the fashion industry on the environment and society. Practical activities include group discussions, school surveys, and creative projects. • The Energy and Climate Change module focused on developing an understanding of the concept of energy and awareness of the impact of human activities on the environment. Here, students explored non-renewable and renewable energy sources, identified the causes of climate change, and understood their effects. Practical activities involve them in solving problems related to climate change. • The Circular Economy-Based Design module focused students'attention on the benefits of sustainability and key concepts of the circular economy. Students learned about sustainability, sustainable development, and the circular economy, with an emphasis on redesigning production and consumption processes. Practical activities encourage them to understand and adopt circular economy principles. In conclusion, the EarTH Curriculum represents a complex, structured initiative aiming to develop essential skills for students in the context of social and environmental changes, thereby promoting a sustainable and responsible future. Testing of the EarTH Curriculum materials was conducted both in classrooms in the two schools involved in the project (in Turkey and Romania) and at the organizational level in Greece and Ireland. A pilot test was then applied at the two institutions. Pilot test results were interpreted, and the collected feedback was used to improve the Curriculum. The pilot test was essential for preparing students for the international competition and adjusting the educational offerings of partner schools. The curriculum created within the project has been published on the project's website https://earth.adi-software.com. The EarTH Learning Platform has been developed and adapted for distance learning under the coordination of partner P3, going through various crucial stages. In the initial phase, P3 designed the learning platform and then developed it using the Moodle LMS system. Adapting to the challenges of online learning involved testing and adjusting interdisciplinary learning materials under the guidance of P1, P5, and P6, who assessed their effectiveness in the classroom. The platform was used in the LTTA in Greece and then in the international EarTH Challenge competition. The platform is structured as follows: • EarTH Circular Economy Learning System: This section provides a brief description of the project and its final products, an overview of the intangible outcomes of the project, and the rules and evaluation criteria for the EarTH Challenge. • Sustainable Technology / Challenge 1: How to Reuse Technology? This page includes a general presentation of the theme, theoretical concepts related to the benefits of digital transition for environmental protection, circular economy, and recycling of technological waste, and digital pollution. It then presents the structure a project must have to participate in the EarTH Challenge. • Sustainable Fashion / Challenge 2: How to Make Money with Non-useful Fashion? This page offers a general presentation of the theme, theoretical concepts related to sustainable fashion, sustainable textile production and manufacturing, fashion influencers (role models, brands, etc.), and the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycling. It then outlines the structure a project must have to participate in the EarTH Challenge. • Circular Design / Challenge 3: How to Extend the Life of Household Products? This page provides a general presentation of the theme, theoretical concepts related to sustainability, and circular economy. It then outlines the structure a project must have to participate in the EarTH Challenge. • Sustainable Energy / Challenge 4: How to Reduce Energy Consumption in a Village? This page covers non-renewable/renewable energies, climate change, and then outlines the structure a project must have to participate in the EarTH Challenge. Each section mentioned above contains materials uploaded by participating students. The platform allows users to express their views on these topics, provide feedback on platform posts, and give ratings. The EarTH Learning Platform can be accessed at https://formative-footprint.neurok.es/classroom/4524-earth-embracing-uncertainty-while-fighting-for-sustainable-development. The EarTH Challenge, was organized as an international competition initiated and designed by P1 and P3. The competition targeted students in grades IX-XII, organized into teams led by guiding teachers. The goal was to raise awareness among high school students about the importance of the circular economy and encourage them to find creative solutions to challenges related to resource utilization. The competition challenges included aspects such as reusing electrical and electronic products, capitalizing on outdated fashion, extending the life of household products, and reducing energy consumption at the local level. The competition methodology included rules and deadlines for participation, evaluation criteria, and other information related to designing learning challenges. To facilitate the competition, steps were taken, including participant registration, presentation of themes and rules, project uploading on the dedicated platform, providing and receiving feedback, project evaluation, and announcing the winners. Coordinators P2, P3, and P4 supervised the activities and posted the requirements on the project's learning platform. EarTH Challenge Description: The competition was coordinated by P1 and P3. The target group comprised students in grades IX-XII, organized in teams of two under the guidance of a supervising teacher. The aim of this competition was to sensitize high school students to the importance of the circular economy and encourage them to be creative by providing solutions for four challenges related to better resource utilization. Competition Themes: 1. How to reuse electrical and electronic products? 2. How to capitalize on outdated fashion? 3. How to extend the life of household products? 4. How to reduce energy consumption in a locality/house? A methodology was developed that included information such as participation rules and deadlines, types of challenges, award criteria, roles, and any information related to designing learning challenges. The competition stages were as follows: • Creation and distribution of the Google Form for participant registration. • Registration on the EARTH PROJECT CONTEST PLATFORM. • Information: General presentation of each theme, competition rules, and evaluation criteria. • Upload of PowerPoint or Canva projects on the platform. • Platform Link • Providing and receiving feedback on the platform. • Project evaluation. • Announcement of winners. The international EarTH Challenge took place simultaneously in Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Ireland, with promotion conducted online through social media networks and the Moodle LSM platform. Participants were required to go through the curriculum and include information in their materials, significantly increasing the number of those who utilized the curriculum. This approach aimed to enhance the utilization and impact of the curriculum on participating students. P2, P3, and P4 coordinated the activities and posted the requirements on the project's learning platform. Due to a large number of submissions, all project partners participated in the evaluation process at the organizers' request. The 70 competition entries were distributed to ensure each evaluator assessed projects from other participating countries, avoiding evaluation of their own students' work. This approach ensured objectivity and equal opportunities for all participants. The project website https://earth.adi-software.com/ has been created within the framework of the Erasmus+ project 'Embracing uncertAinty wHile fighting for sustainable development (EaRTH).' The website is dedicated to providing information about the activities carried out within the project, dissemination efforts, multiplication events, and project meeting agendas. The website is organized into the following sections: I. Welcome: Briefly presents the project's objective with references to the project documentation on the website of 'Grigore Moisil' Theoretical Computer Science High School in Iași. II. Partners: Contains the list of project partners with links to their respective websites and social media pages. III. Activities: Presents the main activities planned within the project in various locations supported by partners. IV. Newsletters: Contains information of interest for partners and other participants in the project's activities. V. Curriculum: Includes the detailed project plan, specifically the four modules translated into the languages of the project partners. VI. Contest: Contains the link to the project's intellectual output, namely an open learning platform, and the results of the competition held during the platform's inauguration. VII. Contact: Allows visitors to view the location of 'Grigore Moisil' Theoretical Computer Science High School on the map in Iași and send emails to the project team. The website features a section dedicated to the administrator, enabling the modification of the site's design and the addition/modification of information using a username and password. An intuitive and user-friendly text editor, similar to Microsoft Word, is employed for this purpose. The website also supports the uploading of files such as images, videos, documents, etc.