Climate Classrooms: an inclusive way to educate children and teachers to become active agents of change
▶Summary
Our overall goal of the Climate Classroom project was to empower children and educators to use design-driven and problem- solving capacities in support of the environment and fight against climate...
▶Objectives
Our overall goal of the Climate Classroom project was to empower children and educators to use design-driven and problem- solving capacities in support of the environment and fight against climate change. We did this through leveraging and merging the Designathon Works methodology with the expertise of An Taisce Environmental Education Unit Green-Schools office, hereafter called Green School, on education for sustainable development. Our objectives were to: develop an enhanced module to support application of design-driven and problem-solving learning in support of the environment and fight against climate change; capacitate educators to create problem-based and design-driven learning environments using the enhanced module and strengthen key competences, knowledge and attitudes among children through Designathons.
▶Activities
The programme of the Climate Classroom project 2023 consisted of six activities: Creating an enhanced module incorporating the Designathon Method Training of educators in Ireland Training of educators in the Netherlands Support delivery of Designathons in Dutch Schools Support delivery of Designathons in Irish schools Communication, impact measurement and results sharing
▶Impact
#1 new module created covering various thematic and environment related subjects #10 Dutch educators trained in design-driven, climate sensitive approaches and the Designathon method #27 Irish educators trained in design-driven, climate sensitive approaches and the Designathon method #8 Dutch schools participated and reached #5 Irish Designathon workshops were executed #1 Designathon learning & exchange event held #319 children participating in the Designathons workshops and learning & exchange events #15 external stakeholders were reached through engagement together with the Maynooth University by testing and teaching the course with educators #28 students tested the first lesson of the materials and feedback was collected Additionally, educators brought up both the topics of the curriculum and skill practise in other parts of their regular school programme or with colleagues. Two educators built their own website (https://sites.google.com/view/amalia-astro-ontwerp-onderzoek/ontwerpen/7-climate-classrooms-designathon?authuser=0) for the children and merged their own resources to make sure the programme easily builds on top of current topics of discussion in their school.