Bridging the Gap between Climate Change Science and Public initiatives for Action Erasmus Project

Project Title

Bridging the Gap between Climate Change Science and Public initiatives for Action

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions

Project Summary

Based on robust scientific evidence, there is an urgent need to mitigate anthropogenic climate change (IPCC, 2019). However, there is a significant gap between scientific and public understanding of the risks posed by climate change (J. N. Rooney-Varga, 2018). Continuing warnings from the scientific community are not strong enough to generate the individual and governmental actions necessary to meet international climate goal. At a European level, for the first time, Climate change is ranked as the top priority with 32% by European citizens. However, only 12 EU member countries consider it as a top priority while in many countries this percentage was significantly lower.
Based on recent studies (Prof. John Sterman 2018), this societal and political inactivity/idleness is justified by the fact that “showing people research does not work”. Data from several studies find that the majority of people across the world increased their motivation to combat climate change through participation in simulation (based on real scenarios and variables) role games regarding climate change and the UN climate talks.

ActNow -Bridging the Gap between Climate Change Science and Public initiatives for Action is a project that aims to build the capacity of youth workers to better integrate climate change and sustainable development topics in their practice and further development issues into formal and non-formal education systems, based on innovative educational material such as Mobile Augmented Reality Games and Simulation Games recognizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach.

The objectives of the project are in line with the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) for the years 2021-2030 that recently submitted by European Union Country Members (EU/2018/1999). In addition, the project is strongly related to the New Green Deal, the ambitious package of measures in order for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 (European Commission announce it on December 2019). A flagship initiative that has been taken by EC is to develop mechanisms for upgrading the role of youth and achieve a society in which all young people are environmentally active, educated and able to make a difference in their everyday lives (European Youth Strategy of 2019-2027).

Therefore, the project will have a major contribution to the abovementioned initiative.

The project objectives are fully aligned with the EU priorities and are the following:

1. Develop a broad set of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to sensitize, recruit, mobilise and adequately support youth workers and the youth enabling them to critically reflect on climate change as a major environmental challenge that requires immediate action
2. Build the capacity of front-line youth workers professionals and educators to use bespoke Mobile Augmented Reality and Simulations Games;
3. Provide youth workers and youth professionals with the tools and methodology to implement, evaluate and assess key competences of young people through action research based;
4. Make use of the existing AR and Simulation games platforms and provide youth workers with the necessary technical knowledge to create their content for fostering young people key competences through learning about Climate Change;
5. Develop knowledge and critical understanding of climate change and sustainable development issues.

Intellectual Outputs:

IO1: Augmented Reality Training Package and Trainer’s Manual
IO2: Simulation Game
IO3: MOOC for climate action
IO4: Policy & Practice Recommendations

Key Stakeholders include:
– Youth Workers
– Young People
– NEETs
– Environmental Experts
– Policy Makers

The ActNow Consortium includes 6 partners organization from 6 countries who are experts in the field of environmental issues and youth education. There are 2 significant reasons why the project is designed to be transnational including these countries. The first reason is that Hungary and Spain have much higher percentages of citizens which considered climate change as a first priority while there is still room for more increase, in contrast with Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Italy which have some of the lowest percentages 17%, 23% 24%, 25% respectively. In addition, by cooperating in a transnational youth education and competences development, project partners will be able to develop innovative outputs and exchange practices

The ActNow project is expected to reach directly and indirectly at least 2000 youth workers, educators through the project’s outputs, implementation and dissemination activities (news on social media pages, e-learning space, websites). Additionally, at least 2,000 young people will be reached directly/indirectly through the project’s activities and implementation, and via online means, while 1,000 relevant stakeholders (public authorities, educational institutes, ministries) in all partner countries.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 170142 Eur

Project Coordinator

CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET & Country: CY

Project Partners

• CREATIVE THINKING DEVELOPMENT
• CROMO ALAPITVANY
• Institute for Technology Transfer and Innovations
• PROGEU-PROGRESS IN EUROPEAN UNION -ISTITUTO PER LO SVILUPPO APS
• ACCION LABORAL PLATAFORMA PARA LA IMPLANTACION DE PROGRAMAS DE INCLUSION LABORAL EN COLECTIVOS DESFAVORECIDOS