The Monitoring of Climate Change from Space Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Monitoring of Climate Change from Space

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The American administration has announced drastic cuts in the NASA monitoring of Climate Change from Space, which is critical in our scientific modelling and forecasts. This is where the European Union must step in to fill the void. Our part is through education. With this meaningful vessel for collaboration we intend to strengthen our schools and teaching methods.

This 5-country project aimed at modernizing the teaching methods in science and strengthen international cooperative skills of each school involved through “good practice” in a project involving students and teachers from diverse backgrounds sharing one common goal: to make and launch a rocket carrying Climate Change measuring devices.

The issue of Climate Change and what to do about it is a universally compelling and epochal problem. By embracing both highly disadvantaged (socially, culturally and economically) students from French Guyana as well as top-performing students from Europe (who may lack motivation due to lack of challenges) the project aimed at fostering active and democratic EU-citizenship and employability of students and teachers alike by focusing on individual and collective expertise and best practice. Yes, we needed the French Guyana students’ expertise in welding and yes, we needed the hardcore physics and math of the European mainland students. Furthermore, we needed the best teaching methods for diverse student groups. It was a collaborate effort. The road to the rocket (and not the rocket itself) was what would bring us all together.

The project featured 160 mobilities (albeit some where cancelled due to the horrible Corona virus) with students and teachers of highly different learning and teaching backgrounds ranging from Amerindians speaking Creol only and straight out of the Amazonian rain forest, Haïtian refugees and decendants of slaves to “ordinary”- as well as more fortunate soon-to-be physicists and engineeers from the European mainland. The local reach was be bigger because entire schools, external partnes and communities were involved.

Through a series of 4 meetings lasting one week each (the fifth and final was cancelled), the students and teachers worked their way from basic knowledge of Climate Change, physics, engineering and welding to… almost getting ready to launch of a working rocket. We had to address many aspects ranging from soft skills related to Climate Change over calculations and the coding of measurement devices involving microbits to the selection of 3D printed materials and propulsion needed for the rocket. In each meeting the teachers were invited to experience and evaluate the best practice of the hosting school for direct and indirect implementability.

It was a sad day when the decision to cancel the fifth meeting in Cayenne was taken. We had everything in place from customized sensors including students coded software, the printed nose cone, the chemical engines, the release mechanism, the parachute. All we needed was to weld the rocket itself, test the ignition and launch and measure the direct impact of climate change on the South American rain forest.

However, we did manage to implement, test and evaluate a long range of teaching methods that have been transferred into a lengthy report combining theory and practice. We are very proud of the work that will help us and any interested school tackle the problems of teaching an extremely diverse group of your people.

In the longer term, the high degree of transfer value meant that each school had the potential to grow organizationally in order to better tackle the challenges of internationalization and the risk of ESL by implementing what proved to work into the daily routines. The teachers and schools formed stronger bonds across the European borders.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 211352 Eur

Project Coordinator

NEXT UDDANNELSE KØBENHAVN & Country: DK

Project Partners

• Lycée professionnel Jean-Marie MICHOTTE
• New river trust
• 2nd Lyceum of Kos
• Cognita Hastings Holdings, S.L.