“May the Force be with you!” – The LEVERS project case: “Actions drive beliefs”
- Article, News, Portugal, TYPE
Local learning ecosystems as a tool
Partnerships between EU projects, civil society institutions, policymakers, teachers, and schools are crucial for advancing climate justice and climate change literacy, and are essential for the implementation of our planned actions under our LV. These collaborations, supported by strong science communication and concrete actions, can create a transformative impact on how societies understand and respond to climate challenges.
The Seven Insights as defined by UCL Climate Action Unit
Like LEVERs project premise, the Portuguese Learning Venture (LV) seeks to enhance the potential of local learning ecosystems as a tool for community climate engagement, learning and action, believing that “actions drive beliefs”.
These partnerships will help bridge the gap between policy, education, and grassroots action
Taking this in mind, for the past six months several meetings were organised with teachers from selected Eco-School projects (4 in total) from São Miguel Island, that will be the core institutions of our LV co-development and implementation, along with more broader workshops for stakeholders. In total, more than forty participants were involved, belonging to a set of distinct entities like European projects (TRANS-Lighthouses, LIFE Snails, LIFE Beetles, LIFE IP Azores Natura, Regions4Climate), the Municipality of Lagoa (São Miguel Island Azores), privates’ institutions, public entities and researchers. These partnerships will help bridge the gap between policy, education, and grassroots action, fostering a more inclusive approach to climate solutions.
During the present school year (2024-2025), the Expolab team in collaboration with the Eco-School teachers’ coordinators and students, will co-develop the beginning of the implementation of “Biodiversity Niches” at the selected schools, supported by our network of stakeholders. Along the next month’s, efforts will be put on the construction of Laurissilva Gardens, with selected plants of our native forests. Students will be challenged to be part of the solution from the conception of the idea to the actual creation of the garden. Together, we can create tailored actions that resonate with different school audiences, ensuring that climate literacy is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Expolab believes that educating both the younger generations and the communities about climate justice, ensures that future citizens are more conscious of the unequal impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations and are empowered to advocate for fairer policies.
The Seven Insights as defined by UCL Climate Action Unit
