ECF4CLIM - A EUROPEAN COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK FOR A LOW CARBON ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH EDUCATION
Acting now for climate and life sustainability!
Co-working on the structural and educational interventions with our intervention sites
Some identified interventions as valuable for the improvement of the sustainability performances and of the education for sustainability were already implemented in our demonstration sites, schools and universities from Finland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. Other interventions are in-progress, and some in preparation to be ready for starting at the beginning of the next academic year.
The third meeting of Sustainable Competence Teams (SCT3) was structured in three main parts devoted to a reflexive process on the on-going interventions:
(1) First impressions and experiences,
(2) Barriers and enables,
(3) Further improvements.
SCT3 meetings were organized in all the countries in February – March 2024.
The main results are connected with the operationalization of Green Comp set of competences, by testing ECF4CLIM Roadmap’s elements and identification of paths for improvement.
Working day with students, stimulating the sustainability competences building through research activities
On 2024 January 12, at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, a working day with secondary school students was organized to stimulate the interest in developing critical thinking, systemic thinking, and forward-thinking through the development of research projects.
Two different project lines have been proposed to support the development of competencies for sustainability:
• ECF4CLIM: Sustainable air conditioning systems, impact on the carbon footprint of educational centers.
• ECF4CLIM: Re-naturalization of educational centers, evaluation of the potential on the environmental impact.
Both are linked with the measures identified by the SCTs (Sustainability Competencies Teams) and SCCs (Sustainability Competencies Committees) in the ECF4CLIM project, during the sessions organized in 2022-2023 scholar year.
ECF4CLIM project at 36th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems (Gran Canaria, Spain, June 2023)
University of Seville presented the paper “Use of methodology for the development of competencies in sustainability and carbon footprint reduction in schools” approaching the work with the demonstration sites and the developed tools to improve the sustainability performances. Attendees agreed the developed user-friendly interface is a key step to support the use of the tools in the schools encouraging to move towards better performances.
EU Green Week Conference, 2023, June, 6-7
The objectives and current progress of ECF4CLIM project was presented in the Section "Citizen science- Empowering and skilling citizens to become drivers towards a climate neutral and sustainable Europe through citizen science". The section reflected also the clustering activity of projects: AURORA, I-CHANGE, PSLifestyle, SOCIO-BEE, COMPAIR, GreenSCENT and ECF4CLIM.
Science Fair 2023, Seville, May 11
The 21st edition featured a talk on the ECF4CLIM project, promoting sustainability and the development of scientific competencies in schools
The 21st edition of the Seville Science Fair has successfully promoted scientific dissemination and innovation. With a strong focus on sustainability and the development of scientific competencies for young people. During this fair, students, teachers, and researchers came together to share projects, conferences, and talks, allowing the attendees to explore various scientific topics. The talk given by researchers from the University of Seville on the 11th of May was a point of interest, introducing and awakening interest in the ECF4CLIM project, which focused on the implementation of sustainable competencies in schools.
ECF4CLIM 4th Project Meeting, Our creative day on sustainability,
Portugal, Sintra, May 12,
Working with schools and universities
May 12, an excellent day for an intense exchange of experiences and perspectives, involving the partners of the ECF4CLIM project and the teachers representing the associated schools and universities.
Climbing the mountain as a symbol of the efforts we invest in creating higher performances in education for sustainability. Discussing and following creative exercises in pairs or small groups related to the roadmap, interventions, and research. Documenting by photos, recordings and writing notes.
Our work focused on: (1) Engagement: Reflection on various values and aspects to sustainability, (2) Connections: Systems understanding of the context and various stakeholders’ perspectives, (3) Visions: A worst and best scenario or experience of implementing the interventions to promote sustainability in an educational institution, and the footprint of the General Assembly, (4) Action: Strengthening handprints of General Assembly and interventions, (5) Transdiciplinary dialogue: Reflections on the experiences of transdisciplinary interaction during General Assembly: benefits, enablers and constraints.
ECF4CLIM 4th Project Meeting, World Café with demonstration sites
On May 11, during the ECF4CLIM 4th Project Meeting (Lisbon 2023), a World Café exercise was dedicated to the “Roadmap for promoting sustainability competences in education“ developed by crowdsourcing with the demonstration sites (schools and universities form Finland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain). The event brought together the entire project team (partners, associated partners, Advisory Board members) and it was an excellent opportunity to highlight various perspectives on education for sustainability.
The World Café was structured in the topics: (1) development of a European Competence Framework, (2) collective competences for sustainability, (3) individual competences for sustainability, (4) environmental performance of the pilot schools.
Heterogeneous groups were created in advance to stimulate the communication between the schools from different countries. Each World Café slot of time was started with a presentation of the main elements of the topics resulted from the project work and summarized on a poster. A final session presented the conclusions of each topic. A report will be prepared and published soon.
ECF4CLIM in “Youth with Researchers” Congress,
April 2023, Faculty of Geography and History. University of Seville
On April 19, the 8th edition of the Youth and Researchers congress brought together more than 100 students from different schools from Andalusia, teachers and researchers, in an interactive work, making the research more visible and closer to the schools. The event was concluded around three months of teamwork, creating skills, competencies, and new knowledge. ECF4CLIM project was involved by collaboration with 6 schools (approaching 4 projects and involving 25 students) for the development of sustainability measures in their schools.
Youth with Researchers congress was an opportunity for students to gain competencies in the sustainability by introducing them the methodology developed by ECF4CLIM, and by performing specific work to solve identified sustainability issues in their schools.
Second Session of the Sustainable Competence Teams (SCT2)
First session of Sustainable Competence Teams (SCT1) was organized in 12 demonstration sites (primary schools, secondary schools, and universities) from Finland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. The second session (SCT2) was started in January and will be finalized at the end of March 2023.
Both sessions are based on a hybrid participatory approach to evaluate the collective and individual competences for sustainability and to assess the impact of the behaviours and attitudes on the education for sustainability.
If the SCT1 was dedicated mainly to the identification of drivers and barriers in the education for sustainability, the SCT2 is focused on the identification of the needs of each school or university in terms of the improvement of the environmental performances and strengthening the education for sustainability.
A list of possible interventions was defined for each demonstration site, discussed with students, teachers, and administrative staff. Finally, based on an allocation exercise, the interventions were prioritized.
Between the two set of sessions (SCT1 and SCT2) the students completed diaries during 8 weeks. The diaries were focused on observation about sustainability at the level of school/university, at home, and in the society.
The next step will consists of the SCC (Sustainable Competence Committees) meetings bringing together the representatives of students, teachers, and administrative staff from each demonstration site.
These meetings will finalize the first stage of the work with schools, the Baseline Assessment, and will create the appropriate conditions to go further in the second stage, the Interventions.
ECF Seminar: Roadmap towards Sustainable Education
On December 14 (14:00-16:00, CET) the dissemination event of the Roadmap is organized in on-line format. We invite all the interested parties to come and discuss how to use the roadmap towards sustainable education in the schools and universities.
Agenda:
- Introduction to the roadmap
- Small group discussion on applying the roadmap in educational settings
- Next steps and farewell
To participate please register for the event at: https://link.webropol.com/s/ecf4clim-roadmap
ECF4CLIM 2nd webinar on trans- and inter- disciplinary approaches
On December 2nd a new webinar dedicated to the trans- and interdisciplinary approach in the sustainable development and education for sustainability was organized. While the previous one (November 3rd) brought together education experts, the participants in the second webinar were practitioners from the education sector, representing schools, high-schools and universities. The collected input is a starting point to draw the Transdisciplinary Dialogue Strategy, one of the key outcomes of ECF4CLIM project. The participants discussed on: (1) misunderstandings and contrasting interpretations of the notion of sustainable development encountered in collaboration with experts, practitioners, and students, (2) challenges, obstacles, benefits, and opportunities considered the most significant for further inter- and transdisciplinary work in education for sustainable development, (3) approaches to overcome the obstacles and foster inter- and trans-disciplinarity in practice.
First Sessions of the Sustainable Competence Committees (SCCs)
ECF4CLIM project has developed a hybrid participatory approach to evaluate the collective and individual competences and to assess the impact of the behaviours and attitudes in the educational performance, through participatory observation, interviews, questionnaires, audits, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, citizen engagement, and citizen science.
After the first meeting of the each of the three Sustainable Competence Teams (students, teachers, administrative staff) organized in the twelve demonstration sites (schools, high schools, and universities), Sustainable Competence Committees (SCCs) were set-up. Depending on the context SCCs were organized at national level or for each demonstration site.
The SCC consists of representatives from the SCTs (students, teachers, administrative staff) and other stakeholders relevant for the educational community, such as practitioners, NGOs, authorities, etc. A deliberative co-design process is intended to be generated, whereby the groups jointly design the measures that they deem as the most suitable for fostering sustainability in their own school or university.
On November 28 the first SCC meeting was organised at national level in Romania bringing together representatives of the SCTs of four demonstration sites (Nicolae Balcescu school from Dragasani, Sercaia school, Iulia Zamfirescu high school from Mioveni, and University of Pitesti) and relevant stakeholders (parents, NGOs, authorities, media).
ECF4CLIM Project meeting,
22-23 November 2022
The 3rd project meeting was organized on-line on 22-23 November and was structured in:
1) General Assembly meeting, with the participation of partners and associated partners (demonstration sites)
2) Advisory Board meeting,
3) Steering Committee meeting.
The progress of the project was analyzed following the main activities in accordance with the existing planning: the development of the initial Educational Competence Framework (ECF), the approaches for testing the ECF, the environmental baseline assessment , the individual and collective competences baseline assessment, the development of the Digital Platform (including methods, instrument and tools, such as the Carbon Footprint Calculator, Retrofitting Tool Kit, Sustainability Intervention Evaluation Tool), the discussion on the design of the interventions at the level of the demonstration sites, the communication, dissemination, exploitation of results, and clustering activities.
ECF4CLIM Clustering Activities
GD-SO-Knowledge & Citizens Working Group , 18 November 2022
The Knowledge and Citizens Working Group focuses on the role of citizens in the implementation of the European Green Deal.
The objectives of the WG are connected to:
1) strengthening citizens’ awareness of their own role as actors of change,
2) promoting inclusive and participatory approaches to decision and policymaking at the local and national levels to address climate change challenges,
3) proposing transdisciplinary approaches to behavioral change.
The participating projects address issues including civil inclusion, public engagement, gender equality, social ecology,
and behavioral change.
The Action Plan of the Knowledge & Citizens WG, composed of a set of Focus Areas was discussed, together with the current progress of the participating projects.
ECF4CLIM webinar dedicated to trans- and inter- disciplinary approaches
On November 3 a seminar dedicated to the trans- and interdisciplinary approach in the sustainable development, with a focus on the education for sustainability, was organized in webinar format. The synergies between a range of disciplines and fields of expertise including natural sciences, economics and social sciences through a holistic and innovative approaches was in the focus of the debate. The collected input is a starting point to draw the Transdisciplinary Dialogue Strategy, one of the key outcomes of ECF4CLIM project. A second webinar will continue the discussions in January.
In October the effective implementation of the ECF4CLIM hybrid participatory approach has started
In the last year an innovative hybrid participatory approach was developed by the ECF4CLIM project with the aim to co-design appropriate measures to strengthen environmental awareness, to engage the school community, and to strengthen knowledge, skills and attitudes on climate change and sustainable development.
The effective implementation was started, in October 2022, in all the demonstration sites of the project (some schools and universities from Spain, Portugal, Romania, and Finland). Two to three Sustainability Competence Teams (SCT) working in reconvened focus-groups were set up at the level of each school and university. The first one is composed by students, the second by teachers and the third by administrative staff. The first SCT meeting is intended to promote reflection on the existing competences and on the preferences for moving towards more sustainable behaviours and practices.
Sustainability Competence Committees (SCC) will be established at all demonstration sites (November 2022). The committees will consist of representatives from the SCTs and other actor groups relevant in the educational community, such as practitioners, NGOs, other stakeholders, and authorities. Rapporteurs from each of the three SCTs (students, teachers, administrative staff) will present to the SCCs the challenges and proposals identified in their groups. A deliberative co-design process will be generated, whereby the groups jointly design the measures that they deem as the most suitable for fostering sustainability in their own school or university.
On October 19th the first session of the SCTs (students - SCT1, teachers and administrative staff - SCT2) in the "Nicolae Balcescu" School (Dragasani town, Romania) has produced valuable results for the investigation of the current understanding of sustainability and associated practices.
On October 20 the first session of the SCTs was organized at "Iulia Zamfirescu" High School (Mioveni town, Romania). A fruitful dialogue with students, teachers and administrative staff revealed the main driven factors and obstacles in the educational process devoted to sustainability.
ECF4CLIM Clustering Activities
Participation in the First Board of Coordinators meeting, 22 June 2022, organised by GD-SO
On June 22, the coordinators of more than 70 projects funded under the Green Deal Call participated in the first Board meeting. The activity was supported by Green Deal Projects Support Office (GD-SO) aiming the maximization of the synergies and a better dissemination of the valuable results. GD-SO is structured around five Working Groups (WGs). A WG is an operational platform for projects to identify synergies and challenges. All WGs have met for the first time and now they are developing the Action Plans. WGs will meet again around October/November 2022 to discuss the actions to be implemented.
Board meeting is planned once per year to receive information on the recent policy developments, to discuss and stimulate ongoing projects clustering activities and activities of the WGs, the cross-cutting opportunities and challenges, to identify the cooperation actions, and to foster the establishment of the Green Deal Projects community.
The meeting underlined the crucial role of research and innovation (R&I) and of the associated policies in the context of the European Green Deal (EGD). New solutions and business models are required and the R&I can help to develop them. EGD aims to offer a long-term vision for Europe and a set of new measures and regulations.
The views of the participants on how to create synergies/ linkages between the five WGs were investigated producing the most relevant actions to be implemented: (1) providing a database of projects’ contacts, including an easily accessible online map hosted by GD-SO of all GD projects, linking to individual websites and social media accounts, (2) publishing regular updates on the policy developments, (3) common approach to reaching out to stakeholders and DGs, (4) sharing information about digital tools created or used by the projects, (5) boosting the communication/dissemination/exploitation process, including the organization of joint events, conferences, webinars, and workshops on specific topics (thematic discussions).
General Assembly and Steering Committee meeting of ECF4CLIM project, Umbralejo (Spain), June 8-9
The General Assembly has included representatives from the demonstration sites (schools and universities from Spain, Portugal, Finland, and Romania, acting as associated partners of the ECF4CLIM project) and the members of the Advisory Board.
The meeting in Umbralejo, an abandoned town in Spain, two hours away from Madrid, has created a very inspiring atmosphere stimulating the reflection on education , sustainability, and climate actions. In Umbralejo a very successful sustainability educational program is being carried out: the Program for the Recovery and Educational Use of Abandoned Towns (PRUEPA).
The analysis of the activities performed in the first eight months of the project shows a set of valuable outcomes were obtained and the real progress of the work in line with the initial planning. The coordination for the next actions was agreed introducing appropriate measures and deadlines.
The meeting included a group session with teachers and staff from the demonstration sites, as well as other education professionals creating an open space for reflection and sharing knowledge, opinions and practices. The group activity was also devoted to reflect on the linking of teachers' and schools' activity with ECF4CLIM and how the project can help their school/university to become a reference in sustainability education.
Crowdsourcing workshops organised in Finland, Spain, Portugal and Romania
From March to mid-May 2022 a set of crowdsourcing workshops are conducted in Finland, Spain, Portugal and Romania, as well as internationally following the planned research activities in WP3, Task 3.1. Together with Task 3.2, crowdsourcing will form a basis for the development of the first draft of the operationalized European Competence Framework. It is a very important step in the project as a collective will-formation and meaning-making process that works as the basis to design the measures, interventions, and hybrid participatory action research processes in the demonstration sites.
The crowdsourcing process is structured into parts: (1) national online or face-to-face workshops including discussions for various stakeholders including but not limited to the demonstration sites, (2) international online discussion by eDelphi platform. If you want to be involved in this large participation process you may send an e-mail to ecf4clim@gmail.com.
Green Deal education and environmental monitoring projects clustering workshop
7 Projects funded under call LC-GD-10-3-2020, 14 and 23 February 2022
Kick off Meeting, 2021 October 18
