Schoolture for Climate Change

Participatory Programmes in Education

Schoolture for Climate Change introduces teachers to participatory design as a way to involve students in understanding and acting on environmental challenges. Instead of learning about climate change only from textbooks, students co-create solutions for their school and community through guided, collaborative processes. The course equips kindergarten, primary and secondary teachers with ready-to-use tools and methods to run climate-focused projects that build responsibility, critical thinking, inclusion and active citizenship. By integrating participatory design into daily practice, schools become places where learners experience how their actions can shape a more sustainable future.

The last few years students, due to their rising familiarization with social media and technology, seem to be disconnected from their physical space without understanding that their action, individually or collectively, affects the physical environment and can contribute to the management of topics such as climate change. So, the need for educating young people around the concept but also the significance of participatory design in everyday practices has emerged. At the same time the beneficial impact of collective processes and tools in education has been highlighted. Community participation in general and participatory design specifically, are terms that although broadly used, are not to this day fully defined. The ways participation can be implemented are many and the projects of participatory design vary a lot as far as their objectives, methods, tools and results are concerned. In any case, participatory design is not a vague concept and should not be confused with participation in general. It is a methodology that follows specific basic steps which can be enriched by various tools and methods depending on the objectives of the process. The benefits of participatory design in the educational process vary from the implementation of participatory design in the educational process itself (experiential learning) to the type of outcome (collective product).

Course objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Apply participatory design methodologies to climate change education and sustainability projects.
• Embed climate literacy and environmental awareness across subjects and school levels.
• Design and facilitate participatory workshops where learners co-create sustainable solutions.
• Implement a whole-school approach to climate action involving pupils, staff, families and the wider community.
• Lead co-creation processes using a structured Participation Plan with clear and measurable outcomes.
• Strengthen student agency, democratic participation and active citizenship.
• Develop learners’ creative, civic and collaborative competences linked to climate, public space, cultural identity and resilience.
• Promote inclusive and intercultural perspectives on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

ERASMUS+ PRIORITIES:

For School Education

• Environment and fight against climate change – empowering students to take action for sustainability through participatory design.
• Inclusion and diversity in education – involving all learners and voices in collaborative processes, regardless of background or ability.
• Participation in democratic life – fostering active citizenship, shared responsibility, and community engagement.
• Innovative practices in a digital era – integrating creative, collaborative, and technology-supported methods in teaching and learning.

A COURSE LIKE NO OTHER!

The course is conducted by Giouli Athousaki, a passionate, energetic and experienced coordinator of educational and cultural projects and an accredited facilitator and trainer of Participatory Design Methodologies in Educational Programs for Sustainable Development.

The participants will be required to fill in a Needs Analysis before the course.

Minimum English level: B.1.

Methodology

Methodology: The weekly program includes a combination of educational methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of participatory design in education upon its completion. Specifically, we will begin with an introduction session to familiarize participants and summarize the objectives of the training, as well as our expectations and the participants’ prior experiences.

Subsequently, we will move on to workshop-style sessions instead of traditional lectures to enhance active participation from everyone. Finally, we will co-design your next steps using participatory design tools and visit a school workshop that is actively involved in participatory design activities.

All sessions are based on an experiential learning approach, ensuring an enjoyable and inclusive process.

Certification details

Learning Agreement
Certificate of Attendance in line with Erasmus quality standards
Europass Mobility Document 

Costs

The 560 EUR fee covers the course tuition, issuing the required Erasmus+ documents, coffee breaks, and a guided tour.
We offer an optional cultural programme in order to provide you with opportunities to explore the wonders of the area. All the details including the destinations and the prices will be sent to the participants two months before the course starts.

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