The New Wheels of Change project aimed to promote sustainable transport education by equipping teachers with the tools and knowledge needed to integrate cycling and road safety into their lessons. By developing and sharing innovative, digital-based curricula on sustainable mobility, the project enhanced educators’ professional capacities, ensuring they could deliver impactful and engaging content. This approach helped foster lasting knowledge among pupils, encouraging safe riding behaviors and a better understanding of environmentally friendly transportation. The project’s impact extended beyond the classroom, nurturing responsible and conscious road users. In addition to promoting road safety, the project emphasized environmental awareness and healthy, active lifestyles. It showcased cycling as not only a practical transport mode but also a way to improve personal well-being and address societal challenges like climate change. Through cross-border collaboration, partners shared best practices, unified efforts, and amplified the reach of sustainable transport education across Europe. This approach highlighted shared responsibility in fostering environmentally conscious citizens and laid a foundation for future initiatives.
The New Wheels of Change (NWOC) project responded to the growing focus on sustainable transport and the cycling boom across Europe, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities like Vienna, Skopje, Maribor, and Rome saw a rise in cycling as people opted for safer, greener mobility options, highlighting the need for educational initiatives to support green mobility and address climate change. Despite this growth, schools often lacked tools and resources to effectively integrate cycling and traffic education into curricula, while students needed practical ways to learn road safety and environmental awareness. Additionally, road traffic education often relied on parental involvement, deepening social inequalities and limiting access to green mobility. The NWOC project bridged these gaps by developing innovative, digital teaching materials on bicycle safety, accessible to all. The project shared best practices from experts in education and cycling, emphasizing digital tools to meet the growing demand for online learning. Its interactive platform equipped teachers with skills and raised awareness among schools, municipalities, and stakeholders about the importance of green mobility education.