By implementing the ECO-FUTURE project, we aimed to: 1. Provide an upskilling pathway for teachers, enhancing their key competencies and profiles in addressing environmental and green issues. This was to be achieved through the use of tinkering, an innovative learning approach based on inquiry-based pedagogy. Tinkering promotes active engagement, intentionality in actions, and a conscious desire to learn how to learn. Through hands-on activities, such as assembling or disassembling objects and exploring materials, teachers would develop immersive, learner-centred education methods. 2. Support young pupils (ages 6-12) in exploring environmental issues, engaging in problem-solving, and cultivating a sustainability mindset and eco-responsible citizenship. This would equip them to make informed and responsible decisions both in and outside of school.
We applied for ECO-FUTURE to promote a supportive scheme for teachers aimed at educating children on the circular economy and stimulating positive, society-wide benefits. The project idea originated from the realization that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the need to rethink and redesign our ways of operating. The crisis had disastrous human and economic consequences, revealing our system's vulnerability to various risks. As the pandemic forced us to adapt our daily lives in unexpected ways, it also challenged us to rethink the systems underpinning the economy. n this context, teachers plays a vital role in preparing students to face future challenges. Sustainability education was envisioned as fun, engaging, and empowering, allowing students to take responsibility for their actions and contribute their vision for a sustainable future. It enabled them to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and motivation for action, helping them maintain their wellbeing, along with that of their community and the planet.The ECO-FUTURE project sought to promote an educational approach that would help students, schools, and communities embrace sustainability, encouraging action on personal, community, and global levels, both now and in the future.