By implementing the REPAIR THE WORLD (RED) project, we wanted to contribute to limiting the effects of climate change, which is why we aimed to develop a climate education program that would connect schools and geoparks in international cooperation. When planning activities, we wanted teachers, students and geopark employees to acquire specific ecological skills - from proper recycling, through the use of clean energy, to the protection of forests and endangered species - and implement them in everyday educational practice. We linked these goals to the priority of supporting the teaching profession, the development of geographical education and the EU goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by 55% by 2030. We also aimed to develop specific results, such as: a set of lesson plans, digital games, films, articles, a catalog of four geoparks, materials promoting green activities, as well as Climate Action Clubs for schools and the website and space of the eTwinning project. Four international training courses (in Italy, Spain, Poland and an online meeting in Turkey) provided participants with the knowledge and experience necessary to develop these materials.
We applied for the REPAIR THE WORLD (RED) project because: • Climate change was accelerating – the last two decades were record warm, and the effects of warming also affected our communities. • Schools lacked practical materials; climate content was scattered and too theoretical. • Teachers, students and geopark staff needed new competencies in clean energy, recycling and biodiversity protection. • Understanding geoparks as “living laboratories of the Earth” was a wasted educational opportunity – there was a lack of programs showing their unique geology and role in monitoring climate change. • Dialogue between schools, geoparks and local communities was weak; ongoing cooperation and knowledge exchange was necessary. • There was a lack of open, multilingual educational resources that could be scaled internationally. The RED project responded to these needs by creating a set of materials and digital educational tools, strengthening teachers’ competences, integrating schools with geoparks and building a cooperation network supporting the decarbonization process.