The vision of Globala Gymnasiet is that students, when graduating, will have an understanding of the world, including its challenges and opportunities, as well as the meaning of sustainable development. One of the school’s goals is to enhance the work within ESD, which includes developing the staff’s competencies and advancing the school’s interdisciplinary projects. There is a need to update these projects based on the current global situation to ensure they are relevant and engaging for students. Cygnus Gymnasium’s development areas include both acquiring and sharing new knowledge, with a focus on a scientific approach. By conducting the degree project in collaboration with Globala and focusing on sustainable city planning, teachers hope to increase students’ engagement in their studies and improve their scientific writing. Another goal for Cygnus is to develop the competence of global citizenship. Aeres aims to expand its network to include universities in Sweden. They hope that collaboration with Globala will lead to increased interest in exchanges between the countries. A common challenge faced is managing students’ climate anxiety. We hope that an exchange will give them insight that they are not alone in their commitment.
With this project we wanted to address several important needs. We aim to help our students handle complex issues and enhance their ability to act for a sustainable future. By exploring real challenges, we showcase good examples and give them the opportunity to look ahead. The project allows students to discover and investigate various action alternatives and create visions for a sustainable future. By demonstrating the relevance of science to sustainable development, we want to boost students’ motivation to study natural science. By studying phenomena such as blue-green solutions, urban farming, modern solar energy and fossil-free transport, we can make science more relevant and meaningful to students’ everyday lives. The project also aims to enhance teachers’ competence in education for sustainable development (ESD). Through a long-term collaboration between participating schools and teachers, we can exchange teaching experiences and develop new methods. This includes developing interdisciplinary work areas within sustainable urban planning. In summary, the project addresses the need to educate and motivate both students and teachers to work together towards a sustainable future.