Project description
Strengthening science education through community partnerships
Europe faces a shortfall in people knowledgeable in science. The European Commission is seeking to expand opportunities for science learning in formal and informal settings. The EU-funded PULCHRA project will develop the concept of open schooling – where schools partner with local communities, local industries and professionals through City Challenges – pilot themes aiming to create know-how, build trust, facilitate skilled use of tools and support community building. For instance, City Challenges (technological) platform will bridge schools and other stakeholders, while students will serve as City Reporters to explore and disseminate City Challenges. Overall, the project will contribute to a more scientifically interested and literate society, and spur interest in scientific careers.
Objective
"The PULCHRA* project will explore the open schooling concept in the theme ""Cities as urban ecosystems”, in view of creating new partnerships in local communities to foster science education for all citizens. Schools, in cooperation with other stakeholders will become agent of community well-being, taken that the theme to be explored encompasses the natural environment, the built environment and the socio-economic environment in cities. This is of great importance, taken that the urgency of cities to be approached as urban ecosystems is underestimated and limitedly linked to science education for all citizens.
The methodology is based on pilot themes (termed as City Challenges) which create know-how, built trust in the science approach based on own experience, facilitate skilled use of tools and support community building as they are based upon the identity of the communities in which they take place. A City Challenges (technological) Platform is developed to bridge partners, schools and stakeholders; mixed Science Teams and students acting as City Reporters will explore and disseminate the City Challenges respectively.
Our approach is situated in the own living environment. Engaging in environmental education has a direct impact upon the community and the personal lives of the participants. The benefit of international cooperation of the EU member states becomes obvious at the community level.
The consortium is coherent and brings complementary expertise, whereas the project is supported by a wide variety of stakeholders in the participating countries, a fact which is considered an asset of the project and shows its replication potential.
Finally the pilot themes to be explored within the project exhibit richness in science as they take note of several scientific fields as related to cities as urban ecosystems, they are supported by technology, bring in innovation and are directly linked to SDGs and the European policies for cities.
*beautiful in Latin"
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
10561 Athina
Greece