Learning and Teaching about Climate Change, EDU4CLIMA

Climate change is emerging as one of the most significant challenges facing our planet today, with its effects now visible and negatively impacting ecosystems, human activities, and global health. Addressing climate change and limiting its negative impacts, requires collective action and climate literacy, that encompasses being aware of climate change, its anthropogenic causes and its implications. This work concerns the presentation of the project: Learning and Teaching about Climate Change, under the acronym EDU4Clima (https://edu4clima.gr), which aims to promote the teaching of climate change in secondary education in Greece and to provide teachers and students with new knowledge  and skills to critically approach climate change, to reflect on environmental issues that arise and to develop attitudes for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. It attempts to integrate in the educational process, the scientific knowledge produced by the University of Crete and the Atmospheric Research Station at Finokalia, Crete. In this context, a Research, Innovation and Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge Hub has been established closed to Finokalia Station, where teacher training workshops are held and an educational program for students has been developed and is being implemented. The educational program is based on innovative teaching approaches and includes interactive presentations, experiments that demonstrate climate phenomena in a simple way carried out by the students, access and analysis of real atmospheric data. Additionally, a tour to the Atmospheric Research Station and interaction with scientists included in the program. All activities carried out are compatible with the curricula for Natural Sciences in Senior High School. Before each visit to the Hub, school teachers undertake preparing the students, focusing on basic prerequisite knowledge, while after the visit, the students serve as climate ambassadors and take action by disseminating the results in their school and/or their local communities.