Enhancing Climate Change Literacy and Disaster Preparedness through Simulation-Based Learning: Lessons from the ECOSTAND Project

The ECOSTAND project (no 2023-1-RO01-KA220-SCH-000156665) was a European Union–funded strategic partnership implemented between October 2023 and September 2025, with the aim of strengthening students’ understanding of climate change, natural hazards, and human–environment interactions through meaningful school-based learning. The project was developed in response to the increasing visibility of climate-related hazards and to the need for educational approaches that connect Earth system science with disaster risk reduction and everyday decision-making.

Within ECOSTAND, the partners designed and implemented an interdisciplinary educational framework entitled Natural Disasters Response and Climate Action, tailored for secondary school education. The framework brings together key concepts related to climate processes, natural hazards, Earth’s resources, and human impact, and places strong emphasis on inquiry-based and experiential learning. Central project outputs include curriculum-aligned learning modules, methodological guidelines for teachers, and an interactive simulation environment developed using the Minecraft Education platform. This digital environment allows students to explore realistic scenarios involving floods, earthquakes, wildfires, droughts, and extreme weather events, while analysing risk, vulnerability, and response strategies in a safe and engaging context.

A core pedagogical principle of the project was the use of simulation-based learning to support systems thinking and to help students make connections between geoscientific concepts and real-world challenges. Classroom implementation focused on active student involvement, collaborative problem-solving, and reflection on the role of human actions in both amplifying and reducing disaster risk. Teachers participating in the project engaged in targeted professional development activities, which supported the effective integration of the ECOSTAND resources into everyday teaching practice.

Feedback from classroom implementation and evaluation activities indicates increased student awareness of climate-related hazards, improved understanding of disaster preparedness measures, and greater confidence in discussing complex environmental issues. Teachers reported that the simulation-based approach enhanced student engagement and facilitated meaningful discussions about sustainability and resilience.

As a completed project, ECOSTAND offers a practical and transferable model for integrating natural hazards education and climate change topics into secondary school curricula. The project contributes directly to the aims of EOS 5.5 by providing classroom-tested approaches that link Earth science content with human impact, sustainability, and community resilience.

 

Partners in the ECOSTAND project:

Colegiul National "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi, Romania - Coordinator

INDEPCIE SCA, Cordoba, Spain

Asociatia DEMETRIUS, Iasi, Romania

Ozel Adalya Anadolu Lisesi, Türkiye

ATERMON B.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands

POWOW SAS Camarsac, France

Istituto Comprensivo Maneri - Ingrassia - Don Milani, Palermo, Italy