Expanding remote sensing–based environmental education: the Ecoview competition from national to international level

The rapid development of Earth observation technologies presents significant opportunities to promote environmental responsibility and data literacy globally. Building on the success of the All-Ukrainian competition "Ekopohliad" ("Ecoview"), established in 2019 by the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory of the National Centre "Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine", the initiative was expanded internationally in 2024 and 2025. The International Ecoview competition aims to engage school students (14-18 years old) from different countries in investigating real environmental and climate-related problems using open satellite data and geospatial tools. Participation requires the use of open-access remote sensing datasets and their analysis through accessible platforms, such as Copernicus Browser, Google Earth Engine, NASA Giovanni, NASA Worldview, Google Earth Pro, and QGIS.

The competition combines independent student research, mentor guidance, and evaluation by an international jury of experts in Earth observation and environmental science. Educational support includes webinars, methodological guidelines, and a video course on satellite data and GIS analysis, ensuring students develop practical research and analytical competencies. 

The first international edition in 2024 engaged 96 students from all school grades (K–12) from Ukraine and 14 other countries. In 2025, the competition was limited to participants aged 14–18 years to ensure fair competition among students of comparable age, engaging 60 students from Ukraine and 16 foreign countries, with balanced representation from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Twenty finalists presented research covering a wide range of environmental topics, including urban environments, forests, surface water, desertification, extreme events, climate change, and notably, the ecological consequences of war. The diversity of geographical contexts allowed participants to compare environmental processes across regions and to develop a broader understanding of global environmental challenges.

Preliminary outcomes indicate that the international format of Ecoview enhances students' motivation, promotes critical thinking, and improves their ability to work with primary geospatial data sources. The competition also contributes to the formation of an international youth community interested in applying remote sensing for environmental research and sustainable development. These positive results demonstrate the project's effectiveness and underscore the need for continued support and expansion of the initiative.

Future priorities include expanding participation, strengthening the educational component with updated materials, promoting interdisciplinary research, and further developing mentor and expert networks. These plans aim to inspire continued engagement and innovation in environmental education.

The experience of scaling Ecoview from a national to an international initiative demonstrates its potential as a replicable model for integrating Earth observation into school-level science education while addressing complex global environmental challenges.