Green STEAM Begins in Iceland: Seven Countries Meet to Rethink Environmental Education

A new Erasmus+ partnership brings together schools, a university and educational organisations from across Europe to develop innovative approaches to environmental literacy, climate education and outdoor STEAM learning.

The Green STEAM – Environmental Literacy and Climate Change in Vulnerable Areas project officially began in autumn 2025, bringing together seven organisations from Iceland, Ireland, Czechia, Greece, Croatia, Poland and Italy. Supported by the Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by GeoCamp Iceland, the project aims to strengthen environmental and scientific literacy by connecting classroom education with outdoor learning, practical investigations and digital technologies.

The partnership held its kick-off meeting in Iceland from 28 to 30 October 2025, marking the beginning of a collaborative journey to develop educational resources that help teachers and students explore environmental challenges through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). The meeting provided an opportunity for partners to establish a shared understanding of the project’s objectives, agree on working methods and begin planning the educational activities that will be developed and tested across Europe.

Building a Shared European Approach to Environmental Education

Green STEAM responds to a growing need for practical and engaging approaches to climate and sustainability education. Across Europe, schools face the challenge of helping young people understand increasingly complex environmental issues, from climate change and biodiversity loss to water management, sustainable land use and the responsible use of natural resources. While these challenges are global, their effects are often visible in the places where students live, creating opportunities to connect scientific learning with direct observation and practical experience.

The project builds on the diversity of its European partnership, combining different educational systems, scientific expertise and environmental settings. The consortium includes primary schools, a university and organisations specialising in outdoor education, digital innovation and interdisciplinary learning. Together, they are developing a common educational methodology that can be adapted to different ages, curricula and local conditions, ensuring that the resources produced through Green STEAM are both internationally relevant and practical for everyday teaching.

A central principle is that meaningful environmental education should begin with real places and questions. A school garden can provide opportunities to investigate biodiversity and soil conditions, a nearby stream can become a setting for studying water quality and flooding, and local weather observations can introduce students to environmental monitoring and data analysis. By using familiar surroundings as learning environments, Green STEAM aims to make scientific investigation more accessible while encouraging curiosity, critical thinking and environmental responsibility.

From Scientific Observation to Meaningful Action

One of the main priorities discussed during the kick-off meeting was the development of a shared pedagogical approach connecting outdoor learning with scientific inquiry and interdisciplinary STEAM education. This work provides the foundation for the project’s Explore – Investigate – Reflect – Act learning cycle, which encourages students to observe their surroundings, investigate environmental questions, analyse evidence and consider meaningful responses.

The approach combines practical fieldwork with environmental sensors, digital mapping, data collection and creative communication. Students might investigate differences in temperature between local environments, monitor rainfall and water movement, document biodiversity or explore how land management influences ecosystems. These investigations provide opportunities to develop scientific and mathematical skills alongside digital literacy, creativity and collaboration. Importantly, the project emphasises that technology should support meaningful investigation rather than become an objective in itself, allowing activities to be adapted to schools with different resources and levels of technical experience.

Green STEAM also recognises the importance of connecting environmental education with local knowledge, cultural heritage and community experience. Traditional land management practices, agricultural landscapes, geological heritage and everyday interactions with nature can all provide valuable starting points for interdisciplinary learning. By combining scientific methods with these wider perspectives, the project encourages students to understand environmental challenges not only as scientific questions, but also as issues connected to society, culture and sustainable development.

Developing Resources Through European Cooperation

During the kick-off meeting, partners discussed the organisation of the project, the development of its educational resources and the international training activities that will support their implementation. The partnership agreed on the importance of creating practical materials that teachers can adapt to their own educational settings, rather than developing rigid activities requiring specialised facilities or equipment.

The project’s main educational outputs include a shared pedagogical framework, a Green STEAM Teacher Handbook, lesson plans, field activity templates and examples of good practice from the participating countries. These resources will provide guidance on planning outdoor investigations, integrating environmental monitoring and digital tools, interpreting scientific data and evaluating student learning. The partnership will also explore how common approaches to environmental measurements and documentation can support cooperation between schools working in different European environments.

The development process will combine contributions from all seven partners with practical classroom experience, international training and ongoing evaluation. Teachers and educators will have opportunities to test activities, share feedback and identify improvements, helping ensure that the final resources are accessible, engaging and relevant to different educational contexts. The ambition is to create educational materials that can continue supporting schools and educators beyond the lifetime of the project.

From the Kick-off Meeting to International Collaboration

The meeting in Iceland established the foundations for this work, bringing partners together for project planning, educational discussions and opportunities to explore practical approaches to field-based learning. Although some activities were adapted to local weather conditions, the meeting successfully combined in-person and online participation, allowing the partnership to agree on priorities and prepare for the next stages of implementation.

International Learning, Teaching and Training Activities form an important part of Green STEAM, providing opportunities for partners to experience different educational environments, exchange teaching methods and jointly develop practical resources. The first international training activity is planned for Sitia, Crete, in spring 2026, where partners will explore Mediterranean landscapes, sustainable land management and the connections between environmental education and cultural heritage. A second training activity will follow in Liberec, Czechia, later in 2026, continuing the development of the project’s educational methodology and teaching resources.

These activities reflect one of the project’s central strengths: the opportunity to learn from different European environments while developing a shared approach to environmental education. Although schools in Iceland, Ireland, Greece or Poland may investigate different environmental challenges, they can apply similar scientific methods, compare experiences and learn from one another. Green STEAM seeks to turn this diversity into an educational advantage, connecting local investigations with a broader European understanding of environmental change.

A Shared Commitment to the Future of Environmental Education

The launch of Green STEAM marks the beginning of a European collaboration built around a common ambition: to help young people become more curious, informed and confident in investigating the environments around them. By bringing together scientific knowledge, practical fieldwork, digital technologies and creative approaches to learning, the partnership aims to make environmental education more engaging and accessible for teachers and students.

Over the coming years, the seven partner organisations will continue developing, testing and refining educational resources that connect local environmental questions with wider sustainability challenges. Through cooperation between schools, universities and educational organisations, Green STEAM aims to demonstrate how outdoor STEAM education can strengthen scientific understanding, environmental literacy and meaningful student participation.

Seven countries, one shared vision: connecting education with the environment and helping young people develop the knowledge and skills to understand our changing world.

Green STEAM – Environmental Literacy and Climate Change in Vulnerable Areas is an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership in School Education (KA220-SCH), coordinated by GeoCamp Iceland.

• Project period: September 2025 – February 2028

• Coordinator: GeoCamp Iceland

• Project partners: ​Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic​); HESL (Ireland​); 3rd Primary School of Sitia (Greece​); Osnovna škola Sibinjskih žrtava (Croatia​); Polygonal (Italy); Infotech (Poland)

• Programme: Erasmus+ KA220-SCH – Cooperation Partnerships in School Education

• Project website: www.projectgreensteam.eu

• Social media: www.facebook.com/projectgreensteam