GreenCoolSchools Network

"<< Background >>The project was initiated in response to the urgent need for climate change adaptation measures in schools. With an increasing number of days exceeding 30°C, particularly during the school months of April to June and September, heat poses a serious challenge to the well-being, learning ability, and concentration of students. Schools must provide a comfortable and healthy learning environment, as children and young people spend a large part of their day there. Nature-based solutions (= school greenings) such as green roofs, facades, trees, or school gardens can significantly improve the micro-climate, enhance air quality, and foster biodiversity while creating engaging, age-appropriate learning spaces.The project builds on the previous Erasmus+ project L4GS, which developed teaching materials on the topic of greening in schools. Feedback from teachers revealed a clear demand for cross-country exchange to share experiences and strategies. This project addresses that need by establishing a teacher network focused on school greening, sustainability, and climate education, promoting long-term collaboration and peer learning to benefit both educators and students.<< Objectives >>The main goal of the “Green Cool Schools Network”-project was to create a transnational network of teachers and schools engaged in implementing or planning school greening initiatives. The project aimed to support the exchange of experiences, challenges, and ideas between schools in Austria, Germany, and Spain, strengthening collaboration on greening, sustainability, and education. A key focus was on integrating “green knowledge” into teaching, based on the materials developed in the previous L4GS project. By encouraging peer-to-peer exchange among teachers as well as knowledge transfer among teachers and non-school experts, the project aimed to generate new approaches, raise awareness of climate adaptation, and promote practical, nature-based solutions in schools.Ultimately, the objective was to foster sustainable change in education, inspire other schools across Europe, and support long-term improvements in learning environments and climate resilience in the school sector – in various European countries.Overall: The international “Green Cool Schools Network” was successfully established, enabling schools to exchange on greening and green education, based on the previous Erasmus+ project L4GS.<< Implementation >>The project was structured around four main activities, each linked to a specific objective:•Activity 1: Network(ing) – A series of five teacher workshops (including one on-site in Vienna) were held to connect educators from the partner schools and support knowledge exchange on school greening initiatives. Regular online meetings and a field trip enabled continued collaboration.•Activity 2: Online Platform: Green Cool Schools Practice – The existing Green Cool Schools website was expanded with a new section for sharing and rating best practice examples: teachers from Austria, Germany and Spain submitted and voted on green school projects.•Activity 3: Criteria for Green Cool Schools – A structured research and consultation process led to the development of clear criteria for what defines a ""Green Cool School."" The criteria were finalised through feedback rounds with partners, teachers, and external experts and were published in four languages.•Activity 4: Dissemination – Project results and activities were widely disseminated through multilingual newsletters, social media, webinars, and website updates. A final webinar announced the winning school projects and presented the developed criteria.<< Results >>The project successfully produced several concrete and transferable results (see https://greencoolschools.eu/):•A functioning international teacher network was established, with educators from Austria, Germany, and Spain participating in joint activities and sharing greening experiences.•An enhanced online platform was launched, with a dedicated “Initiatives” section. Over 35 projects were submitted and rated by users, and the top three initiatives were selected and published in all project languages.•A set of criteria for Green Cool Schools was developed, revised, and published online. These criteria now serve as a reference for schools wishing to join the network and guide schools in their development towards becoming more sustainable.•Dissemination reached a broad audience in the education sector and beyond, with newsletters, webinars, newspaper articles, posts on websites, and social media engagement promoting the project and inspiring schools outside the consortium to get involved.The project created lasting resources and laid the groundwork for future collaboration – already continuing through the follow-up Erasmus+ project Green Cool Schools GROW Europe, which will further expand the network and its impact."