Watt the Heat!? (Global Heat Redux)

<< Background >>Around 2018 we saw a rise in civil engagement to demand concrete government action to address climate issues. However, Covid-19 pushed this awareness to the background. On top of that, climate change is predicted to cause huge numbers of people to migrate as evidenced by numerous news reports and studies by international organizations: the challenges posed by climate migration are underestimated in long-term strategies. Young people are the key future stakeholders here, hence the need to raise awareness about migration and stimulate the debate. / Our project has aimed to address those needs by confronting students with the consequences and challenges of climate change, by showing them the face of past and future (climate) migration, and by stimulating their understanding of the need for Europeans to come together to lead the world by example. At the level of our institutions we wanted to reorient our teaching methods even more toward project-based, hands-on and intercultural teaching. Increased language proficiency and intercultural skills were also crucial goals. << Objectives >>We aimed to provide hands-on experience both of global warming and the migration it causes, improve field skills & critical thinking, and explore energy solutions along the road to 2050. We wanted to make students aware of personal civic responsibilities and shared European values. We aimed to reflect on how renewable energy and sustainable habits can only save us if embedded in EU and global collaboration. Our teachers and institutions were to keep evolving toward more dynamic and hands-on teaching environments.<< Implementation >>Both online work & exchange weeks. The online activities concerned preparatory activities regarding national identity and stereotypes, prior knowledge of climate change and existing attitudes towards migration. These activities took the form of joint online sessions, exchanges of vlogs and some surveys throughout the semester. The Belgian exchange week focused on activities around urban planning & circular economy as tools to mitigate the effects of global warming, on the role of the EU in dealing with the climate crisis, and on past/future energy sources coupled with historical migration. The Italian week consisted of activities allowing the students to explore present-day climate migration, the effects of volcanic emissions & the potential of geothermal energy. Students were to perform field experiments, though that turned out not to be feasible in Italy due to force majeure. Teachers strove to create project-based tasks and teaching materials.<< Results >>Please refer to the EPRP for full details. The Belgian and Italian teachers have created two app-based teaching tools that we felt might be useful to other teachers living in or visiting our respective hometowns. We have disseminated our project through newsletters, presentations, newspaper articles, an international fair etc. (see Twinspace for details). We have come up with project-based activities and established contact with expert speakers that we will keep calling on in our science courses. The Belgian students have written scientific papers with input from their Italian colleagues. Collaboration between science teachers and other departments has improved, e.g. history & geography teachers coordinating their work on climate migration. The students report a tangible increase in their spoken language skills. Lasting contacts with external organizations have been established and will continue being used in the future. Surveys before and after certain activities, as well as at the very beginning and end of the whole project, clearly show how much the students have learned about climate change. Above all, student feedback reflects an enhanced sense of EU citizenship far exceeding our expectations.