UBT, EA and NUCLIO are the founding members of the European School Innovation Academy (ESIA) which is already offering a platform for teachers to participate in professional development activities, webinars or share guidelines and material on innovative school practices. SYNAPSES will use ESIA to promote its activities and good practices, also in the field of environmental awareness or addressing climate change. The project will take advantage of a network exceeding 10.000 teachers that ESIA is able to reach out to and invite them to summer schools and online webinars to create their own projects and initiatives based on the concepts and principles of the SYNAPSES Standard-Based Training Framework. The SYNAPSES Academy training programme will capitalise on the results of numerous initiatives that have been designed to facilitate the development of sustainability citizenship. These initiatives will be adopted and enriched to form the SYNAPSES training ecosystem. An indicative list of such initiatives is following:
HORIZON 2020: OPEN SCHOOLS FOR OPEN SOCIETIES
The project introduced a change culture in schools; families are becoming real partners in school life and activities; professionals from enterprises and civil and wider society are actively be involved in bringing real-life projects to the classroom. Open Schools for Open Societies project will provide exemplary cases that will inform the SYNAPSES Best Practices (WP2) while the SYNAPSES consortium aims involve the Open Schools for Open Societies school network and teachers to the large-scale implementation of the SYNAPSES Academy (WP4).
HORIZON 2020: SCHOOLS AS LIVING LABS
The project engages in dialogue school communities, research institutions, science museums and centres and spaces of open-learning. The Living Lab approach highlights the co-design and co-development of valuable learning experiences. In the framework of SYNAPSES, pilot activities following the living lab approach will be designed and implemented in the participating institutions.
ERASMUS+: InNature – Innovation in Schools Inspired by Nature Solutions
InNature is designed to develop students’ competences in STEM subjects, namely science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Additionally, it will enhance teachers’ competences and create new teaching resources and methodologies. InNature educational materials will act as exemplary cases that will inform the SYNAPSES Best Practices (WP2).
HORIZON 2020: GAIA
This project aims to promote positive behavioural changes within school communities regarding energy consumption and sustainability awareness. Based on a large IoT infrastructure in pilot schools located in Italy, Greece and Sweden, In the framework of SYNAPSES, the GAIA educational materials will act as exemplary cases that will inform the SYNAPSES Best Practices (WP2).
HORIZON 2020: FOODSIFT2030
EA hosts the Athens FoodSHIFT Accelerator Lad which focuses on social innovation by engaging schools in (re-) connecting young people with land and nature as well as using summer courses to promote healthy eating and plant-based foods. In the framework of SYNAPSES, EA will act as Hub to promote scenarios related to sustainable food systems.
HORIZON 2020: NUTRISHIELD
NUTRISHIELD aims at creating a personalized platform for the young. The platform will consist of novel methods & techniques, which analyse a wide range of biomarkers related to nutrition and health disorders. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the platform will be used for educational activities related to nutrition and health issues.
HORIZON 2020: PROTEIN
PROTEIN project aims to develop an end-to-end ecosystem that will engage people to a healthy, pleasurable, nutritional and sustainable diet by offering a daily program adapted to their needs and driven by their personal preferences, physical and physiological characteristics as well as their health status. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the platform will be used for educational activities related to nutrition.
Better awareness of the opportunities, benefits and limitations of nature-based solutions has been identified by citizens and experts as one of the main factors that could facilitate the transition to more sustainable cities and territories. Nature-based Solutions (NBS) use nature and ecosystems to deliver social, ecological and economic benefits, increasing biodiversity and contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, the educational potential of NBS remains largely unexplored, whilst innovative programmes and resources around NBS are currently missing from formal and informal education programmes for children and families. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the platform will be used for educational activities around exemplars in schools and sustainability citizenship (WP4).
BioMeBioYou uncovers, explores, questions and celebrates all aspects of Biodiversity from the perspective of teachers and students of all abilities from every strata of society, and their whole-school communities. Moreover, it challenges us to look beyond biodiversity and STEAM in their traditional meaning, towards a more inter-connected and creatively holistic, 21 Century definition of environmental citizenship and Climate Action. Simply put, biodiversity cannot exist in isolation if we are to consider that everything we are and everything we do as citizens of planet earth, are inextricably entwined in the fabric of planet Earth. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the platform will be used for educational activities around exemplars in schools and sustainability citizenship (WP3 & WP4).
Eco² Schools as New European Bauhaus Labs
capitalizes on five eco-renovation educational building projects that are currently in progress. By building on the concept of Open Schooling, the selected pilot sites develop concrete and replicable climate action plans to be transformed into innovation hubs in their communities, raising citizen awareness activities to facilitate social innovation, promote education and training for sustainability, conducive to competences and positive behaviour for a resource-efficient and environmentally respectful energy use.
The EU-funded Surrounded by Science project
brings together experts in science education research, science centres and museum educators, providers of outreach and informal learning activities, strong user communities and policymakers in Europe to design and develop a systematic assessment methodology that will analyse the impact of out-of-school science activities. By conducting field studies and other innovative data collection methods, the project will assess the impact of specific out-of-school activities. The project will draw from a digital toolbox of innovative research instruments to collect data from citizens actively participating in science-related activities.
CLEVERFOOD promotes sustainable food systems and uses the school canteen as a reference point for learning and action. In the framework of the SYNAPSES Summer School 2025, CLEVERFOOD was organised as a satellite course connected to the SYNAPSES core course under the Sustainability Citizenship umbrella.
is a project that seeks to transfer the knowledge acquired in the Foodshift 2030 sister project to school classrooms and their environment, thus multiplying its impact by involving younger generations and supporting sustainable development goals 4 and 12 by promoting a quality education and by promoting the use of more sustainable consumption and production models.
UNECE WIA provides a relevant international reference point for sustainability-related learning and stakeholder engagement. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the project was identified by partners as a cooperation initiative supporting the exchange of approaches and resources for Sustainability Citizenship Education.
CurioSOIL focuses on soil education and sustainability learning. In the framework of SYNAPSES, partners collaborated through the sharing of resources and school-leader outputs that can inform training materials and portal content.
Climate Playground is a Belgian initiative promoting sustainable and green playgrounds. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the initiative was shared through the SYNAPSES Portal, and a podcast was recorded with the initiator to disseminate practical examples of school-based sustainability action.
BioBeo works on bioeconomy education and sustainability awareness. In the framework of SYNAPSES, partners met with the BioBeo team and agreed to exchange resources that can enrich sustainability citizenship teaching and learning.
Teachers for Climate supports teachers in addressing climate education and action. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the team recorded a podcast episode with the internationalisation officer of Teachers for Climate, and the project contributed to the School Heads track of the SYNAPSES Summer School 2024.
BAFOS is an SDG-oriented initiative with relevance to Sustainability Citizenship. In the framework of SYNAPSES, cooperation was established to exchange approaches and resources that support sustainability-oriented school practices.
STEAMEscape connects STEAM learning with SDG-oriented education. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the project was identified as a cooperation initiative supporting the exchange of sustainability citizenship practices and resources.
OTTERS – Citizen Science for Water Stewardship
OTTERS promotes citizen science for water stewardship in marine and freshwater contexts. In the framework of SYNAPSES, cooperation with OTTERS supports the use of citizen science as a pathway for learner engagement, environmental stewardship, and sustainability citizenship.
GEO-ACADEMY supports teachers in using GIS, Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, and geospatial storytelling in sustainability education. In the framework of SYNAPSES, cooperation with GEO-ACADEMY offers opportunities to connect digital, spatial, and green skills with Sustainability Citizenship Education.
TAP-TS was identified by SYNAPSES partners as a cooperation project relevant to teacher education and sustainability-related professional development. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the collaboration supports exchange of resources and practices for teacher training.
EduSTA was identified by SYNAPSES partners as a cooperation opportunity connected to teacher education and sustainability competences. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the project supports exchange around teacher professional development and competence-based learning.
NEB-LAB promotes the idea of schools acting as green living labs in their communities. In the framework of the SYNAPSES Summer School 2025, NEB-LAB was organised as a satellite course connected to the core SYNAPSES course, supporting sustainability citizenship through energy-efficient and community-based school solutions.
NBS EduWORLD promotes the introduction of Nature-Based Solutions in school curricula and school settings. In the framework of the SYNAPSES Summer School 2025, NBS EduWORLD was organised as a satellite course to connect nature-based solutions with Sustainability Citizenship Education.
Plastic Pirates provides educational and citizen-science resources on plastic pollution. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the project was contacted for resource exchange, and relevant materials were evaluated in WP2 and uploaded to the SYNAPSES Portal.
BIOACID provides educational resources on ocean acidification and climate-related marine science. In the framework of SYNAPSES, BIOACID resources were identified for WP2 evaluation and inclusion in the SYNAPSES Portal.
Plastic Soup Foundation works on awareness and education around plastic pollution. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the organisation was contacted for resource exchange, with relevant materials evaluated in WP2 and uploaded to the SYNAPSES Portal.
EMBL ELLS provides science education resources, including Nexus Island. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the resource was identified for WP2 evaluation and inclusion in the SYNAPSES Portal to support sustainability-related science learning.
OpenEvo provides educational resources related to evolution, systems thinking, and sustainability-relevant learning. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the project was contacted for resource exchange, and relevant materials were evaluated in WP2 and uploaded to the SYNAPSES Portal.
THYME was identified as a relevant project for sustainability-related teaching resources. In the framework of SYNAPSES, partners contacted the project for exchange of resources that were evaluated in WP2 and uploaded to the SYNAPSES Portal.
Klima auf dem Teller provides educational content on food, climate, and sustainability. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the resource was identified for WP2 evaluation and inclusion in the SYNAPSES Portal to support learning on sustainable food systems.
The Economist Educational Foundation – Topical Talk
Topical Talk supports classroom discussions about current news topics. In the framework of SYNAPSES, resources such as Building Biodiversity, Leadership for Change, Numeracy in the News, and AI and sustainability were shared for use through the SYNAPSES cooperation and resource ecosystem.
Irish Sustainable Schools Network
The Irish Sustainable Schools Network brings together students and teachers committed to climate and ecological literacy in schools across Ireland. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the organisation shared the “5 Minutes of Sustainability” resource to support practical sustainability learning.
The LEGO Foundation – Build the Change
The LEGO Foundation promotes creative, engaged, lifelong learning. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the Build the Change courses were shared as resources that support creative approaches to sustainability challenges and learner agency.
Glasgow Science Centre offers educational programmes to inspire young people in science and engineering. In the framework of SYNAPSES, resources such as “Sensing Climate Change – Museum of Open Windows” and “Eco-friendly Water Bottle” were shared to support sustainability learning.
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland – SEAI
SEAI supports schools and teachers in education for sustainability, energy awareness, and reducing energy use. In the framework of SYNAPSES, SEAI shared school resources including “Energy in Action for Junior Cycle” and primary school resources for teachers.
Transformative Innovation Policy Resource Lab
The TIP Resource Lab offers tools and resources for transformative innovation policy methods. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the Futures Literacy Lab resource was shared to support future-oriented thinking and sustainability citizenship learning.
The Nature Conservancy – Nature Lab
Nature Lab provides lesson plans, virtual field trips, and teaching tools developed by The Nature Conservancy. In the framework of SYNAPSES, Nature Lab resources were shared to support biodiversity, environmental science, and sustainability citizenship learning.
WorldWise Global Schools is Ireland’s national Global Citizenship Education programme for post-primary settings. In the framework of SYNAPSES, the “Action on Global Citizenship” resource was shared to support global citizenship and sustainability education.