In the realm of education and environmental sustainability, the Horizon Europe project, NBS EduWORLD, stands as a groundbreaking initiative. Launched on September 1, 2022, and set to continue until September 2025, NBS EduWORLD is a collaborative effort that converges nature-based solutions (NBS) with education, envisioning a society well-versed in NBS principles and fostering a just transition towards a sustainable future.
Nurturing an NBS-Literate society
The overarching objective of NBS EduWORLD is to cultivate an NBS literate society. This ambitious goal is pursued through the establishment of an NBS community that bridges the gap between NBS professionals and education providers, ensuring free and accessible NBS knowledge and resources for all. The project envisions a just transition to sustainability, placing education at the forefront of this transformative journey.
NBS EduWORLD one achievements
In the first year of implementation, the NBS EduWORLD consortium, comprising researchers, educators, NBS practitioners, and even members from the sports community, has demonstrated commendable perseverance and motivation towards achieving the project’s objectives. Notably, the consortium has released four key outputs over the summer, derived from extensive research, interviews, and workshops.
- The Assessment framework and guidance for the project provides an overview and analysis of assessment tools for NBS education in Europe.
- The Guidelines on Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions Activities in Education for Starters offer advice to educators through practical examples, resources and expert recommendations. The guidelines cover formal, non-formal, and informal education settings, ensuring their applicability across different learning environments.
- The Scenarios of Plausible Futures for NBS in Education analyse the different pathways for the transformation of schools into NBS Living Labs (LLs) through the Whole School Approach (WSA).
- The Nature-based Solutions Education Flipbook is a user-friendly NBS education resource with a major focus on place-based non-formal education, to inspire and bring valuable lessons coming from concrete NBS education initiatives to a broad audience.
Tools for citizen engagement
Recognizing the significance of citizen engagement in the success of NBS, the project has made notable progress in developing tools for citizen engagement. Thalia Tsaknia from Ellinogermaniki Agogi shared insights during a session on methods and tools for enhancing stakeholders’ engagement, with a focus on inclusive shared governance. The session emphasized the role of co-creation in fostering social acceptance and community-driven change.
Educational activities in local communities
The NBS EduWORLD project consortium is actively engaged in developing, testing, and analyzing educational activities related to nature-based solutions within local communities. The initiative unfolds in three phases:
Phase 1. Focuses on existing NBS demonstrators and their stakeholder ecosystems, aiming to determine needs for future educational material, highlight replication potential, and promote learning into the NBS EduHub.
Phase 2. Concentrates on supporting NBS EduSystems with limited or no previous experience in developing educational activities around NBS. Drawing on the experiences of tier-1 NBS EduSystems, this phase tests, refines, and expands the knowledge repository.
Phase 3. Involves inviting other NBS exemplars and their stakeholders as peripheral NBS EduSystems. They will be supported in implementing learning scenarios and materials, further refining and expanding the knowledge repository.
Learn more: https://nbseduworld.eu/demonstrators
Access to events
As part of its outreach, the NBS EduWORLD project offers access to various events such as workshops, summer schools, and conferences. These events provide platforms for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and community engagement, reinforcing the project’s commitment to widespread participation. If you are interested in project’s events, explore the Event calendar and joint: https://nbseduworld.eu/events
About project
With 16 partners involved, the NBS EduWORLD project is shaping the intersection of nature-based solutions and education. As it progresses through its multi-phase approach, the project not only contributes to the development of an NBS-literate society but also sets a precedent for collaborative initiatives aimed at building a sustainable future. To learn more and get involved, explore the diverse events and resources facilitated by NBS EduWORLD.
Project partners
European Schoolnet, Public Policy and Management Institute, ICLEI Europe, Centre for Experiments in Urban Studies, The Big Van Theory, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, European Football for Development Network, Ministy of Youth and Sports,Trinity College Dublin, Association Verde e Moldova, Almada Municipality, Horizon Nua, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Municipality of Genoa, Natural Solutions, Offaly County Council
Learn more about the project: https://nbseduworld.eu
Project is funded by the European Union under the grant agreement 101060525.
