ClimActiC Project

Climate change is a recurring content in Natural Science and Biology/Geology programs. Despite being discussed almost daily in the media, the lack of perception among most students regarding the importance of their role as agents in resolving the problems associated with global warming is notable. The relevance of the topic leads to debates and the development of strategies in which the necessary awareness of the evident changes and of changing attitudes occurs, in an attempt to mitigate their consequences. To empower our young citizens to make decisions, the Basic and Secondary School of Macedo de Cavaleiros was part of the ClimActiC project - Citizenship for the Climate Creating Bridges between Citizenship and Science for Climate Adaptation promoted by 4 Research Centers (Sciences of Education, Psychology, Physics, and Engineering) from the University of Porto. Our school was one of the 8 schools in the North of Portugal that participated in this initiative, which aimed to create spaces for co-creation between young people, scientists, activists, economic agents, and political decision-makers. During the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic years, students and teachers of the school subject A Nossa Terra, taught by Natural Science teachers of 8th-year classes, administered questionnaires and participated in laboratories climate collaboratives; sessions with partners belonging to the Terras de Trs-os-Montes Intermunicipal Community; Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations and Higher Education Institutions and seminars where they presented the results of research work and awareness-raising actions in the community. Teachers also participated in training and education workshops on climate change through community profiles and research partnerships. During the 2 years of the project our country suffered successive heat waves and a lack of precipitation, with extreme drought situations in several regions. In our opinion this was the turning point in changing awareness about the consequences of climate change. We were able to prove this by analysing the questionnaires (with questions about global warming; agricultural techniques; water saving measures...) created by the students, with supervision from partners, and applied to around a hundred members of the educational community in each year. The impact of the drought was more visible in the second year, with a clear trend toward the need to save water in all age groups. After this diagnosis, co-creation spaces were created where young people could be heard and awareness-raising strategies were outlined. Throughout the year, young people created online games; theatre performances; conducted interviews and videos as community awareness strategies to change attitudes towards climate change, particularly drought. All students involved in the project participated in several actions to reduce the Greenhouse Effect with exhibitions and awareness sessions for younger students on the importance of preserving the native forest, sowing acorns and planting hundreds of native trees in areas destroyed by fires. This was a unique opportunity for more than 200 students to develop teamwork skills and become aware of the importance of changing attitudes towards climate change, internalizing the idea that each person's action can effectively make a difference.