MINED - Methods for Inspiring Non-formal Education on Decarbonisation

Development of non-formal educational material: 

The main objective was the development of an innovative non-formal educational resource with a dual purpose. First, the material aimed to present scientifically and culturally relevant content related to climate awareness and mining traditions. Second, it was designed within the framework of constructivist pedagogy, employing innovative educational methodologies to achieve measurable impact on attitude formation. In particular, the material made use of drama education and applied dramatic methods, targeting the creativity and active engagement of the participating pupils.

The educational resource was developed to be easily adaptable for awareness-raising activities in primary education (ages 7–14) and in the first year of secondary education (age 15). It addressed key topics such as climate awareness, the relationship between climate change and mining activities, and the cultural value of mining traditions, while simultaneously fostering pupils’ appreciation of regional heritage and motivating them to preserve it.

Pilot Implementation and Train-the-Trainers Activities:

During the pilot phase, the previously developed non-formal education package was implemented in three primary schools, organised by age group and involving a total of 300 students. The pilot consisted of a six-month awareness-raising programme comprising 15 training sessions. These sessions focused on the drivers, causes, and consequences of climate change, the interconnections between mining and climate change, and the mining traditions of coal-mining regions.In parallel, a “train-the-trainers” programme was established based on the outcomes and experiences of the pilot phase. This programme was delivered by the pilot schools in cooperation with education centres and targeted teachers from five educational institutions associated with the pilot schools. These institutions committed to integrating the training programme into their educational provision beyond the project duration, thereby supporting the sustainability and long-term impact of the project.The pilot activities also included a transnational mobility component, within which 20 students from each participating pilot school travelled to Hungary. During this mobility, students shared experiences and lessons learned with peers from other primary schools, exchanged knowledge about mining traditions, and discussed best practices related to sustainability.Furthermore, the attitude assessment tool developed within the project was administered twice during the pilot phase: once at the beginning of the programme to establish baseline data on students’ attitudes, and once at the end of the programme to evaluate its effectiveness. Overall, the pilot aimed to implement the age-specific educational packages with a total of 300 students, to measure their impact on attitudes related to climate awareness and cultural heritage, and to equip teachers from five educational institutions per consortium partner with the skills and competences necessary to independently deliver the training sessions following the completion of the pilot phase.