CSO: Klimabildung e.V.
Area: Education
Location: Nordrhein- Westfalen

Type of project

The project is based on a participatory event format that enables appreciative exchange between students, teachers, and researchers in order to develop innovative lesson units, materials, and campaigns around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The format aims to create science-based, everyday-relevant, and creatively prepared educational materials for use in school practice, with a strong focus on integrating students’ perspectives.

The hackathon within the project strengthens young people’s trust in science by involving researchers not as external “experts,” but as active co-partners in a dialogue-oriented development process. The methods used in the hackathon enable young people to apply scientific models, facts, and analytical tools in practice.

Target

The hackathon primarily addresses students aged 15 and above, teachers, and researchers, as well as student teachers and ESD experts. The approach includes cooperation with youth and leisure facilities and local initiatives, and low-threshold outreach via schools (excluding academic-track schools / Gymnasien).

Science – Based

The hackathon is based on a transdisciplinary concept: researchers contribute current findings, while students and teachers contribute everyday experience. This is intended to ensure that the results are scientifically grounded and at the same time practice-oriented. In this approach, science is not only conveyed, but co-created.

Gender

The project pays attention to stereotype-free representation and diversity in the materials. For the hackathon itself, it aims for a balanced composition of participants, facilitators, and researchers. In selecting researchers, particular emphasis is placed on visible FLINTA* representation.

Planned activities

• The project aims to strengthen young people’s (15–25) trust in science and self-efficacy through dialogue-oriented formats and an activating hackathon; at least 80 previously less engaged young people are reached. 
• The hackathon is implemented twice (once in summer/autumn 2026 and once in spring 2027). 
• By June 2027, a series of eight high-quality, SDG-based educational materials on the global dimension of climate change is developed together with young people and researchers. 
• All eight materials are published within the Public Climate School (four in November 2026 and four in May/June 2027).

Action model

The project logic builds on a dialogue-oriented hackathon format in which researchers, students, and teachers co-create science-based, practice-oriented SDG learning materials, strengthening young people’s trust in science and self-efficacy through hands-on application of models, facts, and analysis tools. Scaling-up is supported by producing eight high-quality materials and publishing them through the Public Climate School, creating reusable outputs beyond the events themselves.