Periodic Reporting for period 2 - GenB (Informing and educating young people on more sustainable behaviours and choices to build a future Generation informed and interested in Bioeconomy)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-05-01 al 2025-04-30
GenB contributes to the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. It supports the achievement of the European Green Deal priorities, the goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals, by inspiring and encouraging youth and future generations to be aware, sensitive and interested in environmental issues, sustainability and circularity. The specific objectives are:
• Co-create innovative approaches, formats, materials and tools, through the cooperation between children, young adults, parents, teachers and other formal and non-formal education professionals, to provide educational and informational toolkits on bioeconomy in general and bio-based sectors.
• Raise awareness, interest and knowledge of young people at pre-school, elementary and high school on the environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable and circular bioeconomy and its sectors, in particular bio-based sectors through inspirational activities.
• Increase interest among new generations to join education and training on bioeconomy at large and create new ways of attracting talent in the life science, technology and bioeconomy opportunities.
• Contribute to the transition of the new generations towards more sustainable and circular behaviours, consumption and lifestyles through the empowerment of the young generations to assume their role.
• Maximise the project's impacts towards behavioural and socio-economic changes by sparking multipliers and GenB networks.
• Support the public Administrations and schools in the implementation of initiatives promoting the green transition process.
The GenB target groups are distinguished in: Pre and early-school 4-8 years old, Elementary school 9-13 years old, High school 14-19 years old, Teachers, Multipliers, Parents, Policymakers. The seven target groups have been grouped into four clusters (Young people, Multipliers, Parents and Policy makers).
• Co-create innovative approaches, formats, materials and tools, through the cooperation between children, young adults, parents, teachers and other formal and non-formal education professionals, to provide educational and informational toolkits on bioeconomy in general and bio-based sectors.
• Raise awareness, interest and knowledge of young people at pre-school, elementary and high school on the environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable and circular bioeconomy and its sectors, in particular bio-based sectors through inspirational activities.
• Increase interest among new generations to join education and training on bioeconomy at large and create new ways of attracting talent in the life science, technology and bioeconomy opportunities.
• Contribute to the transition of the new generations towards more sustainable and circular behaviours, consumption and lifestyles through the empowerment of the young generations to assume their role.
• Maximise the project's impacts towards behavioural and socio-economic changes by sparking multipliers and GenB networks.
• Support the public Administrations and schools in the implementation of initiatives promoting the green transition process.
The GenB target groups are distinguished in: Pre and early-school 4-8 years old, Elementary school 9-13 years old, High school 14-19 years old, Teachers, Multipliers, Parents, Policymakers. The seven target groups have been grouped into four clusters (Young people, Multipliers, Parents and Policy makers).
In WP1, GenB co-created new approaches of cooperation in real life to collaboratively drive the bioeconomy transition, to identify young people’s preferences and motivations towards bioeconomy and to validate the methodologies and didactic proposals.
In WP2, GenB partners have organised hands-on labs and playful activities, exhibition stands featuring sustainable bio-based products (“Bioeconomy Village’’), and expositions of roll-up banners and posters (”BioArt Gallery”). New formats (e.g. "Participatory photography") were developed. GenB implemented a role play game on bioeconomy jobs, TEDx pitches, Bioeconomy career infodays, biorefinery study visits and Schools’ projects and competitions to grow future entrepreneurs. The capacity building aimed at empowering schools’ teachers, non-formal and informal educators (such as museums, theatres, festivals, etc.).
WP3 engaged and empowered the younger generation to take a role in the transition to a circular and sustainable bioeconomy through the GenB Ambassador methodology. The partners designed and created a capacity-building package and three thematic online youth debates. A GenB Bioeconomy Art Competition was launched in the second period.
WP4 analysed the impacts of the GenB project (its activities, contents and tools) through an monitoring and assessment approach. A strategic education model for bioeconomy has been developed and translated into 24 languages to offer a flexible methodology for implementing bioeconomy education in both formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts. Finally, policy recommendations have been elaborated by transforming project insights into guidance for ministries of education, policy makers and other stakeholders.
WP5 maximised the project's activities and results through dissemination and communication activities. The Consortium established the long-term sustainability and exploitation of project results through the establishment of a Community of Practice (CoP) on Bioeconomy Science Education for Schools.
In WP2, GenB partners have organised hands-on labs and playful activities, exhibition stands featuring sustainable bio-based products (“Bioeconomy Village’’), and expositions of roll-up banners and posters (”BioArt Gallery”). New formats (e.g. "Participatory photography") were developed. GenB implemented a role play game on bioeconomy jobs, TEDx pitches, Bioeconomy career infodays, biorefinery study visits and Schools’ projects and competitions to grow future entrepreneurs. The capacity building aimed at empowering schools’ teachers, non-formal and informal educators (such as museums, theatres, festivals, etc.).
WP3 engaged and empowered the younger generation to take a role in the transition to a circular and sustainable bioeconomy through the GenB Ambassador methodology. The partners designed and created a capacity-building package and three thematic online youth debates. A GenB Bioeconomy Art Competition was launched in the second period.
WP4 analysed the impacts of the GenB project (its activities, contents and tools) through an monitoring and assessment approach. A strategic education model for bioeconomy has been developed and translated into 24 languages to offer a flexible methodology for implementing bioeconomy education in both formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts. Finally, policy recommendations have been elaborated by transforming project insights into guidance for ministries of education, policy makers and other stakeholders.
WP5 maximised the project's activities and results through dissemination and communication activities. The Consortium established the long-term sustainability and exploitation of project results through the establishment of a Community of Practice (CoP) on Bioeconomy Science Education for Schools.
The GenB Resources Library was launched on June 2023 at the URL: library.genb-project.eu.
The GenB Toolkits includes MOOC, Training Materials and two lesson Plans, a participatory photography factsheet, the new edition of the book “What’s bioeconomy?” originally developed in the context of BIOVOICES Project, a fairy tale “The apple’s dream” Educational cards and quizzes, a collection of hands-on bioeconomy experiments, a role play card game called “Bioheroes”, an escape game called “Escape4Future”, and an educational board game called “Biorace”, online factsheets and videos on bioeconomy job profiles, video teasers for all three age groups (4 – 8, 9 – 13, 14 – 19 y.o.) podcasts, a card game called EcoChat Quarter Game”, and a colouring activity booklet. The tools were translated into many languages to offer accessibility.
The GenB Methodologies for youth awareness and inspiration on sustainable and circular bioeconomy and bio-based sectors are to constitute flexible youth engagement formats for any use (community building, awareness, education, entrepreneurial support, etc.).
GenB framed the toolkit in GenB Educational Model that is a comprehensive framework designed to support the integration of circular bioeconomy principles into education.
The GenB Ambassadors Programme, an integrated methodology that motivates young people to become themselves drivers of sustainable transition to bioeconomy.
A position paper titled "Our GenB Future" was developed to inform policy on engaging the younger generation in the ecological transition, based on their needs and interests.
A set of Policy Recommendations for Ministries of Education was developed, accompanied by a two-page executive summary available in all 24 official EU languages.
The GenB Toolkits includes MOOC, Training Materials and two lesson Plans, a participatory photography factsheet, the new edition of the book “What’s bioeconomy?” originally developed in the context of BIOVOICES Project, a fairy tale “The apple’s dream” Educational cards and quizzes, a collection of hands-on bioeconomy experiments, a role play card game called “Bioheroes”, an escape game called “Escape4Future”, and an educational board game called “Biorace”, online factsheets and videos on bioeconomy job profiles, video teasers for all three age groups (4 – 8, 9 – 13, 14 – 19 y.o.) podcasts, a card game called EcoChat Quarter Game”, and a colouring activity booklet. The tools were translated into many languages to offer accessibility.
The GenB Methodologies for youth awareness and inspiration on sustainable and circular bioeconomy and bio-based sectors are to constitute flexible youth engagement formats for any use (community building, awareness, education, entrepreneurial support, etc.).
GenB framed the toolkit in GenB Educational Model that is a comprehensive framework designed to support the integration of circular bioeconomy principles into education.
The GenB Ambassadors Programme, an integrated methodology that motivates young people to become themselves drivers of sustainable transition to bioeconomy.
A position paper titled "Our GenB Future" was developed to inform policy on engaging the younger generation in the ecological transition, based on their needs and interests.
A set of Policy Recommendations for Ministries of Education was developed, accompanied by a two-page executive summary available in all 24 official EU languages.