LEVERS is a Horizon Europe-funded research project led by the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. LEVERS is a project to shape a just and sustainable Europe through inclusive learning and transformative action.
Too many people feel powerless to take climate action in their homes, schools, communities and workplaces. LEVERS offers opportunities to learners of all ages to collaboratively take action on climate issues affecting their own lives and localities. Our climate action projects support participants to become critical thinkers, individuals who embody sustainability values and have the agency to drive positive change in their communities.
Across nine distinct case studies in Europe, we are investigating the collaboration among a cross-sectoral range of stakeholders as they develop place-based, justice-oriented climate action opportunities for learners and communities using a systemic design approach.
Drawing on critical research and pedagogical approaches, we are also co-researching with learners of all ages, to examine the effect of participating in LEVERS climate action projects on the development of their agency to tackle personally relevant issues of climate justice.
LEVERS adopts an approach to learning for sustainability that is holistic, lifelong, and oriented towards social justice. We have developed a model for cross-sectoral regional partnerships for sustainability education and climate action, entitled "Learning Ventures". They foster the networking, sharing and application of science and technology research, and the design of innovative learning for sustainability in diverse learning settings. Our Learning Ventures are working with schools and communities to co-design localised interventions to activate and engage citizens and communities across Europe in personally-meaningful climate action. Our approach facilitates mentoring, exchange and collaboration between educators, communities of learners, NGOs, academia and industry stakeholders, generating impact at personal, local and global scales.
