EnviroCitizen · Project

Ready-Made Environmental Education Programs for Schools and Community Engagement

environmentTestedTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

You know how kids learn best when they're actually outside doing something? This project figured out how to use bird counting — something millions of people already do for fun — as a gateway to get people genuinely caring about the environment. Teams in 7 European countries built school programs for 10-14 year olds and ran community workshops, all centered around watching and counting birds. The idea is simple: once you start paying attention to the birds in your backyard, you start caring about the whole ecosystem.

By the numbers

European countries where programs were tested

languages for educational materials (Spanish, Dutch, Romanian, Norwegian, Estonian, Greek)

10-14

target age range for school programs

total project deliverables produced

2,259,280

EUR EU contribution

The business problem

What needed solving

Schools, nature organizations, and companies with ESG commitments all struggle to find tested, multilingual environmental education content that actually changes behavior — not just awareness. Most environmental programs are either too academic for practical use or too shallow to create lasting engagement. There's a gap between wanting people to care about the environment and having a proven method to make it happen.

The solution

What was built

The project produced a downloadable educational program template in English, full student materials and teacher guides in 6 languages for ages 10-14, and documented community workshop methodologies tested across 7 countries — 19 deliverables in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Educational publishers developing nature and environment curriculaCSR and ESG consultancies building employee engagement programsNature reserves and ecotourism operators seeking structured visitor activitiesMunicipal governments running youth environmental programsEnvironmental NGOs expanding citizen science participation

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Environmental Education & EdTech

SME

Target: Educational content publishers or edtech platforms offering nature-based curricula

If you are an educational publisher looking for tested, multilingual environmental content — this project developed a complete educational program with student materials and teacher guides for ages 10-14, produced in 6 languages across 7 European countries. The template is freely downloadable from the project website, meaning you can customize it to your local ecosystem and school context.

Corporate Social Responsibility & ESG Consulting

any

Target: CSR consultancies or sustainability departments needing employee engagement programs

If you are a CSR consultancy struggling to deliver authentic environmental engagement programs — this project created tested community intervention methods and participatory event formats documented in a summary report. These were validated across 7 countries with diverse cultures, giving you a proven blueprint rather than starting from scratch.

Nature Tourism & Ecotourism

SME

Target: Ecotourism operators or nature reserves seeking structured visitor engagement programs

If you are a nature reserve or ecotourism operator wanting to deepen visitor experiences beyond passive sightseeing — this project developed research-based participatory event formats and birding engagement methods tested in 7 countries. The educational program template can be adapted to your specific location and bird species to turn casual visitors into repeat, engaged participants.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or use these educational materials?

The educational program template was designed as a downloadable resource via the project website (envirocitizen.eu). As a publicly funded RIA project with EUR 2,259,280 EU contribution, the outputs are likely open access. Contact the coordinator at Universitetet i Stavanger to confirm terms for commercial adaptation.

Can these programs scale to an entire school district or nationwide rollout?

The programs were developed and tested across 7 countries (Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Cyprus) with versions in 6 languages. This multi-country validation suggests the format is adaptable. However, each version needs customization to local ecosystems and school contexts, so scaling requires localization effort.

Is there any IP or licensing restriction on using the materials?

As a Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action, project outputs typically follow open access principles. The educational template was explicitly designed for download and customization by external groups. Specific licensing terms should be confirmed with Universitetet i Stavanger as coordinating institution.

How do I know these programs actually work?

The project ran participatory events across all 7 partner countries and documented the methodologies in a summary report. The educational materials were tested with ages 10-14 in different school systems. Based on available project data, the intervention design was research-based and evaluated, though commercial impact metrics are not part of the deliverables.

Can the birding focus be replaced with another environmental activity?

The educational program template was designed as a customizable framework. While birding was the specific activity studied, the underlying approach — using hands-on nature observation to build environmental awareness — could potentially be adapted. The template structure allows customization to different locations and contexts.

What kind of support is available for implementation?

The consortium included 7 partners with ornithology non-profit organizations engaged as supporting external groups. The project ended in September 2023, so ongoing support would depend on individual partner availability. The documented methodologies and downloadable templates are designed for independent use.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 7 partners across 7 countries (Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Cyprus) is entirely academic — 4 universities and 3 research organizations with zero industry partners and zero SMEs. This is a pure research team with no commercial pathway built in. Coordinated by Universitetet i Stavanger in Norway, the consortium strength is geographic and cultural diversity for validating educational approaches, but the complete absence of industry involvement means no business partner has tested or validated commercial use of these outputs. Ornithology non-profits were engaged externally but are not formal consortium members.

UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGERCoordinator · NO
STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEITparticipant · NL
UNIVERSIDAD DE EXTREMADURAparticipant · ES
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
EESTI TEADUSTE AKADEEMIAparticipant · EE
FUNDATIA NOUA EUROPAparticipant · RO

How to reach the team

Universitetet i Stavanger (Norway) — search for EnviroCitizen project lead in their Faculty of Arts and Education

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can help you evaluate whether EnviroCitizen's educational materials fit your program needs and connect you with the development team.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate