EcoStories: Bridging Borders through Citizen Science for Inclusive STEM and Environmental Action 

EcoStories is an Erasmus+-funded cooperation partnership in school education that brings together secondary schools and research organisations from Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, and Germany to address a dual challenge: the social inclusion of migrant pupils and the development of science literacy in the face of climate change. Through structured Citizen Science (CS) activities, the project transforms secondary school classrooms into inclusive research communities where local and migrant students investigate real environmental issues together, generating new data while building intercultural understanding and STEM competences. 

Over 26 months, EcoStories equips teachers and pupils with evidence-based, interdisciplinary tools that connect STEM curricula to Sustainable Development Goals, climate action, and participatory research methods. 

EcoStories creates: 

• A Pedagogical E-book on integrating Citizen Science into inclusive secondary school classrooms, co-developed with CS experts, migration specialists, and teachers across partner countries. 

• A Digital CS Repository and STEM-Based Lesson Plans, comprising four training modules and a curated set of multimedia learning resources for secondary school teachers and students. 

• An EcoStories Methodological Guide for Young Citizen Scientists, providing structured frameworks for implementing, assessing, and documenting environmental CS initiatives in inclusive classrooms. 

• National Info Days featuring CS experts and migrant researchers as role models, connecting schools with research institutions and broadening students’ science capital and civic engagement. 

TARGET GROUPS: Secondary school teachers and pupils (local and migrant/refugee background); school leadership and STEM educators; Citizen Science practitioners and climate researchers; education policymakers at national and European level. 

Partners: 

RWTH Aachen University, Germany –www.rwth-aachen.de (Coordinator) 

5th High School of Agrinio, Greece –  https://www.5hsagrinio.gr/  

Perifereiako Gymnasio Akakiou, Cyprus – https://gym-akaki-lef.schools.ac.cy/index.php/el/  

Prirodoslovna škola Vladimira Preloga, Croatia – https://www.psvprelog.hr/