LEAF

LEAF aims to leverage on the “service learning” (SL) and “citizen science” methodologies and apply them to secondary schools, with the aim to engage students in the monitoring of local plant biodiversity. SL means to create a link between students’ learning objectives and actual needs from the community, therefore literally taking learning out of the classrooms and into real life.

SL differs from community service because it is not sporadic or made on a voluntary basis, but systematic and included in the school’s syllabus, developed in a close and long-term relationship with the community’s stakeholders.

To tackle complex sustainability problems, including the preservation of biodiversity, sustainability must be mainstreamed into education inside and outside the classroom to educate learners to be catalysts of change, who are willing to start initiatives in favor of society and take responsibilities towards the planet.

To do this properly, teachers’ training is of utmost importance, therefore secondary school teachers were chosen as the main target group of the project. Contact with nature generates a range of positive learning and health benefits.

One of the results of the LEAF project is a handbook on plant biodiversity, which serves as an important methodological tool for teachers who want to deal with this current topic This project raised awareness of the importance of preservation of healthy environment. It also aimed to increase student engagement in STEM learning through project-based activities, and promote active citizenship and environmental stewardship. LEAF’s innovative model empowers students through citizen science, making them agents of change while bridging academic learning and community needs.

It is important to engage students to adopt healthy habits, that they become environmentally conscious and that their responsible behavior influences the protection and preservation of the environment.