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Meeting with Transnational Partners in Brussels

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Meeting with Transnational Partners in Brussels

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The final partners meeting in Brussels enabled us to make plans to ensure the project contents are widely shared via 'multiplier' events as the project draws to a close.

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Transnational partner meeting local tour!

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Transnational partner meeting local tour!

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Fascinating to find out more about Brussels as part of the Transnational Partner meeting in Feb 2023.

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UK Stakeholder Consultation Meeting 7.12

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UK Stakeholder Consultation Meeting 7.12

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Aspire-international and IVE will be showcasing SCALE via Zoom on 7.12 from 4-5pm.

Teachers, careers staff, local decision makers working in educational and environmental policy, environment-focused organisations, and industry experts are invited to give their feedback and guidance as we continue development of our suite of resources.

Register via Eventbrite here

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Eventbrite - We are IVE presents Stakeholder Meeting - Tuesday, 7 December 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

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https://weareive.org/ives-applied-creativity-labs-young-innovators-making-change/

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Tess Parker reports on the impact of Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) on young people led by IVE's Sarah Mumford.
In these uncertain times of pandemics, climate crises and health and social challenges we must equip our young people to be 'future ready'. IVE's Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) empower them to take the reins - honing creative behaviours and thinking skills. Read on to learn how the ACL programme is empowering and inspiring Generation Z so they are primed for the road ahead. Key success factors

Enabling young people to find their voice in relation to relevant world issues.

Pairing young innovators with sector experts to shape and share solutions.

Impacting on young participants' confidence, oracy and critical thinking skills (evidenced through independent evaluation).

IVE - creativity champions empowering learning and life skills

The late great educator and creativity advocate Sir Ken Robinson wisely said that "Creativity is as important now in education as literacy and we should treat it with the same status."

This championing of creativity as an essential skill for modern times underpins the work of IVE (formerly CapeUK). With a history that dates back to 1997, the Leeds-based development organisation promotes creativity and creative thinking across the board.

Their Applied Creativity Labs programme is geared to give young people the creative behaviours and thinking skills to innovate at school and beyond. The Labs are in step with the global challenges of a 4 th Industrial Revolution (Schwab, 2016). Thought-leader Klaus Schwab defines this as an era that will increasingly rely on creative thinking solutions. Young people must be ready to maximise these skills and make an impact in the wider world.
The importance of creativity in automated times
Experts like Schwab warn that these increasingly automated, technological times will require a global skills shift. Equipping our young people with the creative skills to thrive has never been more crucial.

By 2025 the World Economic Forum predicts that divergent, creative thinking skills and practices will dominate the Top 10 tally. They reckon that 50% of employees shall need to reskill in the coming years. IVE's Applied Creativity Labs have been designed to support this.

Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) - three steps to a more creative mindset

At the core of the Applied Creativity Labs approach is the belief that human creativity drives innovation.

Through a stimulating mix of in-person and remote learning the Labs engage young people by placing STEM concepts within a real-world context.

Over time, IVE has honed a 3-step approach that takes participants through the process and practice of divergent and convergent thinking.
Step One: Finding solutions with divergent thinking
The learning begins with the presentation of a real-world 'challenge.' IVE deliver creativity training that engages participants in new ways of thinking. Alongside, young people gain access to experts from industry, business and universities; programme partners bring differing angles and perspectives
Step Two: Bringing ideas together with convergent thinking
Subsequently, young people undergo a detailed process to explore, develop and refine their creative responses to the challenge in question.
Step Three: Sharing our ideas
Finally, participants pitch their best solutions to the expert panel. The strongest ideas are considered for further development.

These three stages illuminate the processes of creative thinking and doing. By pairing young learners with industry experts new light is shone on critical topics.

Keep reading to discover a range of stand-out ACL projects delivered between 2019 and current times.

Spotlight: Young person's creative training - unlocking innovative solutions

Through IVE's Applied Creativity Labs divergent thinking skills are made accessible and relevant. By applying creative processes to key problems young people start to understand the influence that they have. Honouring the Synectic's problem-solving method (Gordon & Prince, 1970) participants undergo training that takes them from ideas generation to solution formulation. This serves to help young innovators to:

Think divergently, freely and more creatively

Develop their problem-solving, resilience and confidence

Strengthen their teamworking skills

Enhance their capacity to innovate

Grow their critical thinking repertoire

Hone their ability to present their ideas

This process culminates in the presentation of participant solutions to an expert panel. The ACL approach is designed to empower and champion young people as invaluable contributors within their communities.

Spotlight: School innovators - clean air and food waste
#BreatheLeeds - creative solutions to air pollution
Supported by crowdfunding, this autumn 2019 Applied Creativity Lab proved that primary school pupils are motivated to find solutions to environmental challenges.

Learners and teachers from Manor Wood Primary, Mount St Mary's Catholic High School and John Smeaton Academy engaged in creative learning and development sessions, co-led by IVE and sector experts.

Together they explored different ways to clean up their city's air. It sparked discussion about the way society must rally and adapt to reverse climate change. Nerves were held as pupils presented their ideas to industry leaders.

The Lab was delivered in close, multi-sector partnership with Leeds City Council, The University of Leeds, Mott MacDonald, Engie, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Magpie Creative Communication Agency, Siemens, The Priestley International Centre for Climate and Sustrans.

"It was refreshing to observe the children grab the opportunity of being creative thinkers. So often at school they are bound by structured lessons. Thank you ever so much." Teacher, Manor Wood Primary.
"I didn't appreciate how innovative young students could be, I think there's value in cultivating that. I think creative thinking skills are essential to ensure we provide innovative solutions to problems." Creative thinking skills are important, especially if there is a genuine pathway that young people's ideas can be passed onto decision makers. I also think it encourages confidence and resilience, which are important for young people growing up today." Kirsty Pringle, Leeds University Food sustainability - innovative responses to food waste James Nicholson, Civil Engineer, Mott Macdonald
In spring 2020 an Applied Creativity Lab inspired pupils and teachers from Lawnswood School, Shire Oak Primary School and St Matthews Church of England Primary School to tackle the urgent subject of food waste.

Once more, interactive creative learning modules were at the fore of this Lab experience. Young people gained fresh insights from experts working within the area of food sustainability. This input would prove vital in helping pupils to formulate and pitch viable solutions to the industry panel.

Participants from winning school Shire Oak Primary had a unique opportunity to engage with tech entrepreneur Cristian Parrino via Zoom - translating their ideas into a potential app. Winning solutions from this ACL round are due to be presented to big brands such as M&S, Innocent Drinks and Ikea.
"We are a school that is keen to ensure a better future for our community and educate our children on environmental issues such as the topic of food waste. The children were very engaged and motivated and related to the topic, guests and project in a positive way." Marcelle Maver Teacher Shire Oak Primary
Once again, industry inputs were critical in animating this subject area. Key partners included: Asda, Food Revival, Future Farmers; Leeds City Council, Harewood Food & Drink Project, Leeds Food Partnership, Magpie Creative Agency, Rethink Food, Waste-Food Solutions; and Zero Waste Leeds.
Discover more about the project here.
"I was impressed to see schools and children using problem solving in this way especially looking to solve real-life issues like food waste. I Liked the practical and brainstorm elements and creativity rather than just textbook and 'let's google it' approach." Karen Todd, Asda

Spotlight: Digital Lab 2020 - improving teen mental health

Supported by funding from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) this Applied Creativity Lab ran over autumn 2020 - spring 2021 engaging four diverse groups of 10 -14-year-olds.

With the challenges of Covid-19 affecting young people's lives and wellbeing this project couldn't have been timelier. Focused on the theme of young people's mental health, it was the first ACL to be delivered digitally - adding a buzz of excitement. Zoom sessions enabled police cadets, young people recommended by other services and pupils from Calderdale's William Henry Smith School to engage in the ACL process. Together they explored and identified ways to support mental health and wellbeing.

Having the right multi-agency partners on board would prove vital for this project. At the helm was the West Yorkshire Police Calderdale Early Intervention Team led by award-winning PC Chris Madden and colleagues. Other key input came from Creative Minds, Inspire Ignite, Lucy Randall-Smith, Mental Health In Business, Noah's Ark Centre, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation, KOOTH, NHS Leeds CCG, and TimeOut Calderdale

The ACL's inclusive, supportive structure was key to the success of this project. Despite the challenges and vulnerabilities of the young participants early evaluation shows positive shifts in confidence, self-esteem and life-skills.
"I was pleasantly surprised at the extent to which the young people responded to the challenge. This is indicative of how important an issue mental health is to young people but is also testament to the structure of the programme and skills of the facilitators." Wayne Hoyle, West Yorkshire Police Violence Reduction Unit
"It taught me to think of different possibilities from the same situation. It massively boosted my well-being and confidence levels and helped to improve my mental health. I would encourage younger people to do the same course as it was a thrilling journey to go down." Jessica, ACL youth participant

"The young people really got involved and I believe that they enjoyed the theme of mental health as it was so relevant due to the pandemic. The development of confidence in the young people - and the self-esteem it provided them has been great to observe." Chris Madden, West Yorkshire Police

"In my view using the arts to explore mental health and wellbeing is a fantastic idea. It's a great way to engage younger minds and hearts in a fun and playful way to explore a topic that can be difficult to talk about for some people. I was reminded of the pure creativity and 'thinking outside of the box' that youngsters are blessed with." Steve Heath, Mental Health in BusinessApplied Creativity Lab Case Study

Spotlight: Re:Vision project - young place-makers in action

Funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's Youth Accelerator fund via the National Lottery Heritage Fund's Kick the Dust programme this Applied Creativity Lab was part of the four-year, Ignite Yorkshire partnership project co-ordinated by IVE.

Between autumn 2020 - spring 2021 this ACL paired 15-25-year-olds, from both Leeds and Sheffield, with experts in city planning, placemaking, landscape architecture, heritage and waterways.
"Overall, I really enjoyed the project and working as a team to prepare our idea and presentation. It was challenging yet very rewarding to see how our ideas and skills improved week after week. The project provoked some great conversation and thinking points and no idea was off the table." Riyona, ACL youth participant Discover more about the project here.
This multi-location project focused on the Leeds canal zone - between the Royal Armouries and Thwaites Mill and the Kelham Island area in Sheffield. In both cases, young innovators embraced the challenge of improving these environments to boost community health and wellbeing

Key partners that made a difference were: Ignite Yorkshire, Canal & River Trust, CITU, Civic Engineers, Canal Connections, Leeds Civic Trust, Leeds City Council, Re-Form Landscape Architects University of Sheffield, Sheffield City Council, Museums Sheffield and Yorkshire Design Group.

As an exciting by-product of the Leeds arm of the project, YTV have shown interest in documenting the implementation of the final idea and council representatives are keen to take the work forward. This offers a great example of how young people can make a positive contribution to enhancing their local environs.

"The young people engaged with the process in their own personal way and brought their own ideas to the design challenge. Creative thinking is a valuable way of engaging young people as it can often give an interesting and accessible entry point into dealing with placemaking issues, and can also lead to low budget, high impact interventions that are realisable in a short time frame." Paul Ellison, Yorkshire Design Group

"Not all the best ideas come with experience and it's good to have a fresh look at a problem or an opportunity unclouded by years of institutional thinking. This project was an opportunity to gain new insight and offer the imperfect view of experience to the young people involved. The young people clearly got the issues at hand and wanted to find inclusive solutions." Councillor Paul Wray, Leeds City Council

Future initiatives - Applied Creativity Lab's (ACLs) go European

Off the back the Applied Creativity Lab's UK success IVE are now partnering with organisations in Europe including - Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal, UK and Spain.
Discover more If you would like to bring an Applied Creativity Lab to your school or youth group setting or get involved as an 'expert' please contact: Written by Tess Parker, Story Tiller Communications sarah@weareive.org. about the project here.
The ACL European programme has been awarded three years of funding from Erasmus+ the European Union funding programme aiming to support education, training, youth and sport.

Between November 2020 and March 2023, 150 young people will harness their creative and critical thinking skills to tackle a range of environmental and climate change issues.

Sarah Mumford, developer of ACLs at IVE, "The global environment is in crisis and our futures rely on us reversing the damage that we've done. Young people have reacted strongly to this situation via worldwide protests. Through this European ACL programme, we are looking to empower young changemakers, alongside industry experts to offer applicable, creative solutions to the climate problems we face." Find out more about this initiative here.

Get involved in the Applied Creativity Lab programme

As highlighted in this article the ACL programme has already made positive impacts and change. It has enhanced the learning and life experiences of numerous young participants and sector experts alike.

As we move further into this 4 th Industrial Age the challenges we face are set to increase. However, honing young people's creative thinking skills is a key step in preparing society for the twists and turns ahead.

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IVE's Applied Creativity Labs - young innovators making change - IVE

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The subject of how we best achieve diversity and inclusion has been testing sectors for decades. Even in the most switched-on organisations bias and discrimination can creep in. Therefore, IVE have been prioritising their Diversity and Inclusion Lab programme. Working with leading companies from across the region they have been exploring how to embed inclusion within cultures, values and practice.

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Tweets by scaleacls

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Project partners recently took part in their very own ACL! Innovation solutions to air pollution included replacing firework displays with drone light shows, encouraging commuters to use bikes vs company car schemes, and the unique development of a spray which neutralises air pollution in your locale!

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Project partners met recently to discuss the progress of resource development, the logistics of meeting face-to-face later this year as well as the outcome of our stakeholder consultation meetings and other outreach activities.

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Applied Creativity Labs - Step One: Finding solutions to real life problems with divergent thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs - Step One: Finding solutions to real life problems with divergent thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs - Step One: Finding solutions to real life problems with divergent thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Two - Convergent Thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Two - Convergent Thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Two - Convergent Thinking

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Three - Sharing your idea

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Three - Sharing your idea

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Applied Creativity Labs: Step Three - Sharing your idea

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10th February 2021 - Susie Newton

One hundred and fifty young people will be involved in IVE's Applied Creativity Labs across Europe between now and March 2023 to help address the climate crisis.

The Labs will equip the young people with the creative and critical thinking skills they need when working with a range of experts on environmental and climate change issues. The programme has been awarded two years of funding, which will be among the last, from Erasmus+, the European Union funding programme aiming to modernise education, training, youth and sport.

Sarah Mumford, developer of ACLs at IVE, said: "Our climate and environment are in crisis, and young people have reacted to the urgency of this in recent years. It's high time we empower not just young people, but the experts and organisations they will meet through the project."

IVE will partner with organisations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal and Spain and the UK to deliver the project. In each location, a delivery partner (usually a school, training provider or community organisation) will be supported by IVE to run the Labs, which will begin with critical and creative-thinking training. Partners will work with local university researchers, academics and policy makers in the field of environmental sustainability and climate change who will share their knowledge with the young people taking part, who will then work in groups to develop solutions to some of the environmental problems facing their communities. Local issues they might choose to focus on could include air pollution, single-use plastics, biodiversity, agroforestry or carbon management. The young people will then present their ideas to an expert panel, Dragon's Den-style. The ideas are scored, and the best ideas taken forward for development.

IVE's Applied Creativity Labs have been run by IVE with schools and youth agencies in the UK, but this is the first time they will roll out overseas. The labs are proven to engage learners by placing STEM concepts in their real-world context, and empowering learners to think about how they might change the world around them. The educational framework is unique in its solution-focussed and creative approach, and could influence education policy through this pioneering programme Independent evaluation of the programme has shown its impacts on , confidence, oracy, career ambitions and critical thinking skills.

Join the IVE mailing list, follow us on Facebook, or go to WeAreIVE.org/SCALE to keep up with the project.

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IVE to work with young Europeans to find solutions to the climate crisis

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10th February 2021 - Susie Newton One hundred and fifty young people will be involved in IVE's Applied Creativity Labs across Europe between now and March 2023 to help address the climate crisis. The Labs will equip the young people with the creative and critical thinking skills they need when working with a range of experts on environmental and climate change issues.

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What are Applied Creativity Labs?

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Addressing current local and regional environmental and climate change issues faced by communities across Europe, through an innovative methodology known as 'Applied Creativity Labs', developed in the UK. Erasmus+ project 2020-1-UK01-KA201-078973

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The Opportunity Centre, Bradford (part of the Aspire-igen Group)

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Austrumlatvijas Tehnoloģiju vidusskola

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Austrumlatvijas Tehnoloģiju vidusskola - ATV

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Austrumlatvijas Tehnoloģiju vidusskola (ATV) piedāvā mūsdienīgu izglītību STEM jomā ikviena jaunieša nākotnei.

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Institute Perspectives

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GEInnovacion

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Municipio de Lousada

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Tendo em conta a evolução da situação epidemiológica que diariamente somos confrontados, vamos continuar a cumprir todas as recomendações, para mais facilmente limitarmos a sua propagação e protegermos a saúde de todos!

Nesse sentido, o atendimento presencial no Serviço de Atendimento ao Munícipe, deve ser preferencialmente efetuado através de marcação prévia , a efetuar por qualquer um dos seguintes meios:

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Tendo em conta a evolução da situação epidemiológica que diariamente somos confrontados, vamos continuar a cumprir todas as recomendações, para mais facilmente limitarmos a sua propagação e protegermos a saúde de todos!

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The Square Dot Team

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The Square Dot team - A network of experts committed to tackle societal

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The Square dot Team is committed to tackle societal challenges through tailor-made policy advice while supporting the EU ecosystem of entrepreneurs through targeted mentorship and trainings.

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IVE

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Progressive training company that places creativity at the heart of learning - IVE

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IVE is a social enterprise that is working to ensure a more creative future for businesses, teachers, children and young people. IVE supports the development of creativity as a transferable skill to improve employability and productivity.

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Partners

IVE will partner with organisations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal and Spain and the UK to deliver the project.

UK - Aspire-igen: a Yorkshire based social enterprise committed to changing lives for the better through learning and work.

Belgium - The Square Dot Team: an organisation who specialise in training, mentorship, and educational policy.

Spain - Gestión Estratégica e Innovación SL: an adult training organisation specialising in entrepreneurship, leadership, and online delivery.

Portugal - Municipio de Lousada: a local council who are focussed on interventions to enhance curriculum & coordination of education policy.

Bulgaria - Institute Perspectives: an organisation who implement European integration policies, develop, test and implement innovative methods in non-formal education and entrepreneurship including sustainable development.

Latvia - Austrumlatvijas Tehnologiju Vidusskola: School and higher education provider who specialise in STEM.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Erasmus+ Programme Grant Agreement number: 2020-1-UK01-KA201-0789.

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SCALE: Scaling up Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) for Europe

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One hundred and fifty young people will be involved in IVE's Applied Creativity Labs across Europe between now and March 2023 to help address the climate crisis. IVE's Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) are designed to give children and young people the creative behaviours and thinking skills that when applied to real world challenges help them develop innovative solutions.

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Scaling Up Applied Creativity Labs for Europe

El principal objetivo de este proyecto es abordar los actuales problemas locales y regionales en materia de medio ambiente y cambio climático a los que se enfrentan las comunidades de toda Europa a través de una metodología innovadora conocida como "Laboratorios de Creatividad Aplicada".

La Comunicación de la Comisión de 2016 "Invertir en la juventud europea" subrayó la importancia de crear nuevas oportunidades para los jóvenes, con una educación de alta calidad que desempeñe un papel fundamental en su desarrollo positivo y sus oportunidades vitales. La educación de alta calidad sustenta las sociedades inclusivas y resilientes. Las sociedades inclusivas y resilientes promueven el desarrollo personal y sientan las bases de una ciudadanía activa.

Sin embargo, para que las sociedades europeas puedan aprovechar estos beneficios, la educación de alta calidad debe convertirse en una realidad para todos los alumnos. Los laboratorios de creatividad aplicada son una metodología de enseñanza y aprendizaje única que se centra en el pensamiento crítico y el aprendizaje centrado en las soluciones, a través del cual la inspiración se une a la organización; que han sido desarrollados por el IVE en el Reino Unido. Se centran en el aprovechamiento de la imaginación y la visión artística para poner en práctica eficazmente las ideas innovadoras. Los Talleres de Creatividad Aplicada (ACL) están diseñados para proporcionar a los jóvenes el comportamiento creativo y las habilidades de pensamiento crítico que, cuando se aplican a los desafíos del mundo real, les ayudan a desarrollar soluciones innovadoras a los problemas paneuropeos.

Los ACL también pretenden inspirar a los participantes para que puedan seguir futuras carreras y trabajos en los campos pertinentes mediante la participación interactiva de expertos en la materia, conocidos como modelos de conducta. El proceso comienza presentando a los jóvenes una visión general de cuál es el "reto", por ejemplo, la contaminación atmosférica, las prácticas agrícolas sostenibles, el cambio climático, etc.

El proyecto pretende difundir una metodología de enseñanza creativa aplicada en toda Europa, para sacar lo mejor de las mentes de los jóvenes para generar ideas innovadoras y únicas y producir soluciones "fuera de la caja" para los actuales desafíos medioambientales europeos.

ERASMUS+ KA 201
Fecha de inicio del proyecto: 01/11/2020 Fecha de fin del proyecto: 30/04/2023

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El principal objetivo de este proyecto es abordar los actuales problemas locales y regionales en materia de medio ambiente y cambio climático a los que se enfrentan las comunidades de toda Europa a través de una metodología innovadora conocida como "Laboratorios de Creatividad Aplicada".

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The key focus of this project is to address current local and regional environmental and climate change issues faced by communities across Europe, through an innovative methodology known as 'Applied Creativity Labs'.

Investing in people and young people in particular, is a top priority for Europe. The 2016 Commission Communication on Investing in Europe's Youth emphasised the importance of opening up new opportunities for young people, with high-quality education playing a key role in their successful development and life chances. High-quality education underpins inclusive and resilient societies, fosters personal development, and lays a foundation for active citizenship. However, if European societies are to reap these benefits, high-quality education needs to become a reality for all learners. The Commission's reflection papers on Harnessing Globalisation (2017) and on the Social Dimension of Europe (2017) highlight that many school education systems struggle to provide high-quality education for all and to respond to the profound and complex changes our societies and economies are undergoing. The OECD's recent PISA results show that there are significant disparities in how children perform within and between countries. On average, one in five students in the EU has difficulties in developing sufficient basic skills (reading, mathematics and science). Furthermore, there is a need for schools to adapt to the changing context in which they operate, including the increasing diversity among pupils. Addressing these challenges requires not only the re-thinking of school curricula, but the introduction of more diverse teaching and learning to address the needs of all learners.

Applied Creativity Labs are a unique teaching and learning methodology focusing on critical thinking and solution-focused learning, through which inspiration meets organisation; which were developed by IVE in the UK. The focus is on harnessing artistic imagination and vision to effectively implement innovative ideas. The Applied Creativity Labs (ACLs) are designed to give young people the creative behaviours and critical thinking skills that when applied to real world challenges help them develop innovative solutions to pan-European issues. As well as informing the participants about how they can take their ideas forward to develop them further, the ACLs also aim to inspire the participants to educate them about potentially pursuing future careers and jobs in the relevant fields through the interactive involvement of sector experts, known as Role Models. The process begins by presenting young people with an overview of what the 'challenge' is, for example, air pollution, sustainable farming practices, climate change, etc. Then bespoke creativity training is delivered, as well as giving the participants access to a resource-bank, including from role models from specific and relevant industries, business and universities. The participants explore, develop, refine and prepare to pitch their best original, applicable solutions to the challenge. The best ideas are considered for further development.

The SCALE project objectives are:

- To replicate the ACL methodology on a wider, pan-European scale

- To lay the foundations for the implementation and uptake of the ACL methodology at a higher/systemic level

- To enhance critical thinking among learners (directly), as well as parents, educational staff and other stakeholders (indirectly) through ACLs

- To raise awareness of the huge potential of harnessing young peoples' natural creativity in producing innovative solutions to European environmental issues

- To cultivate an ACL network through which teachers and trainers can exchange resources, knowledge and good practices

These objectives are addressed by the intellectual outputs:

IO1: Framework of Creative Competences

IO2: Applied Creativity Labs Best Practices Implementation Guide

IO3: European Applied Creativity Labs Platform

IO4: Applied Creativity Labs Piloting and Impact Assessment Report and Policy Recommendations

The direct beneficiaries of the project will be approximately 150 school children (12 - 17 years old) who are classified as being at a disadvantage through their situation of having fewer opportunities due to social, cultural and economic obstacles. Participants will be selected based on their social, economic and cultural status, as well as their level of interest in the project, climate change and the environment, and their academic interest and achievement in STEM subject areas. The indirect beneficiaries of the project will be teachers, trainers and educators, parents, and industry experts (defined as 'role models' within the scope of the project).

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Scaling Up Applied Creativity Labs for Europe

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The key focus of this project is to address current local and regional environmental and climate change issues faced by communities across Europe, through an innovative methodology known as 'Applied Creativity Labs'. Investing in people and young people in particular, is a top priority for Europe.

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Making great progress on SCALE - The Square Dot team

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This week the consortium for SCALE: Scaling Up Applied Creativity Labs for Europe met for a very successful monthly meeting. Big strides are taken! The first draft of IO1 is well underway, as is our project website. Each partner will now start organizing Stakeholder Consultation Meetings for their country.

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26.5.21 - It was great to attend the 'Stronger together: Working with young people in Europe' British Council webinar, in the context of supporting the SCALE project. Climate change and other environmental issues were raised: cross-border solutions to these challenges are needed, and we hope our consortium can play a part in this process!

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26.5.21 - It was great to attend the 'Stronger together: Working with young people in Europe' British Council webinar, in the context of supporting the SCALE project. Climate change and other environmental issues were raised: cross-border solutions to these challenges are needed, and we hope our consortium can play a part in this process!

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e are living through what scientists call the Anthropocene, a new geological age during which humans have become the dominant force shaping the natural environment. Many scientists date this new period to the post-second world war economic boom, the "great acceleration". This rapid increase in our control over the Earth has brought us to the precipice of catastrophic climate change, triggered a mass extinction, disrupted our planet's nitrogen cycles and acidified its oceans, among other things.

Our society has come to believe that technology is the solution.Electricity from renewable sources, energy-efficient buildings, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuels are among the many innovations that we hope will play a decisive role in reducing emissions.Most of the mainstream climate-change models now assume some degree of "negative emissions" in the future, relying on large-scale carbon capture technology, despite the fact that it is far from ready to be implemented. And if all else fails, the story goes, we can geoengineer the Earth.

But the problem with this narrative is that it focuses on the symptoms, not the causes of environmental decay. Even if the technologies on which we pin our hopes for the future deliver as expected and do not lead to much collateral damage - both of which are huge assumptions - they will not have fixed our mindsets. This is a crisis of culture and politics, not of science and technology. To believe that we can innovate and engineer ourselves out of this mess is to miss the key lesson of the Anthropocene - that dealing with planetary-scale processes calls for humility, not arrogance.

Our civilisation is underpinned by extractivism, a belief that the Earth is ours to exploit, and the nonsensical idea of infinite growth within a finite territory. Material possessions as markers of achievement, a drive to consume for the sake of consumption, and blindness to the long-term consequences of our actions, have all become part of the culture of global capitalism. But there is nothing self-evident about these things, as indigenous peoples teach us.

Many indigenous groups got to know their natural environments intimately and sustained themselves over millennia, often despite harsh conditions. They came to understand the limits of what these environments could support, and they grasped that caring for the environment was simultaneously an act of self-care. Pacific islanders would designate no-go areas of the ocean to avoid overfishing, while high-altitude farmers in the Andes would rely on terraces that reduced erosion to grow their crops. It is not a coincidence that as much as 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity is located within territories inhabited by indigenous peoples.

Rebuilding our relationship with our planet does not mean abandoning the many achievements of our civilisation. Some of our technological innovations can help us treat the symptoms of the environmental multi-crisis. But addressing the causes means abandoning some of the assumptions on which our current society is built: infinite growth, the instrumentalisation of the natural environment and speciesism.

What does this look like in practice? Changing the collective mindset of a civilisation calls for a shift in values. It means educating our children about humility and connectedness, rather than vanity and individuality. It means changing our relationship with consumption, breaking the spell of advertising, manufactured needs and status. It means political organising, generating demand for a politics that sees beyond the nation state, and beyond the lifespan of the currently living generations - Wales has already started, with its Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how fragile and myopic our civilisation is. While technology has played a huge role in finding a way out of the pandemic through the development of vaccines, it has also highlighted humanity's limitations as our societies became paralysed in the face of forces of nature more powerful than ourselves. And our chaotic response showed that technological prowess is no substitute for good political leadership. We must face up to the harsh reality that for all its achievements, our civilisation is deeply flawed. It will take a reimagination of who we are to truly solve this crisis.

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The climate crisis requires a new culture and politics, not just new tech | Peter Sutoris

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e are living through what scientists call the Anthropocene, a new geological age during which humans have become the dominant force shaping the natural environment. Many scientists date this new period to the post-second world war economic boom, the "great acceleration".

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