From short films to podcasts, guided tours by and for students, mystery dinners to escape games, artistic works and infographics: during six workshops at the World Heritage sites in autumn 2022, students from UNESCO Associated Schools and other schools developed a variety of ideas to become active on the topic of World Heritage and climate change and to take responsibility themselves.
Back at the schools in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland, they are working intensively in the classrooms and at the World Heritage sites to continue developing the ideas and plans and turn them into reality. The students and teachers are supported by the German Commission for UNESCO, the Institute Heritage Studies and the stakeholders of the World Heritage Sites. In accordance with a holistic understanding of ESD, the focus is not only on the students results. In particular, the process of project design by the students is supported, collectively reflected upon, and mutually appreciated. In order to promote this process, conception days, exchange formats for teachers and webinars are currently being offered, as well as facilitating contacts between schools and experts.
Already now it can be assumed that the students’ projects will result in a diverse mosaic of activities that reflect both the special features of the various World Heritage sites and the creativity, interests, and inclinations of the students. A special perspective will be provided by the student projects, which not only focus on the threats of climate change to the World Heritage sites, but also on the sites' own potential for sustainable development. We are therefore already looking forward with excitement to the various opportunities that will arise in the summer to present the projects and get to know them more thoroughly.
