Tool/methodology name:

Greece’s World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has created an online environment that provides several environmental education tools and resources. These tools are designed to help educators, students, and the general public learn about environmental conservation, biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable practices.

The resources you will find there are designed to be used in the classroom but also in all learning environments and can be adapted to the age and learning needs of pupils. The referred toolkit provides:

• Lesson Plans and Activities: These are designed for various age groups and cover topics such as endangered species, ecosystems, climate change, and conservation efforts. The lesson plans often include interactive activities, games, and printable materials to engage students in learning about the environment.
• Educational Videos and Multimedia: WWF online toolkit provides videos, infographics, and other multimedia resources that can be used in classrooms or at home to help explain complex environmental topics in an accessible and engaging way.
• Virtual Field Trips and Webinars: Students can explore different ecosystems, learn about wildlife, and interact with conservation experts.
• Downloadable Toolkits and Guides: These are comprehensive guides that include activities, discussion prompts, and project ideas to help educators incorporate environmental education into their curriculum.
• Campaigns and Challenges: WWF also organizes campaigns and challenges like the Earth Hour challenge, which encourage students and communities to take action for the environment.
• Online games for students and teachers: This unit could be found on “house of Environmental Education”. There, educational material in the form of games (knowledge, interactive etc.) has been created, aimed at teachers of all levels, animators, researchers, and all those interested in educating citizens, young and old, about the great environmental issues of our time.

• Teachers, trainers, educators
• Youth workers,
• Youth
• Students, trainees
• Decision-makers and public body representatives

The environmental education "playroom" is provided on the website of the welfare institution "WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (W.W.F.) - HELLAS". According to WWF Hellas Incorporation Establishment FEK (22/B/1994), its scope is:

“The preservation of the natural heritage.”

WWF Hellas supports Greece's National Strategies for the protection of flora and fauna, natural landscape, water, land, water and other natural resources. One of their main objectives is:

“The promotion the awareness regarding the need of preservation of the natural heritage. Therefore, appropriate material of educational purposes will be designed, produced and be made available along with campaigns, exhibitions and promotion in the Media for the public awareness.”

In this context WWF Hellas created an online educational tool in the section of Knowledge Hub.

The philosophy of playroom is less theory, more hands-on experience. Kids are already familiar with most environmental issues so the challenge is to bridge the gap from knowledge to behaviour change and action. For this reason, this toolkit aims at:

• Equip decision-makers across all levels and sectors with the tools and resources needed to plan and implement conservation policies. This involves evaluating the impacts of several actions (climate change, wildfires, tourism etc.) at regional and local resources and formulating suitable conservation strategies.
• Enhance awareness of biodiversity and natural resources importance on our planet among diverse groups, including young citizens, to foster a better public understanding of impacts and the actions required to protect them.

Informative - educational material

Students, educators and youth workers can freely download more than 3000 distinct materials and documents on environmental issues relating to conservation, policy, legislation, education and climate crisis ( https://www.wwf.gr/en/knowledge_hub/library ).

Unique scientific papers like “Executive Summary of the study: Lessons learned from the Evros Fire 2023” can be freely downloaded and used to raise awareness on nature conservation.

Eat4Change: Eating 2 save the planet!

The “Eat4Change: Mobilising youth for sustainable diets” programme is addressed to educators who want to support young learners to become active citizens on climate change and biodiversity through the adoption of a sustainable diet. Personal behavior change and taking action to influence their peers are the two key desired outcomes of the recommended process.

After a quick survey on the nutritional habits of youth, educators explain the issue and help their pupils discover the skills that will help them become changemakers. Those who are interested form a team that will take action for sustainable diets in the school community. Their actions must aim to change the behaviour and not simply raise the awareness of their peers.

The Picnic Basket

The “Picnic Basket” is an innovative education programme on food and the environment that aims at the adoption of a healthy sustainable diet for schoolchildren, starting with school snacks. You may however play with its imaginary cousin, a digital counterpart, adapted to both synchronous and asynchronous learning. You may download all the necessary files, playcards, instructions, etc. from: https://www.wwf.gr/en/knowledge_hub/environmental_education/ . Read the description file and the booklet first to understand the steps of the programme. If you wish to measure the change in your pupils dietary habits, please use the questionnaires provided:

• Teachers’ Questionnaire before the start of the Picnic Basket programme
• Teachers' Questionnaire mid term
• Teachers' Questionnaire at the end of the school year
• Parents' Questionnaire before the start of the Picnic Basket programme
• Parents' Questionnaire at the end of the school year

Around the world in 80 questions

"Around the world in 80 questions" is a modern, online knowledge game for both children and adults, although its target group is mainly children and adolescents aged 8-15. Pupils, playing solo or in groups, study the unique characteristics of each of the three regions covered (Thrace, Cyclades, Attica). The material draws on the experience and the programs of WWF Greece.

"Around the world in 80 questions" was developed with the collaboration of the scientific team of CoSyLLab (Computer Supported Learning Engineering Lab) at the Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus and the funding of WWF Netherlands. You can find the game on the link bellow: https://cosylab.gr/index.php/games/117-around-the-world-in-80-questions

• Over 3,000 distinct materials and documents available for free download, educators, students, and youth workers have extensive access to information on environmental issues, including conservation, policy, legislation, education, and the climate crisis.
• Publications and papers, help raise awareness about pressing environmental issues and conservation efforts, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges facing natural heritage.
• The “Eat4Change” tool educates young learners about the importance of sustainable eating habits and empowers them to become active citizens in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
• The online tools not only raise awareness but also focus on fostering real behavioral change by encouraging young people to take concrete actions that influence their peers towards sustainable practices.
• Offers an innovative approach to education on food and the environment, encouraging students to adopt healthy, sustainable diets. The use of playcards, digital learning, and interactive activities enhances engagement and retention of knowledge.
• The programs, are designed to be adaptable for both synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (self-paced) learning environments, making them versatile tools for varied educational settings.
• The aforementioned tools, help students develop a sense of global citizenship by learning about different regions' unique characteristics, cultures, and environmental challenges, fostering empathy and a sense of responsibility towards global conservation efforts.
• By providing access to scientific papers and educational materials, WWF Hellas enhances scientific literacy among students and educators, helping them understand complex environmental issues and the science behind conservation efforts.
• The tools integrate knowledge from various disciplines—such as science, nutrition, geography, and digital learning—allowing for a more holistic approach to education on natural heritage and sustainability.
• The digital nature of these tools ensures that they are widely accessible, allowing a broad audience to benefit from the resources, regardless of their geographical location or socioeconomic status.

1) Digital Accessibility and Open Resources

2) Integration of Interactive Learning Formats

3) Focus on Behavioral Change Through Practical Actions

4) Blended Learning Approaches

5) Use of Role-Playing and Real-Life Scenarios

6) Customizable Measurement and Feedback Tools

7) Collaboration with Scientific Institutions

8) Cultural and Regional Relevance

If a youth worker or teacher wants to enhance their inventory of pedagogical tools on natural heritage conservation, they can explore the educational resources of fellow WWF offices in the:

UK (https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools) ,

USA (https://www.worldwildlife.org/teaching-resources ),

Canada (https://schools.wwf.ca/)

amongst others, that are available in English.

https://www.wwf.gr/en/knowledge_hub/environmental_education/