PAESC Summer School
The PAESC Summer School is a joint initiative of INDIRE (the Italian research institute operating in the field of Education on behalf of the Ministry) and EuCliPa.IT (the Italian network of European Climate Pact Ambassadors). This training course is designed to equip upper secondary school teachers with practical tools to actively contribute to the ecological transition in their regions. The program, delivered online, features the CMCC Foundation (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change) with contributions from researchers involved in the NATURANCE (through the Naturethon initiative) and DesirMED projects.
The PAESC Summer School equips teachers with tools to drive the ecological transition, linking schools, local authorities, and climate policies to foster sustainability, civic engagement, and a fairer, greener future.
The project is based on GreenComp, the European framework of sustainability competences, and focuses particularly on Area 4: “Acting for sustainability”, with specific attention to collective and political action. At the core of the training experience are the SECAPs – Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, which more than 50% of Italian municipalities are required to develop under the European Union’s Covenant of Mayors initiative. Although schools are key actors in the transition, they are rarely involved in local decision making processes.
The PAESC Summer School seeks to fill this gap by promoting collaboration between schools and municipal administrations through an innovative training pathway that connects education, civic participation, and climate policies. The Summer School consists of five meetings/debates designed to encourage dialogue and active participation, complemented by independent learning activities to further explore the topics covered and to foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and democratic dialogue in schools.
The course includes a total of 28 hours (13 of online training, 10 of individual work, and 5 dedicated to final project design). At the end of the program, participants will be able to consult and analyze the SECAPs of their municipalities, propose concrete actions, and actively support the implementation of local climate plans.
The PAESC Summer School is part of a three-year research project promoted by INDIRE (2025–2027), aimed at strengthening key sustainability competences, enhancing the promotion of nature as a lever for social justice, measuring the level of young people’s active participation in local policies, and bringing schools closer to local climate policies.
With the PAESC Summer School, the school is not only a place of learning but also an active driver of sustainability and a stakeholder in local decision-making processes: an opportunity to build a fairer, greener, and more participatory future.