Dr. Ángel Olider Rojas Vistorte, professor at the European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO), part of the network of universities with which FUNIBER collaborates, spoke this month in Germany at the official kickoff meeting of the Erasmus+ RISE UP project (2024-2027). UNEATLANTICO participates in this project with five other European institutions, aiming to help higher education professionals address both the scientific and emotional dimensions of the climate crisis, especially its impact on students.
Rather than presenting climate change solely as a scientific issue, RISE UP centers its work around emotional wellbeing, student empowerment and sustainable teaching. The project seeks to equip educators with the tools to support students not only in understanding the crisis, but in facing it with resilience.
“ACEEU is the lead partner, meaning that we are coordinating management and implementation of the project as a whole. We’re also leading the work package that sets the foundation of the project, including the needs analysis, literature review, and expert consultations” said Lina Landinez, CEO of ACEEU.
“We bring into this project our expertise on climate change and sustainability,” said Ilie Tomulescu, a representative from People of 2050, one of the project’s Danish partners. “And we are hoping that the result will be solid, long-lasting.”
The first phase of the project is already underway, led by the SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education in Cyprus. This phase includes a comprehensive literature review of climate education across Europe, with a specific focus on eco-anxiety and emotional impact. The aim is to assess existing gaps in support systems and explore how the GreenComp framework (the European sustainability competence framework) can be better integrated into teaching practices.
“We are expecting to deliver on the objectives of the project,” said Georgia Karaoli, a representative from SYNTHESIS, “And we are expecting the results to be sustainable and the partnership itself to be successful.”
Insights from this research will guide the next steps of the project. One of these is the development of an educator toolkit, designed to help integrate mental wellbeing into climate education. At the same time, partners will be working on a digital Knowledge Hub, an online platform offering practical resources, self-reflection tools and support for both educators and students.
The core focus of RISE UP is related to dissemination and community engagement. Coordinated by the Universidad Europea del Atlántico in Spain, this part of the project will include public-facing events, interdisciplinary exchanges and collaborative sessions across Europe. The goal is to ensure the research doesn’t stay in academic circles but reaches classrooms, campuses and policymakers.
“And we are expecting the results to be sustainable and the partnership itself to be successful,” said Angel Olider Rojas Vistorte.
RISE UP is made possible through the collaboration of six institutions: ACEEU in Germany, The Vision Works in Germany, People of 2050 in Denmark, European University of the Atlantic in Spain, SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education in Cyprus and University of National Education Commission (UKEN) in Poland.
Each brings distinct expertise in climate, education, digital innovation and mental health.
As the project evolves, the RISE UP team will share updates, interviews and resources aimed at reshaping the emotional and pedagogical future of climate education.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or NA DAAD. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. RISE UP – Resilience, Innovation, and University Student Empowerment through reflective Climate Education and Action (Nr. 2024-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000246800)