Call for Innovative Green Education Action Projects 2026: Share Your Climate Education Project and Win a Fully Funded Visit to Brussels

The Education for Climate Coalition has launched its Call for Innovative Green Education Action Projects 2026, inviting students, educators, schools, institutions, organisations and other education stakeholders to showcase innovative projects that are helping communities respond to climate change and advance sustainability through education.

The initiative comes ahead of Education for Climate Day 2026, which will take place on 22 October 2026. The call is designed to identify strong, practical examples of climate and sustainability education that can inspire other education communities across the European Education Area.

Three projects from each of the three thematic areas will be selected to present their work during Education for Climate Day 2026. Representatives of selected projects will also receive a fully funded visit to Brussels to participate in the event and interact with other participants working in climate education across the European Education Area.

The application deadline is 6 September 2026.

What Is the Education for Climate Coalition 2026 Call About?

The Education for Climate Coalition is looking for real examples of green education projects that have already been implemented or are currently being implemented.

Rather than focusing solely on ideas or proposals for future projects, the call seeks projects where concrete actions have already taken place. These could include initiatives in schools, universities, communities, civil society organisations, public institutions, cultural settings, professional environments or other formal and informal learning contexts.

The selected projects are intended to demonstrate how education can contribute to:

• Climate action
• Sustainability
• Intergenerational cooperation
• Youth participation
• Green citizenship
• Institutional transformation
• Sustainable development
• Future-oriented learning
• Community engagement
• Green competences
• Innovative teaching and learning

The initiative particularly seeks projects that can provide practical evidence of impact, such as learning materials, activities, educational tools, photographs, videos, documents, implementation records or other tangible outputs.

Three Thematic Areas for the 2026 Call

Applicants can submit projects under one of three thematic areas. Each theme focuses on a different aspect of green education and climate action.

1. Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogue for Climate Action

The first theme focuses on projects that give young people an active role in climate and sustainability action.

The emphasis is not simply on teaching young people about climate change. Instead, projects should demonstrate how learners can become active participants in creating solutions and influencing decisions within their schools, institutions and communities.

The theme also recognises schools and other educational institutions as potential living environments for sustainability, where green values and sustainable practices can become part of everyday life.

Projects may involve collaboration between:

• Students and young people
• Teachers and educators
• Families
• Schools
• Local authorities
• Civil society organisations
• Community organisations
• Other local stakeholders

The Education for Climate Coalition is particularly interested in initiatives that create meaningful connections between different generations.

This reflects the Coalition’s 2026 priority of intergenerational fairness. The underlying idea is that young people should not only be prepared to deal with future challenges but should also have opportunities to influence the present and help shape the future.

Questions applicants should consider

Projects under this theme should be able to demonstrate:

• How young people actively participate in climate or sustainability action.
• How learners contribute to designing, leading or influencing activities.
• How young people participate in decisions connected to the project.
• How schools work with families and local communities.
• How different generations collaborate.
• How the project supports a whole-school or whole-institution approach to sustainability.
• How the project is connected to local needs.
• Whether the approach could be adapted or transferred to another community or education setting.

A strong application should therefore go beyond simply stating that young people participated. It should explain what they did, what decisions they influenced, what actions they led and what changed as a result.

2. Citizenship Education and Institutional Action for Sustainability

The second theme looks at projects that help citizens, learners and communities understand sustainability challenges and take practical action.

This category is broader than traditional classroom education. It recognises that learning about sustainability can happen in many environments and can involve a wide range of organisations and professionals.

Eligible projects under this theme may be led by:

• Civil society organisations
• Companies
• Public institutions
• Researchers
• Cultural organisations and actors
• Non-formal education providers
• Educational institutions
• Other organisations working to advance sustainability education

The theme encourages initiatives that connect knowledge and expertise with public engagement and practical action.

For example, a project could take research findings or professional knowledge and turn them into accessible educational programmes for communities. Another project could use cultural activities, public engagement or community-based learning to help people understand environmental challenges and participate in the green transition.

Questions applicants should consider

Applicants should explain:

• How the project helps citizens, learners or communities understand green and sustainability issues.
• Who leads the project.
• Which groups participate in the project.
• How different target groups are engaged.
• How research, professional expertise, institutional knowledge or community knowledge is converted into accessible learning.
• How the project encourages participation.
• How it promotes responsibility and behavioural change.
• How the project addresses the needs of different groups.
• What makes the initiative inclusive and practical.
• Why the project is relevant beyond the immediate learning environment.

The strongest projects will demonstrate that sustainability education can lead to participation, responsibility and action, rather than remaining purely theoretical.

3. GreenComp: Envisioning Sustainable Futures in Teaching and Learning

The third thematic area focuses on the GreenComp framework and how sustainability competences can be incorporated into teaching and learning.

Particular attention is given to the competence area of envisioning sustainable futures.

This theme is aimed at projects that help learners think beyond immediate challenges and explore what different possible futures could look like.

Projects may encourage learners to:

• Imagine alternative futures.
• Examine the long-term consequences of current decisions.
• Compare different possible sustainability pathways.
• Think critically about environmental, social and economic consequences.
• Develop the competences required to contribute to sustainable development.
• Translate future-oriented thinking into practical action.

Educators, trainers and facilitators also have an important role under this theme because they create the learning environments in which future thinking and sustainability competences can develop.

Questions applicants should consider

Projects should demonstrate:

• How GreenComp or sustainability competencies are incorporated into teaching and learning.
• How learners imagine or explore sustainable futures.
• How current decisions are connected to future environmental, social and economic consequences.
• Which practical tools or methods are used to develop future thinking.
• How learners are given agency to contribute to sustainability.
• How the approach could be adapted by other educators or learning communities.

Applicants should make the connection between learning, future thinking and practical sustainability action clear.

Who Can Submit a Project?

The call is open to a broad range of participants across formal and informal education.

The organisers welcome submissions from

• Students
• Educators
• Schools
• Education institutions
• Civil society organisations
• Companies
• Public institutions
• Researchers
• Cultural actors
• Non-formal education providers
• Other education stakeholders
• Community organisations and partners involved in education and sustainability

Projects can be small or large, local or international, and public or private.

This broad approach means applicants do not necessarily need to represent a large institution or operate a major international programme. A smaller, locally rooted initiative can also be considered if it demonstrates innovation, participation, tangible implementation and meaningful community impact.

Geographic Eligibility

One of the key eligibility requirements is that the green education action must be based in and across a European Education Area country.

The eligible geographic area includes the 27 European Union Member States, as well as the following:

• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Serbia
• Türkiye

Therefore, the call is specifically focused on projects operating within the European Education Area.

Projects from outside this geographic area would not meet the stated location eligibility requirement.

What Types of Projects Are Eligible?

The initiative is looking for projects that have moved beyond the idea stage and have had concrete implementation actions.

A project can be

• Already completed
• Currently ongoing
• Started within the eligible period
• Recently completed within the last five years

The important consideration is that actual implementation must have taken place.

This means applicants should be prepared to demonstrate what they have done rather than submitting only a proposal for something they intend to do in the future.

Previous Applicants Can Apply Again

Projects that participated in previous editions of the call are not automatically excluded.

They may still be eligible if they have developed:

• New workstreams
• New materials
• New activities
• New project elements
• Other significant developments

This creates an opportunity for previous participants to showcase how their initiatives have evolved.

What Will the Organisers Be Looking For?

The Education for Climate Coalition wants to showcase projects that demonstrate education innovation in practice.

Applications will be assessed according to several important dimensions.

1. Location

The project must be implemented in or across an eligible European Education Area country.

2. Ambition

The organisers want projects that are inspiring, courageous and innovative.

Applicants should demonstrate what makes their approach different and why it represents an important contribution to climate or sustainability education.

3. Relevance

The project should clearly address the theme under which it is submitted.

Applicants should avoid vague descriptions and explain exactly how their activities respond to the selected thematic area.

4. Interdisciplinarity

Projects are encouraged to demonstrate connections across different disciplines and areas of education for climate innovation.

The assessment also considers the number and type of GreenComp competences addressed by the project.

5. Participatory Nature

Participation is a particularly important element of the Education for Climate Coalition community.

Projects should ideally demonstrate collaboration between at least two education actor categories identified in the application survey.

This means applicants should clearly explain who was involved and how different groups contributed to the project.

Simply having multiple stakeholders associated with a project may not be enough. The application should show how they actually participated in shaping or implementing the initiative.

6. Education for Climate Innovation Area Coverage

The project must cover at least one of the five Education for Climate Innovation Areas.

Applicants should therefore identify the relevant innovation area covered by their work and explain how the project addresses it.

7. GreenComp Engagement

Projects must address at least one of the twelve GreenComp competences.

Applicants should identify the relevant competence or competences and explain how these are reflected in their activities, learning experiences or outcomes.

8. Innovation Learning Engagement

The project should incorporate at least one learning or teaching method identified in the June 2022 Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development.

Applicants should also explain the learning goals and the didactic or pedagogical approach used.

This means the submission should not only describe what participants did but should also demonstrate the educational reasoning behind the approach.

9. Tangibility

Evidence is a major consideration.

Applicants should provide concrete and codified evidence of their project, which could include:

• Educational materials
• Activity descriptions
• Learning resources
• Photographs
• PDFs
• Videos
• Documents
• Other project outputs
• Evidence of activities
• Other materials demonstrating implementation

This criterion is important because the call is designed to showcase real-world examples of education innovation.

10. Community Impact Beyond Learning and Teaching Environments

The project should ideally have an impact beyond the classroom or immediate learning environment.

The organisers want to highlight projects that connect education with actual community needs.

Applicants should therefore demonstrate how their work contributes to the wider community and addresses practical environmental, social or sustainability challenges.

How Will Applications Be Evaluated?

Each thematic area will be reviewed by a dedicated panel from the Education for Climate Secretariat, involving representatives from EACEA, DG EAC, and experts.

Applications will first undergo an eligibility check.

Eligible projects will then be evaluated using five main criteria:

1. Ambition
2. Multi-disciplinarity
3. Participation
4. Tangibility
5. Community impact

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 10.

Community impact receives additional weighting and can contribute up to 12 points.

The overall evaluation can therefore reach a maximum of 52 points.

This scoring structure means applicants should not focus exclusively on how innovative their idea sounds. They should also provide convincing evidence of participation, implementation, tangible outputs and real community impact.

How to Strengthen Your Application

Applicants can improve their submission by presenting their project as a clear story from problem to action to outcome.

A strong application should answer questions such as the following:

• What sustainability or climate challenge were you addressing?
• Why was the project necessary?
• Who identified the problem?
• Who participated?
• What role did young people, educators or other stakeholders play?
• What activities were implemented?
• What educational methods were used?
• Which GreenComp competences were addressed?
• What changed because of the project?
• What evidence can demonstrate the results?
• How did the project benefit the wider community?
• Could another school, organisation or community adapt the approach?

Where possible, applicants should support their claims with specific examples and tangible evidence.

For example, instead of simply stating that a project “engaged young people in sustainability”, explain how many young people participated, what responsibilities they had, what activities they led and what measurable or observable outcomes resulted.

What Do Selected Projects Receive?

The call offers significant visibility and networking opportunities for successful projects.

Presentation at Education for Climate Day 2026

Three projects will be selected from each thematic area.

With three thematic areas, this means a total of nine project examples will be selected to present their work and discuss their outcomes at Education for Climate Day 2026.

The event will take place on 22 October 2026.

Fully Funded Visit to Brussels

Representatives of selected projects will receive a fully funded visit to Brussels to participate in Education for Climate Day 2026.

This gives selected representatives an opportunity to:

• Present their project.
• Discuss their implementation experience.
• Share lessons learned.
• Participate in hybrid sessions.
• Meet other climate education practitioners.
• Exchange ideas with education stakeholders.
• Build connections across the European Education Area.
• Gain visibility for their work.

The opportunity is therefore not simply about recognition. It provides a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among people and organisations working on climate education.

Important Application Requirement: Verified User Status

Applicants should note that they need to be a verified user to submit a project.

The call advises applicants who need to update their user status to join an onboarding session.

This requirement is important because completing the project submission may depend on having the appropriate verified-user status before the application is finalised.

Applicants should therefore avoid waiting until the final day to resolve account or verification issues.

Submission Requirements

The Education for Climate Coalition states that applicants need to complete the required submission components, including the survey and blog.

Only complete applications, including both required components, will be considered.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they do not submit an incomplete application.

Before submitting, it is advisable to check that:

• The project falls under one of the three themes.
• The project meets the geographic requirement.
• Concrete implementation has already taken place.
• The project is within the eligible five-year period where applicable.
• Relevant education actors have participated.
• GreenComp competences are addressed.
• The project covers at least one Education for Climate Innovation Area.
• Appropriate learning and teaching methods are explained.
• Tangible evidence is available.
• Community impact is clearly demonstrated.
• Both the survey and blog components are completed.
• User verification requirements have been met.

Copyright, Privacy and Intellectual Property Requirements

Applicants must also ensure that they have the appropriate rights to all media submitted as part of their project.

This includes materials such as:

• Photographs
• Videos
• Music
• Documents
• Other copyrighted materials

By submitting a project, applicants confirm that they either own the copyright to the media used or have the necessary licence or permission to use it.

Applicants must also ensure that their submission does not violate privacy rights, copyright or other intellectual property rights belonging to another person or organisation.

Plagiarism or copyright infringement can result in disqualification.

This makes it essential for applicants to verify the origin and usage rights of every photograph, video, piece of music, graphic, document or other copyrighted material included in their submission.

Key Dates for the Education for Climate 2026 Call

The timeline is important for anyone planning to participate.

• Call opens: 18 June 2026
• Application deadline: 6 September 2026
• Selection notification: End of September 2026
• Education for Climate Day 2026: 22 October 2026
• Presentation of selected projects: 22 October 2026 in the hybrid event

Deadline: 6 September 2026

Applicants should submit their complete applications by 6 September 2026.

Because the submission requires both the survey and blog, applicants should allow sufficient time to prepare their materials, verify their account status, and check that all supporting evidence meets the requirements.

APPLY HERE

Why This Opportunity Matters for Climate Education

Climate change requires more than scientific knowledge. Communities also need the skills, values, participation mechanisms and educational approaches necessary to translate knowledge into action.

This is where initiatives such as the Education for Climate Coalition’s call become particularly relevant.

The programme highlights education as a mechanism for helping people understand sustainability challenges while also giving learners and communities opportunities to participate in developing solutions.

The three thematic areas also reflect different dimensions of climate education.

Youth leadership focuses on agency and intergenerational collaboration.

Citizenship education focuses on participation, institutional action and community engagement.

GreenComp focuses on competence development and the ability to envision sustainable futures.

Together, these areas provide a broad framework for demonstrating how education can contribute to the green transition.

Who Should Consider Applying?

The opportunity may be particularly relevant to organisations and individuals that have already implemented innovative sustainability education initiatives.

You should consider submitting if you have a project that:

• Engages students or young people in climate action.
• Connects different generations around sustainability.
• Turns schools or institutions into living environments for sustainability.
• Brings families and communities into climate education.
• Uses education to promote green citizenship.
• Connects research with public education.
• Uses community knowledge to advance sustainability.
• Incorporates GreenComp competences.
• Helps learners imagine sustainable futures.
• Uses innovative teaching and learning methods.
• Produces tangible educational resources.
• Demonstrates meaningful community impact.
• Has already been implemented or is currently ongoing.

Small projects should not automatically be discouraged from applying. The call explicitly welcomes initiatives of different sizes and from different types of education settings.

Visit HERE for more information about the Innovative Green Education Action Projects 2026.

Pro Tip for Applicants

Do not describe only the idea behind your project — demonstrate the action and its impact.

The evaluation criteria place significant emphasis on participation, tangibility and community impact. Therefore, applicants should make their submission evidence-based.

Show:

The challenge → the people involved → the action taken → the educational approach → the evidence → the results → the community impact → what others can learn or replicate.

If photographs, videos, learning materials, reports, activity records or other documentation are available and can legally be shared, use them to demonstrate that the project has been implemented in practice.

It is also important to explicitly connect the project to the selected thematic area, GreenComp competence and relevant Education for Climate Innovation Area rather than expecting evaluators to make those connections themselves.

Final Thoughts

The Education for Climate Coalition Call for Innovative Green Education Action Projects 2026 provides a platform for showcasing practical examples of how education can contribute to climate action and sustainability.

The call is particularly valuable for projects that combine innovation with participation, education with action, and learning with community impact.

Applicants can submit projects under three thematic areas: Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogue for Climate Action; Citizenship Education and Institutional Action for Sustainability; and GreenComp: Envisioning Sustainable Futures in Teaching and Learning.

Nine projects in total — three from each theme — will be selected to present their work at Education for Climate Day 2026 on 22 October. Representatives of selected projects will receive a fully funded visit to Brussels, providing an opportunity to showcase their work, exchange knowledge and connect with other climate education stakeholders across the European Education Area.

However, applicants should pay close attention to the eligibility requirements. The project must be based in or across an eligible European Education Area country, have undergone concrete implementation, and satisfy the relevant thematic and evaluation criteria. Applicants must also complete all required components, including the survey and blog, and ensure that submitted media complies with copyright and privacy requirements.

With the 6 September 2026 deadline approaching, eligible applicants with strong, already-implemented climate or sustainability education projects should begin preparing their submissions without delay. The strongest applications will clearly demonstrate not only what makes their project innovative, but also who participated, what was implemented, what evidence exists, and how the project created meaningful impact within and beyond the learning environment.

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