The ELCRA MOOC and Policy Paper aim to:
- Strengthen environmental literacy among university students.
- Support non-violent, inclusive, and informed climate engagement.
- Equip learners with critical, systemic and civic thinking skills.
- Address climate anxiety and foster emotional resilience.
- Promote climate justice through education and dialogue.
- Translate academic research into accessible, actionable knowledge.
- Provide tools for universities to integrate sustainability in curricula.
- Build a European community of practice around climate literacy.
- Raise awareness about risks of radicalisation in climate activism.
- Empower students as changemakers for a sustainable future.
The MOOC “Environmental Literacy for Climate Justice” and the ELCRA Policy Paper are two core outcomes of the ELCRA project, addressing the need for accessible, evidence-based education on sustainability and climate activism. The MOOC consists of 10 interdisciplinary modules co-created by universities and partners. ESN Italy developed the module on Social Sustainability, exploring equity, well-being and the societal dimensions of climate engagement. The MOOC is free, multilingual, and offers Open Badge certification.
ESN Italy played a key role in both content development and outreach. During the initial research phase, ESN Italy engaged volunteers and students across the country through interviews and surveys that informed the educational design. Once the course was launched, ESN Italy promoted it within the ESN network, integrating it into national training paths and recognising it as a valid contribution to the organisation’s sustainability-related activities.
On the Policy Paper side, ESN Italy supported the translation of academic findings into youth-friendly language and helped disseminate the final document across universities and institutional partners in Italy. It also contributed to the advocacy strategy by ensuring that the student perspective was included in the final recommendations.
