The Watershed of the Future
Objectives of the project
The Watershed of the Future aimed to strengthen students’ water and ocean literacy through international STEAM education focused on freshwater conservation. The project helped students understand the links between local aquatic ecosystems, water quality, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and the wider protection of aquatic environments.
It also aimed to promote citizen science, environmental responsibility, sustainable use of water resources, and active participation in protecting freshwater ecosystems. By connecting classroom learning with fieldwork, research, and international cooperation, the project encouraged students to see water protection as both a local and global responsibility.
Activities
Students took part in a broad range of STEAM and water-literacy activities, including workshops on freshwater biodiversity, water protection, sustainable agriculture, and hydroponics. They collected and analysed water samples, observed microorganisms, documented local flora and fauna, and compared their findings with students from the partner school in Portugal.
The project also included the creation of a school hydroponic garden, which served as a living laboratory for exploring soil-free cultivation, efficient water use, and sustainable food production.
Additional activities included webinars, online meetings, international cooperation through ESEP, study visits, fieldwork around school ponds, and scientific visits to institutions and companies working on water analysis, waste management, plastics, microplastics, and environmental protection.
Expected outputs
The project produced practical educational resources supporting water and ocean literacy through STEAM, fieldwork, and citizen science. These included teaching scenarios, biodiversity and water-testing materials, student presentations, posters, short videos, social media content, project documentation, and resources on hydroponic gardening.
Students also created awareness materials and shared their findings with school and local communities. Open educational resources were prepared to extend the project’s impact beyond the participating schools and to support similar activities in other educational settings.
Impact
The project strengthened students’ practical science skills, environmental responsibility, international cooperation, and understanding of freshwater ecosystems. It helped connect school learning with real environmental challenges and gave students hands-on experience with fieldwork, data collection, scientific analysis, and communication.
The activities also supported a wider Open Schooling approach by involving partner schools, universities, scientists, local communities, and external organisations. The project promoted inclusive participation, allowing students with different needs and abilities to take part through adapted instructions, practical tasks, and collaborative activities.
The results remain useful for future teaching, as the materials, fieldwork protocols, hydroponic garden, and educational resources can be reused and adapted by other schools working on water literacy, citizen science, and environmental education.
