FORGENIUS brought science related to forest genetic resources into the everyday learning of 10–12-year-old schoolchildren in Finland and Slovenia.
Within the FORGENIUS H2020 project, funded by the EU, which studies genetic diversity of European forests and their resilience to climate change, pupils explored shared natural phenomena, such as biodiversity and genetic diversity, from local and global perspectives. The approach called »connected learning pedagogy« encouraged collaboration between schools, researchers and teachers, sparking creativity and deepening understanding.
In addition to the FORGENIUS project partners Luke, GIS, INRA, EFI and BFW, the Talvisalo School in Savonlinna, Finland, the Elementary School Spodnja Šiška, Slovenia, and the University of Eastern Finland took part in this activity.
An online workshop introduced the method to topic experts in the FORGENIUS project and aligned it with school curricula. Teachers were central to the planning, supported by pedagogical expertise from the University of Eastern Finland.
Researchers from Luke and GIS visited classes in their respective countries and guided excursions to local forest research sites, enriching the learning experience and supporting pupils’ exploration.
The pilot was carefully documented and is now available for broader use and potential European scaling at forgeniusforschools.metsabiotalous.fi.
In addition, a policy brief was published: https://www.forgenius.eu/resources/policy-briefs
The collaboration continues in 2026 with a new Erasmus+ project, Forest for Future – Science and Environmental Education for Primary Schools in Finland and Slovenia.
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