Biosphere Academy is strengthening young people’s sense of belonging
- strengthen young people's sense of local belonging and pride in their local environment.
- develop educational activities around nature, the environment, culture, and sustainability, which reach children and young people who live in, stay in, or visit the Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve
- provide children, young people, and educators with the knowledge and power to act to reduce concern for the climate and the environment and together build a common future on a sustainable basis.
- increase interest in natural sciences and studies that can be linked to sustainability issues and job opportunities in the archipelago
Description of the project
The Biosphere Academy is the educational program of the Archipelago Sea Area Biosphere Reserve. We want to contribute to a sustainable way of thinking among children and young people who live or are active in the Biosphere Reserve. We want to strengthen the young people's power of action for sustainability in their local environment and their participation in the Biosphere Reserve. We want to increase knowledge about the nature and culture of our unique archipelago, and thereby deepen the young people's relationship with nature and the local environment. The Archipelago Sea Area Biosphere Reserve has long-term goals for the educational program that are strongly connected with strengthening the young people’s sense of belonging and thereby their interest to return after studies to the region in one way or another to be a part of the local agenda for a sustainable future in the framework of the UNESCO MAB-program. The activities of the Biosphere Academy are coordinated by the Biosphere Office and implemented in schools and early childhood education in cooperation with central partners and stakeholders, but also arranged in the Kid’s Lab of the Archipelago Center Korpoström.
The Biosphere Academy is the umbrella for all the educational activities of the Archipelago Sea Biosphere Reserve, like the Kid´s Lab at the Archipelago Centre Korpoström, The Pike and his Friends aimed at children in kindergarten, the adventure route “The Island Expedition” raising awareness among visitors in guest harbors, Sustainability path in basic education – a tool for teachers to work with sustainability issues, and all kind of educative fun with our imaginary Archipelago researchers Sanna and Emil.
Results and effects
The Biosphere Academy program is based on cooperation and with especially close connections to the municipalities and the national curriculum. This allows us to easily reach all the children who live permanently in the region. The children are involved in different activities from early childhood until they finish school. Young people who have been involved in biosphere activities both during their childhood and youth, feel a sense of belonging and act as ambassadors for the biosphere reserve and the work for a sustainable future. We also reach a few thousand children every summer with the popular Kids Lab at the Archipelago Korpoström.
Focal points:
- promotes educational activities for a sustainable future, which will in the long run promote a sustainable use of nature resources and conservation of biodiversity (3, but also 1 &2)
- promotes a strong sense of belonging which will also enhance community engagement and participation by young people both now and in the future (4)