AI Literacy, Sustainability & Outdoor Education
AI & Sustainability — Digital Tools for Green Schools
6 days
Climate change is the defining challenge of our students' lives — and AI is one of the most powerful tools available to address it in the classroom. This course brings both together, exploring how AI can supercharge environmental education and help teachers build genuinely green schools.
Set in Madeira's extraordinary ecosystem — ancient laurisilva forests, volcanic levadas and Atlantic coastline — participants experience the natural world directly while learning to use AI tools that bring environmental science to life in any classroom.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Use AI tools for environmental data analysis, citizen science and ecological monitoring
Design cross-curricular sustainability projects integrating AI and outdoor methods
Apply AI for climate communication: making complex data accessible for students
Create AI-enhanced environmental campaigns and school green initiatives
Connect AI literacy with Erasmus+ environmental and climate action priorities
Build a school Green AI strategy combining digital and place-based learning
Programme
AI & Sustainability — Digital Tools for Green Schools
Monday
Madeira's Ancient Ecosystems — AI as Environmental Tool
• Levada do Rei: the ancient water system as a model of sustainable engineering.
• Ribeiro Frio: laurisilva biodiversity — AI-assisted plant and bird identification.
• Fanal forest: immersive ecology and the endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.
• Evening reflection: what does AI add to — and take from — environmental understanding?
Tuesday
AI for Environmental Data & Citizen Science
• AI tools for climate science: accessing, interpreting and communicating data.
• Citizen science platforms: iNaturalist, eBird and school biodiversity monitoring.
• AI for environmental storytelling: creating compelling content that moves students to act.
• Workshop: setting up a school AI-powered biodiversity monitoring project.
Wednesday
AI for Green School Design & Sustainability Projects
• Green school frameworks: Eco-Schools, Green Flag and Erasmus+ sustainability criteria.
• AI for school sustainability audits: energy, water, waste and biodiversity.
• Designing cross-curricular sustainability projects with AI tools.
• Workshop: build a complete school sustainability action plan using AI.
Thursday
AI for Climate Communication & Student Activism
• AI tools for student climate storytelling: video, infographics, podcasts and campaigns.
• Youth climate action: how AI supports Erasmus+ green school projects.
• Critical AI literacy: greenwashing, data manipulation and environmental misinformation.
• Workshop: design a student-led AI climate communication campaign.
Friday
🌊 PLAN A — SPRING / SUMMER (March – September)
AI & Ocean Sustainability
• Catamaran excursion: marine ecosystem observation — cetaceans, seabirds, ocean health.
• Workshop at sea: AI tools for marine monitoring and ocean literacy education.
• Group challenge: design a cross-curricular Ocean and AI Sustainability Week.
• Reflection: what responsibility do teachers have in the climate crisis?
🏫 PLAN B — AUTUMN / WINTER (October – February)
Green School AI Integration Workshop
• Workshop: assembling your Green School AI toolkit — practical and ready to use.
• Showcase: presenting your sustainability project plan for peer feedback.
• School strategy: building a long-term AI and sustainability programme.
• Action planning: three sustainability initiatives to launch next term.
Saturday
Certificate Ceremony & Closing
• Presentation of each participant's final project or action plan.
• Peer feedback and recognition of the week's collaborative work.
• Formal certificate ceremony in the Jardim Municipal do Funchal.
• Networking, group photo, and exchange of contacts for future Erasmus+ collaboration.
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.