Abstract:

The EuroCivic Lab project: Strengthening European Identity and Citizenship through SDGs, Social Activism and Living Labs Methodology in School Education (2024-1-HU01-KA220-SCH-000251467), an Erasmus+ initiative, has been designed to support teachers in helping students to understand Europe's shared values, the role of citizenship, and the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals in everyday life. The project unites partners from Hungary, Greece, Austria, Portugal, Lithuania and Turkey with the aim of developing a practical, research-informed framework that translates complex civic and societal themes into engaging learning experiences for lower and upper secondary students.

During its initial phase, the consortium developed the Teachers' Training Kit, a structured set of seven handbooks covering European identity, civic rights and responsibilities, contemporary EU challenges, the 17 SDGs, social activism, and the Living Labs methodology. In order to facilitate the translation of these resources into practical application, the project undertook the organisation of a three-day Teacher Training Workshop in October 2025 in Porto, Portugal, which was hosted at Salesianos do Porto. The programme comprised a combination of lectures, creative methodology sessions, gamified learning demonstrations, film-based activities, interactive debates and scenario-building exercises. During the course of the event, 18 teachers were trained through practical sessions focusing on civic engagement, activism design, and the use of Living Labs for real-world problem-solving.

The workshop confirmed the necessity for flexible pedagogical tools that facilitate the connection between identity, sustainability and citizenship in ways that resonate with students' lived experiences. Participants emphasised the significance of multimodal teaching resources, collaborative activities, and frameworks that connect classroom learning to community action. These insights served to reinforce the project's approach, which is to develop materials that stimulate dialogue, critical thinking and meaningful civic participation.

As EuroCivic Lab progresses, the subsequent phases entail the implementation of pilot programmes and experiential learning activities in partner educational institutions. Feedback will be collected through classroom observations and teacher reflections, and subsequently used to refine all outputs. The consortium will also initiate the co-creation of student-led micro-activism projects and Living Lab initiatives in each partner country, thereby ensuring that civic learning extends beyond theory into practical engagement with local challenges. The project combines research-based content with creative pedagogical strategies with a view to fostering a new generation of learners who recognise their role as active European citizens and capable changemakers in their communities.

Keywords:

European identity, civic engagement, SDGs, teacher training, Living Labs methodology.