Abstract:

Students monitoring water quality, counting pollinators, or tracking air pollution can contribute real data to scientific research. Citizen science (CS) enables this, linking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning to societal challenges while developing inquiry skills, data literacy, and civic engagement. Yet many educators struggle to implement it due to limited knowledge and difficulty finding projects aligned with curricula. At the same time, many CS research projects lack the knowledge and frameworks needed to effectively integrate formal education contexts.

The Horizon Europe project CROPS – Curating, Replicating, Orchestrating and Propagating Citizen Science across Europe – aims to scale up impactful CS initiatives and connect them with the European Union’s five Missions: Climate Adaptation, Cancer, Healthy Oceans and Waters, Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, and Soil Health. As part of this effort, CROPS developed the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) From Classroom to Impact: Addressing Societal Challenges with Citizen Science, hosted on the European Schoolnet Academy. Delivered in 2025, it engaged over 500 educators from 69 countries, reaching more than 6,100 students across four modules designed to give educators pedagogical strategies and practical tools to transform CS projects into STEM learning experiences. The MOOC was delivered with the support of Scientix®, the Community for Science Education in Europe, and designed to help educators apply, share, and extend their learning beyond the course. Two initiatives play a central role: the Scientix STEM Discovery Campaign and the Scientix Collections.

The STEM Discovery Campaign mobilises educators, schools, organisations, and projects to celebrate STEM learning and careers. Thousands of activities are shared annually via its online map, creating a space for educators to showcase practices and connect with peers. MOOC participants were invited to share their activities, gaining visibility and inspiring others. The Scientix Collections are curated compilations of STEM teaching resources designed to support schools in integrating key topics into their educational strategies through teacher collaboration and integrated STEM. Resources are organised by age, subject, and competence frameworks (DigComp, GreenComp, LifeComp), enabling schools to build coherent whole-school STEM strategies. Through the CS Collection, school heads encourage teachers to access resources, showcase their implementation through the STEM School Label platform, and gain recognition as Expert Schools.

Together, the MOOC, the STEM Discovery Campaign, and the Scientix Collections illustrate how different elements can work together to support the uptake of CS in schools. Rather than treating professional development, classroom implementation, and resource sharing as separate activities, this approach connects them into a continuous pathway in which educators learn new approaches, test them in their classrooms, share their experiences with an international community, and build on each other’s practice. This presentation will introduce the pedagogical design, implementation, and impact of the CROPS MOOC and explore how its connection with the STEM Discovery Campaign and the Scientix Collections supports educators in moving beyond stand-alone teacher training courses and isolated classroom initiatives towards a more connected and collaborative European approach to CS in STEM education.

Keywords:

Citizen Science, STEM Education, Teacher Professional Development, MOOC, Scientix, STEM Discovery Campaign, Scientix Collections, EU Missions, Data Literacy, Inquiry-Based Learning, Integrated STEM, Whole-School Approach.