New eco project helps Azerbaijani school children harness green technology skills

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, has launched a new project to nurture green skills and foster innovations among school children in Azerbaijan.

The project will equip Azerbaijani children and adolescents with vital green skills through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education in the lead-up to COP29 that will be hosted by Azerbaijan in 2024.

The ‘Green Skills through STEAM’ project will focus on enhancing climate change knowledge and building eco-technology skills among young people, targeting both boys and girls. By integrating STEAM education and 21st-century skills, the project aims to empower school children to actively engage in the green economy and address climate-related challenges.

Students will be encouraged to develop innovative solutions to these challenges, by developing a deeper understanding of green technologies and renewable energy opportunities.

The project will run until November 2024, identifying and supporting 250 youth climate innovators aged 12 to 16 across various regions of Azerbaijan.  Selected participants will benefit from three months training and mentorship programmes, delivered at STEAM Centers in Agdash, Ganja, Guba, Lankaran, Mingachevir, Shirvan, Shamkir and Zagatala by qualified trainers, climate experts and practitioners.

Following completion of the programme, students will take part in competitions, with the top performers invited to attend the International STEAM Azerbaijan Festival in October 2024.

In addition to its focus on students, the project will develop comprehensive training on green skills for educators. This includes modules on energy and environmental technologies, as well as alternative and renewable energies. To support educators in delivering high-quality education, teaching manuals will be created in accordance with these training modules.

The ‘Green Skills through STEAM’ project is implemented by STEAM Azerbaijan and UNICEF Azerbaijan, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Education, the State Agency of Preschool, the Institute of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the STEAM project, in line with national climate action goals under COP29.