#Berlin #Education
January – December 2023
Schools as Local Climate Actors in Neighborhoods – Participatory Development of Climate Adaptation Measures
Funded institution:
Freie Universität Berlin
Cooperation partner:
Junge Tüftler
The objective of the project was to provide school children with a practical understanding of climate protection with a hands-on approach: In spring 2023, a stationary SenseBox was installed at a school in Jungfernheide, Berlin. The SenseBox is a digital environmental measuring station based on a mini-computer fitted with sensors. It records environmental data such as temperature, relative humidity, fine dust pollution, illuminance, UV intensity, and air pressure. This data is transmitted via Wi-Fi to the global openSenseMap, thereby supporting one of the largest citizen-led sensor networks in the world that makes environmental data freely accessible to all.
The schoolchildren installed the SenseBox (assembly, programming, installation) themselves. They even learned the basics of programming so that they could visualize their findings. By working with the collected data, the students also gained a feel for scientific work.
A visualization of the SenseBox data was added to the school’s homepage. The second phase of the project was for the students to collaborate with district offices. The goal was for local stakeholders in the neighborhood to work together and come up with ideas for demand-driven climate adaptation measures for the district.
The project was presented on various occasions, including at the Open Mic at FU Berlin, at the BUND Climate Day Berlin, at the meet up held in the MakerLabs project, and in the climate lecture series at TU Berlin.
SenseBox – Measuring station for school children and neighborhood stakeholders
© Franziska Kaiser
The Citizen Science project has highlighted the importance of raising awareness of climate change in socio-spatial environments. In the neighborhoods, in particular, accessible means have been used to link climate protection and democracy. The Siemensstadt district center served as a kind of knowledge and implementation incubator.