Curriculum for Island Sustainability

A collaborative curriculum developed by all six partner schools, designed to bring climate education, cultural heritage, and sustainability into island classrooms.

Six Modules, Six Islands

Each partner organisation developed a module rooted in its own island context — its landscapes, traditions, and environmental challenges. Every module brings together a presentation and ready-to-use lesson plans, with videos and worksheets where available. Click any module to explore its full materials.

Module 1 · Iceland

Climate Change & Cultural Heritage

Connecting the local impacts of global warming on Icelandic glaciers with their significance in folklore and heritage, empowering youth toward sustainable solutions.

Melting glaciers and changing landscapes
Folktales and their connection to nature
Sustainable outdoor & food education

Developed by: Vatnsendaskóli (Iceland)

View Module 1

Module 2 · Spain

Localization & Cultural Context in Teaching

Training teaching staff — particularly educators newly arrived from mainland Spain — to understand and apply localization, using the Canary Islands’ geography, history, and traditions to shape culturally grounded teaching.

Localization and its role in educational practice
Cultural, linguistic & contextual factors in island identity
Practical techniques for localizing content

Developed by: CEIP Federico García Lorca (Gran Canaria)

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Module 3 · Greece

Project-Based & Experiential Learning

Using the island’s natural and cultural environment as a living classroom — students explore local land and marine ecosystems, uncover the sustainability wisdom in traditional Mykonian crafts, and design their own community-based solutions.

Outdoor, experiential learning in island ecosystems
Traditional crafts as living examples of sustainability
Student-led sustainability projects for the community

Developed by: Mykonos International Initiative (Greece)

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Module 4 · St. Maarten (NL)

Guest Speakers & Local Experts

Inviting guest speakers and local experts into the classroom to help students understand Sint Maarten’s environmental challenges and cultural heritage, then guiding them toward concrete, youth-led actions to protect both.

Environmental challenges: erosion, waste, hurricanes
Cultural heritage — language, music, food, festivals
Youth-led actions to preserve local culture

Developed by: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School (St. Maarten)

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Module 5 · Madeira (PT)

Madeira’s Living Heritage

Inviting primary students (ages 8–10) to discover Madeira’s living heritage — from the ancient Laurissilva forest, to the centuries-old levada water channels, to the terraced fields that still feed the island today.

The Laurissilva Forest — UNESCO-listed heritage
Levadas — historic water channels & the levadeiros
Traditional agriculture — poios, bananas, vineyards

Developed by: EB1/PE Cruz de Carvalho (Madeira)

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Module 6 · Martinique (FR)

Coastlines, Culture & Community

Students at Collège Emmanuel Saldès learn to read their island — blending outdoor science, cultural heritage research, and hands-on eco-citizenship, from surf lessons that double as coastal science to visits to local agrotourism farms.