UNESCO Global Geoparks as Living Laboratories of Sustainability: From Minoan Heritage to the ESA Mission Zero

Περίληψη

This paper presents an interdisciplinary Green-STEAM educational practice implemented with 23 third-grade primary school students (aged 9) over 30 teaching hours (December 2025-February 2026). Leveraging the two UNESCO Global Geoparks of Crete -Psiloritis and Siteia- as an outdoor classroom, the programme sought to connect geological and intangible cultural heritage with contemporary digital technology. The Rouvas Forest in Gergeri, Heraklio -one of the rarest holm oak forests in Europe and a site of immeasurable ecological and cultural value- served as the central experiential learning space. Students followed three axes of action: (a) experiential visits to the Rouvas Forest and the Eco-museum of Zakros, (b) exploration of Minoan botanical tradition through the eTwinning platform and the Mythspace programme, and (c) analysis of real CO₂ data from the Finokaliá station and the transmission of an environmental awareness message to the International Space Station via ESA Mission Zero. Findings from the reflective survey demonstrated high comprehension rates (92%), a sense of environmental self-efficacy (90%), and a positive evaluation of programming as an expressive tool (86%). The paper discusses how the Geoparks, and especially the Gergeri ecosystem, function as living laboratories of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), simultaneously cultivating GreenComp and DigComp competences in primary school students.