Domain: Enhancing the quality of innovation and entrepreneurial education

Action: Training educators on challenge-led learning

Best practice title: Young Innovators teacher training

Best practice summary: A training directed at educators working with 12-18 year old’s, to prepare them to help students come up with creative solutions to real life challenges by external stakeholders

By whom: EIT Climate-KIC

Key ingredients / description: In the Young Innovators teacher training, educators are trained how to introduce a systems innovation approach to secondary school students. The challenge-led learning approach empowers students to apply their existing knowledge and experiences to real and pressing situations. Through the use of several visual tools, they are taught to understand the complexity of systems, explore all relevant aspects related to a challenge and identifying opportunities, before eventually coming up with innovative solutions. Educators and students have to opportunity to learn by doing, while engaging with their local community and representatives of businesses and government authorities.

Context (if applicable): n/a

Audiences (if applicable): Educators (direct) and secondary school students (indirect)

Documents (if any): Teacher handbook, lesson plans, visual tools

Links (if any): https://younginnovators.climate-kic.org/educators/

Key success factors / How to replicate: It is essential to involve trainers that are familiar with systems thinking and are capable of training the teachers to become facilitators that foster innovation. Additionally, it is important to engage with real life challenge owner to create a sense of urgency, passion, and ownership.

Contact person: Silvia Doglioni eit-hei@climate-kic.org

Keywords (at least 5): Challenge-led learning, experiential learning, system innovation, creativity, problem solving, enterprising skills, becoming change makers, cognitive mapping