ICEY supports upper secondary education in fostering systems thinking and circular economy principles through a specialized toolkit and challenge-based learning. The project focuses on empowering the next generation to become change agents capable of designing sustainable solutions and transforming linear business models into circular ones.
Through comprehensive teacher training and a practical educational toolkit, ICEY provides educators with lesson plans, assessment materials, and a framework for developing circularity challenges. These resources complement the existing Young Innovators methodology, allowing schools to rigorously integrate complex topics like resource efficiency and value creation into standard curricula.
Students engage in immersive activities such as “Young Climathons” and hackathons, where they tackle real-world resource challenges provided by local businesses. By applying circular strategies to actual case studies, learners develop critical competence in systems innovation, preparing them for future roles as conscious consumers and green pioneers.
ICEY also bridges the gap between education and the private sector, connecting classrooms with local SMEs seeking circular transitions. The project offers a collaborative, transnational approach that strengthens the European educational community’s ability to drive systemic environmental change.