--- title: "Climate without Filters educates students in Andalusia; improved misinformation recognition and civic engagement" sdDatePublished: "2026-09-04T07:08:00Z" source: "https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/education-for-climate-day-2026-group/topic/climate-without-filters-building-climate-citizens-age" topics: - name: "disinformation and misinformation" identifier: "medtop:20001319" - name: "education policy" identifier: "medtop:20001338" - name: "teaching and learning" identifier: "medtop:20000411" - name: "climate change" identifier: "medtop:20000418" - name: "scientific research" identifier: "medtop:20000735" - name: "democracy" identifier: "medtop:20000654" - name: "local authority" identifier: "medtop:20000612" - name: "education" identifier: "medtop:05000000" locations: - "Andalusia" - "Spain" --- Climate without Filters educates students in Andalusia; improved misinformation recognition and civic engagement Climate without Filters: Building Climate Citizens in the Age of Misinformation "Climate education is no longer only about understanding climate change. It is about learning how to navigate information, trust science, participate in democracy and take collective action." Every day, young people are exposed to an overwhelming amount of information about climate change. Alongside reliable scientific evidence, they encounter misinformation, oversimplified narratives and viral content that often spreads faster than facts. The challenge for educators is therefore no longer limited to teaching climate science. It is about equipping young people with the skills to ask better questions, verify information, interpret evidence and participate in building more sustainable communities. This challenge inspired Climate without Filter (Clima sin Filtro) , an educational initiative implemented in five municipalities in Andalusia (Spain) that combines climate education, media literacy, scientific evidence and democratic participation into a single learning experience. Rather than treating students as passive recipients of knowledge, Climate without Filter turns them into researchers, communicators and active citizens capable of understanding both climate change and the information ecosystem surrounding it. Why climate misinformation requires a new educational approach Climate misinformation has become one of the biggest barriers to climate action. Many educational programmes explain what climate change is. Few teach how to recognise manipulation , how scientific knowledge is produced , or how evidence can be used to make better decisions . Climate without Filters was designed to bridge that gap. Its objective is not only to improve climate literacy but also to strengthen: Instead of presenting climate change as a distant global issue, students investigate how it affects their own communities and how misinformation shapes public perception. Science becomes something students do One of the defining features of Climate without Filters is that science is not presented as a collection of facts to memorise. It becomes the methodology through which students explore reality. analyse local climate trends using official datasets from AEMET, REDIAM and other scientific sources; compare historical temperature and rainfall records with their own perceptions; identify patterns of climate misinformation circulating online; learn prebunking strategies to recognise manipulation before misinformation takes hold; apply fact-checking techniques using reliable scientific sources; work alongside environmental education organisations and climate experts; transform scientific evidence into proposals for local climate action. The classroom therefore becomes a space where students experience how scientific knowledge is constructed, interpreted and communicated. Rather than asking "What should I believe?" , students begin asking: "What evidence supports this claim?" This shift is one of the most valuable outcomes of the project. Participation turns learning into action Climate education becomes significantly more meaningful when students realise their voices matter. Climate without Filters therefore combines scientific learning with democratic participation. Following five participatory classroom sessions, students present their findings during intergenerational dialogues , where older citizens share their lived experience of environmental change while learning digital verification skills from younger generations. These conversations generate new perspectives for both groups. Students discover local climate memory. Older citizens learn how misinformation spreads online and how to verify digital information. Finally, students present their proposals directly to local authorities during public municipal events, creating genuine opportunities for dialogue between schools, local governments and communities. Learning therefore moves beyond the classroom and becomes civic participation. From the beginning, Climate without Filters incorporated a comprehensive evaluation strategy combining: analysis of climate engagement levels; The evaluation demonstrated improvements in students' ability to recognise misinformation, interpret scientific evidence and engage critically with climate-related information. It also highlighted increased confidence in discussing climate issues, greater willingness to participate in local environmental initiatives and stronger appreciation of scientific sources. Equally important, the evaluation identified opportunities to improve the methodology, reinforcing the idea that educational innovation is an ongoing process rather than a finished product. An open methodology designed for Europe One of the project's most valuable outputs is the Climate without Filters Methodological Guide . Rather than simply describing activities, the guide documents the complete educational framework developed throughout the project. climate laboratories using local scientific evidence; lessons learned from classroom practice; strategies for adapting the methodology to different educational contexts. The guide has been published as an Open Educational Resource , allowing schools, municipalities and youth organisations across Europe to replicate, adapt and further develop the methodology. For us, sharing the methodology openly is just as important as implementing it. Bringing climate education beyond the classroom One of the most rewarding milestones of Climate without Filters has been taking the project beyond schools and into wider public spaces. Following its implementation in secondary schools, the methodology was showcased at the 24th Seville Science Fair (Feria de la Ciencia de Sevilla) , one of Spain's largest science outreach events, where thousands of students, teachers and families discover innovative educational experiences. For the event, Coglobal adapted one of the project's methodologies into "Operation: Viral Zero" , an interactive Escape Room designed to help participants recognise climate misinformation through collaborative problem-solving. Working in teams, participants became Climate Detectives , solving scientific challenges, analysing digital content, verifying information and distinguishing evidence-based claims from misleading narratives circulating on social media. Rather than simply learning about climate change, visitors experienced how misinformation spreads and discovered practical strategies for prebunking, fact-checking and responsible information sharing. The enthusiastic response from schools, teachers and young participants confirmed the potential of gamified approaches to make climate literacy engaging, accessible and memorable beyond formal education settings. This experience has also inspired the next evolution of the methodology, integrating Escape Room dynamics into future editions of Climate without Filters as a core learning strategy rather than as a dissemination activity. A living methodology: continuously improving through evidence Perhaps the greatest strength of Climate without Filters is that it is not a finished methodology . Every implementation generates new evidence, new ideas and new improvements. Following the first edition, teachers, facilitators, environmental educators, students and local partners jointly reviewed the methodology to identify opportunities for further innovation. The next implementation will therefore incorporate several new elements. The methodology has become part of Coglobal's educational and participatory services, and the organization has already begun collaborating with municipalities in Spain to improve its replicability in 2026 and 2027. The positive experience at the Seville Science Fair also demonstrated the educational potential of Escape Room methodologies for climate education. As a result, future editions of Climate without Filters will incorporate Operation: Viral Zero as a regular classroom activity, allowing students to develop critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving and fact-checking skills through immersive learning experiences. The methodological guide is also being expanded with new activities, updated facilitation resources, improved evaluation tools and additional examples drawn from real classroom experiences. Most importantly, the project is beginning to integrate artificial intelligence as a tool for strengthening critical thinking rather than replacing it. We are analyzing the incorporation and application into the methodology for future editions of an instant messaging-based application powered by conversational AI that supports fact-checking and helps users evaluate whether online information is likely to contain misinformation or fake news. The application is being explored with Daisy Bao , from the University of Edinburgh , who leads a collaborative group of students from research-intensive European universities within the Una Europa alliance. Supported through Una Europa funding, this initiative explores how AI can responsibly enhance media literacy, helping young people question information, assess evidence and make informed decisions. Rather than providing answers, the tool encourages better questions. It complements the project's existing prebunking and fact-checking methodology and represents an exciting example of how educational innovation, scientific research and responsible AI can work together. Climate without Filters is ultimately about much more than climate change. It is about preparing young people for democratic life in an increasingly complex information environment. By combining science, participation, media literacy, environmental education and innovation , the project helps students become more confident, informed and engaged citizens. They learn that evidence matters. And that climate action begins with understanding—but succeeds through collaboration. As climate education continues to evolve across Europe, we believe that empowering young people to think critically, verify information and participate actively may be one of the most powerful climate actions we can take. Municipalities: Almodóvar del Río, Carcabuey, Campillos, Casares and Granada (Distrito Norte) Participants: More than 125 secondary school students, teachers, environmental educators, local authorities and older citizens Approach: Climate education + media literacy + prebunking + fact-checking + scientific evidence + democratic participation Outputs: Open Methodological Guide, classroom resources, evaluation framework, communication campaign and intergenerational methodology Science outreach: Featured at the 24th Seville Science Fair with the interactive Escape Room Operation: Viral Zero , engaging students from different schools in combating climate misinformation through science-based challenges. What's next? Climate Escape Room, AI-assisted fact-checking, expanded methodological guide and implementation in new municipalities across Spain. Funding Climate without filters project, an initiative promoted by Coglobal within the European “NOPLANETB” project, implemented in Spain by the Andalusian Fund of Municipalities for International Solidarity (FAMSI) and co-funded by the Seville Provincial Council as a partner of FAMSI and the European Union. Appendix 1 - Methodological Guide 5.72 MB Appendix 2 - Methodological Guide 6.01 MB Appendix 3 - Methodological Guide 34.21 MB Appendix 4 - Methodological Guide 5.31 MB Appendix 5 - Methodological Guide 34.56 MB Appendix 6 - Methodological Guide 5.29 MB Appendix 7 - Methodological Guide 5.38 MB strategies to recognise manipulation before misinformation takes hold; techniques using reliable scientific sources; Almodóvar del Río, Carcabuey, Campillos, Casares and Granada (Distrito Norte) More than 125 secondary school students, teachers, environmental educato