NEWS

Learning, communicating and taking action for a fairer future

European Erasmus+ Project | Lower and upper secondary schools
Partner countries: Italy, France, Germany, Spain
Coordinating institution: EnAct, France

Yconic is an educational wiki platform designed to make complex and interconnected topics such as climate change, energy transition, digitalisation and social justice accessible to students aged 12 to 17. Through blogs, forums, quizzes, videos, podcasts, animations and teaching materials, the project guides young people along a pathway from learning to communication, and finally to concrete action.

The platform offers content at two levels - The Basics and In Depth - to respond to the different ages and abilities of students, and invites young people to explore data, examine local aspects of global challenges, share opinions with peers and imagine actions for change.

The classroom experience
The Yconic project represented an extremely rich educational experience for our institute, involving students and teachers in a pathway of learning, reflection and active citizenship on some of the most crucial issues of our time.
The project activities revolve around an interactive wiki platform, which offers dynamic and engaging content dedicated to four major thematic areas: energy, climate change, social justice and digitalisation. Work on the platform proved to be truly interesting from the very beginning: students had the opportunity to learn by opening their eyes to problems, situations and realities often far removed from their daily experience, developing critical reflection skills and a readiness to take an active approach towards the contemporary world.

Indeed, the aim of Yconic is not to train simple spectators of reality, but aware citizens, capable of expressing judgement, taking a position and actively participating in society. In this pathway, the tools offered by the platform, such as blogs and discussion forums, were fundamental, as were the video tutorials dedicated to correct and ethical communication, which provided students with valuable opportunities for reflection and responsible, respectful dialogue.
This year’s experience involved numerous classes from our institute, from the second year of lower secondary school to the fourth year of upper secondary school, creating an extremely fruitful and exciting atmosphere of work, collaboration and exchange. Students of different ages were able to share ideas and work together, concretely experiencing the value of collaboration and dialogue.

The project also included a trip to Brussels for a group of around forty student ambassadors from the three schools involved: a Spanish school, a Bulgarian school and IOMS in Milan. The days spent in Brussels were, first and foremost, an important experience of intergenerational and international work, but they also offered the students valuable moments of training, exchange and personal growth.

Perhaps the most significant moment was when the students were able to listen to real testimonies from people experiencing energy poverty and social injustice, trying to genuinely put themselves in their difficult situations. Along this pathway, they were also accompanied by experts and professionals met during the activities, who helped to further enrich their perspective and understanding of the issues addressed.

Through engagement with these experiences, the students were encouraged to develop critical and creative thinking and to propose possible solutions to the problems discussed. Yconic thus proved to be an exciting example of coexistence and cooperation among young Europeans, united by the desire to understand the world, address the crucial issues of the present and imagine solutions for the future together.

A model of school that not only opens itself to the world, but actively takes part in it, bringing reflection, creativity and collaboration. With a conscious gaze towards a fairer future.

Federica Peressotti
Istituto Omnicomprensivo Musicale SMS "G. Verdi" (IOMS)
Milan

For interested schools - Yconic
Schools are warmly invited to participate in the Yconic pilot phase, which is currently open and active until the end of November 2026. The project offers teachers and students a dynamic and interactive wiki learning environment dedicated to four major thematic areas: energy, climate change, social justice and digitalisation.

As a first access point to the project, teachers can consult and use the trial materials available online, including thematic blogs, content at two levels of depth, prompts for classroom discussions, quizzes, examples of student-produced content and materials for the Teacher Zone. The platform is designed to guide students from learning to communication and action, promoting critical thinking, collaboration and active citizenship.

Trial materials for teachers and classes: https://yconic.energypedia.info/wiki/We_make_learning_Yconic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/yconic-for-change/

Contact:
Pia Lovengreen Alessi
Project Manager - WAME @ FAEM
pia.alessi@eui.eu 

Marilyn Smith
Project Manager - EnAct
yconic@energypedia.info