Erasmus Maris

THE ERASMUS MARIS INITIATIVEErasmus Maris objective is to create a strategic alliance in Europe between formal education, non-formal education, and scientific research sectors. The main goal is to engage upper secondary schools in co-creating new knowledge related to preserving the marine environment and inland waters while ensuring inclusivity and equitable participation.Erasmus Maris offers a holistic approach and a collaborative platform to:i.Integrate citizen science in secondary schools incorporating the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning.ii.Increase science teachers' competences in the science of measurements and the scientific procedures to facilitate collaboration with scientific research institutions.Central to the implementation of Erasmus Maris is the sailboat. During a week-long event in a nautical school (Erasmus Maris week), students and teachers acquire transversal competences such as teamwork and leadership through sailing activities. Moreover, the sailboat's components (e.g. engine, electronics and electrical circuits) create a real-world STEM learning environment.BACKGROUNDA decline in interest in science (particularly at age 15 for girls) is attributed to the mismatch between science at school and topics relevant to youth. Citizen science can, in principle, address this. Still, most projects only involve data collection and reporting, suitable for lower secondary schools' objectives and overlooking the crucial age group of 15-year-olds and above.Meaningful co-creation of knowledge in participatory projects is a challenging task. For scientists, the main concern is related to the quality of results and findings. On the other hand, time and curriculum constraints is the main issue for teachers.There is a general concern regarding inclusiveness in citizen science projects. Vocational and special needs schools have the potential to promote inclusiveness but are often excluded from such projects.Erasmus Maris initiative addresses the above challenges and promote inclusiveness by integrating strategies to systematically involve vocational schools and special need schools into the planning and execution of citizen science projects.