European School Map Storytelling Competition
GeoVoices: Map Storytelling for Global Sustainability Goals
Create a digital story with maps that links your school community to any of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Framework
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations are a comprehensive guide for addressing emerging challenges- social, environmental and economic- both in developing and developed countries, in order to make the world more sustainable for future generations. They are not just goals to be achieved; they are the means to make a lasting sustainable and peaceful future. Given that this vision is globally common, it is essential that younger generations are able to understand and contribute to their fulfilment.
The European School Map Storytelling Competition “GeoVoices: Map Storytelling for Global Sustainability Goals” addressed this need in a creative, educational and inquiry-based approach, through digital storytelling and digital maps. Maps are essential tools for storytelling. They can explain, inspire, and guide viewers through a wide range of topics, from simple to complex. Each point on a map carries a story, and every location has a historical, cultural, or environmental background that is worth sharing. In the European Map Storytelling Competition, schools were asked to identify a story connecting their school or wider community to at least 1 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Award Winning projects
1st Place
Sustainable Community Living in our School and Beyond
Agios Spyridonas High School, Cyprus
2nd Place
Water Routes - Paou Primary School
Primary School of Paou Kalavryta, Greece
3rd Place
Like flowing water
Special Junior High School Heraklion, Greece
Digital library of submitted projects
91 Steps of Freedom
1st Model General Lyceum of Thessaloniki "Manolis Andronikos", Greece
Our Planet Our Future
Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Greece
Proteger a vida marinha
EB Terras do Ave, Portugal
Δέσεις-Φράγματα Ανάσχεσης Χειμαρρικής Ροής στην Ελασσόνα
Gymnasium & Lyceum Tsaritsani-Elassona, Greece
Halyomorpha Halys
Özel Atakent Anadolu Lisesi High School, Turkey
The rivers of our area
Model General High School (Lyceum) of Heraklion, Greece
Sea, land, and people that...unite us
1st Model General Lyceum of Thessaloniki "Manolis Andronikos", Greece
Reduzir as Desigualdades
EB Terras do Ave, Portugal
Τουρίστας...και νερό στη Μεσσηνία
Vocational Senior High School of Kalamata, Greece
Changing the end
3rd Junior High School of Argyroupolis, Greece
The Incomplete Promise of Gender Equality
Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Greece
Sem água potável, futuro não há!
EB Terras do Ave, Portugal
Todo O Lixo Vai Parar Ao Mar
EB Terras do Ave, Portugal
Λίμνη Παμβώτιδα
Primary School of Kranoula, Ioannina Greece
The Organizers - GeoAcademy Project
The GEO-Academy is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to enhance teachers’ digital, green, and spatial skills for sustainable development education. It establishes a European network of educators, providing training and innovative digital tools focused on geospatial technologies like GIS, Remote Sensing, and Earth Observation. Through national GEO-Hubs and the online GEOBSERVE platform, the project offers professional development for teachers to integrate these technologies into their classrooms and effectively teach the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to deliver innovative lessons on topics such as climate change, environmental monitoring, and geographic information systems (GIS).
Framework
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations are a comprehensive guide for addressing emerging challenges- social, environmental and economic- both in developing and developed countries, in order to make the world more sustainable for future generations. They are not just goals to be achieved; they are the means to make a lasting sustainable and peaceful future. Given that this vision is globally common, it is essential that younger generations are able to understand and contribute to their fulfilment.
Scope
The Competition aims at raising awareness among the school community about the SDGs by utilising geospatial data, new technologies, digital maps, and geospatial storytelling.
With the support of their teachers, students are invited to select and explore a SDG-related topic, presenting their findings creatively and illustratively through a digital geospatial narrative (storymap).
Here some indicative examples of SDG-related topics within our school and our local community:
Of course, every school is free to choose any SDG-related topic they wish to study.
Through their participation, students will strengthen their spatial thinking and digital skills. Additionally, through experiential and inquiry-based learning processes, accompanied by awareness-raising actions organised by the schools, students will become familiar with the SDGs and gain a deeper understanding of the Goals.
The technological tools used will be provided free of charge to schools upon request.
Entries submitted to the Competition will be evaluated by a special Scientific Committee, which will be announced in due course.
Why to participate?
- Learn and better understand the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Explore and practically apply geospatial concepts, technologies and applications
- Create digital maps and engaging geo-narratives (storymaps),
- Enhance spatial thinking and digital skills
- Access modern educational material validated by the GEO-Academy Universities and partner educational institutions
- Explore and raise awareness on global challenges linked to the environment, society and sustainable development.
Who can participate?
Teachers and students from the 5th and 6th grades of Primary schools, Secondary and High schools in Europe
Language: English
How to participate?
- Fill-in participation form
- Enrol to the Map Storytelling course in the GEOBSERVE platform for the training courses
- Obtain educational licence of ArcGIS (free of charge upon school request – instructions will be sent after submission of participation form)
- Choose and study at least one topic related to SDGs
- Students and teachers prepare the school project and submit the final Storymap
- Submitt your story (details to be announced)
Evaluation Criteria
- Compatibility with the Competition’s theme: The content of the school project should align with the topic of the Competition, as described in the relevant announcement (20% [0-20 grades])
- Coherence: Design, implementation, appropriate structure, flow, coherence, so as to clearly present the concept and content of the project (20% [0-20 grades]).
- Utilization of technological means: Effective use of the capabilities of technological tools (e.g., maps, sound, video, images, etc.) (20% [0-20 grades]).
- Completeness: Comprehensive presentation of the topic and openness of the project towards society through relevant collaborations (e.g., interviews, actions, additional material for a broader presentation of the topic, etc.) (20% [0-20 grades]).
Creativity and Innovation: Overall aesthetic of the project, creativity, originality of approach, innovative elements and ideas (20% [0-20 grades])
The Organizers – GeoAcademy Project
The GEO-Academy is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to enhance teachers’ digital, green, and spatial skills for sustainable development education. It establishes a European network of educators, providing training and innovative digital tools focused on geospatial technologies like GIS, Remote Sensing, and Earth Observation. Through national GEO-Hubs and the online GEOBSERVE platform, the project offers professional development for teachers to integrate these technologies into their classrooms and teach the UN Sustainable Development Goals effectively