The final international mobility event for the “Solar Energy for Future Generations: Be Bright, Turn to Solar Power (#Solar4Future+)” project, carried out under the Erasmus+ KA220-SCH programme, was held in Eskişehir, hosted by the Association for Innovation and Digital Development (IDDA). Organised under the coordination of the project’s authors and coordinators, Etibar Mikayilov and Özlem Şahan Çolpan, the event brought together teachers, academics and project coordinators from various European countries.

With a total budget of 250,000 euros, the project aims to promote the use of renewable energy in the fight against climate change, develop STEAM-based educational models, and foster environmental awareness among younger generations.

Participating in the project are Riga Technical University (RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATE) from Latvia, I.I.S.S. Federico II Stupor Mundi from Italy, Srednja Skola Metkovic from Croatia, CEIP San Isidro Labrador from Spain, Colegiul National Pedagogic Stefan Cel Mare from Romania, and the Innovation and Digital Development Association from Turkey.

Throughout the final mobility event held in Eskişehir, the project partners carried out activities focused on solar energy, sustainable education models, digital transformation, environmental awareness, and raising young people’s awareness of climate change. During the meetings, project outputs were evaluated, whilst plans were made for new Erasmus+ partnerships to be developed in the future.

Participants also had the opportunity to gain a close-up insight into Turkey’s cultural heritage. During the cultural excursions organised as part of the programme, the international guests visited Bursa’s historical and tourist areas accompanied by guides. Among the sites visited were the Grand Mosque, one of the Ottoman Empire’s most significant landmarks, the historic Tophane district, and the village of Cumalıkızık, which features on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The guests expressed that they were deeply impressed by Turkey’s historical fabric and cultural richness.

Throughout the event, meetings and cultural exchange activities held in Eskişehir fostered strong friendships among educators from different countries, whilst collaborative work on a vision for a sustainable future was also developed.

Özlem Şahan Çolpan, one of the project coordinators, stated: “This project has established a strong educational network not only centred on renewable energy and environmental awareness, but also on intercultural cooperation and shared European values. We are proud to host such an important final event in Eskişehir.”

Etibar Mikayilov, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of integrating academic research in energy transition and sustainability with education, emphasising that raising young people’s awareness of environmental and energy issues is of great significance for Europe’s future.

☀️ During the event, students and teachers from all six countries involved in the project participated in testing the lesson plan “Artistic Expression through Solar Energy”, developed by the project partners from I.I.S.S. Federico II Stupor Mundi.

Students and teachers had the chance to try their hand at developing botanical photographs on paper and fabric using the Anthotype and Cyanotype methods. 🍃☀️

The event concluded with a management meeting and a very insightful presentation by a Solar Energy expert, engineer Chiara Ostendi. 🔬☀️

A heartfelt thank you to all the dedicated teachers and students from I.I.S.S. Federico II Stupor Mundi for their warm hospitality, engaging workshops, and excellent presentations that helped everyone explore both the theoretical and practical sides of botanical photography! ☀️

In Split, a lively dissemination activity was organized by the Czech partner, bringing together elementary school teachers and geography teachers from the county council. Around 30 teachers took part, exchanging ideas and learning about new approaches that can enrich their classrooms. The event created a warm atmosphere of collaboration and inspiration, leaving participants motivated to put fresh ideas into practice.

From August 26–28, the #Solar4Future project team gathered in Riga for the Teacher Training: International Testing.

☀️Participants had the opportunity to attend a presentation on solar energy by an RTU expert, explore the university campus, and visit the photovoltaic panels installed on the rooftop.

☀️Each partner institution also shared their adjusted lesson plans, chapters, and additional curriculum materials created for the Solar Energy curriculum to gather valuable feedback for further refinement.

☀️ In addition, the partners presented their chapters for the CSP toolkit to test its effectiveness and gather valuable feedback for future improvements.

☀️ The event concluded with a managerial meeting to plan and coordinate the next project steps.

On 4th of July our project partner, Petar Nikolić from @ssmetkovic, took part in the national seminar for geography teachers held in Omiš, Croatia 🇭🇷. The event, titled “Current Projects and Implementation of Project Outcomes in Geography Teaching,” brought together around 100 geography teachers from across Croatia.

Petar presented the goals of #Solar4Future+ and highlighted how solar energy topics can be integrated into the geography curriculum. ☀️

From June 16–20, @idda.digital presented #Solar4Future+ project at two successful events:

An international seminar in Helsinki 🌍🇫🇮, attended by 12 participants.

And a presentation at the Turkish Embassy in Tallinn 🇹🇷🇪🇪, with 10 attendees.

Spreading the word about the goals of #Solar4Future+☀️

We’re proud to share that our project #Solar4Future+ was presented at the beVisioneers Global Summit 2025 by Etibar Mikayilov, Project Manager and Researcher at the Innovation and Digital Development Association.

Held from April 8–10 in Stuttgart, Germany, the summit brought together 154 attendees, including 55 Fellows from 10 countries, along with mentors and sustainability experts. As part of the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Fellowship, the summit focused on empowering young innovators and building global connections for a sustainable and inclusive future.

Etibar Mikayilov showcased how #Solar4Future+ is helping integrate solar energy education into schools across Europe using a STEAM-based approach—turning students into active changemakers in the fight against climate change.

We’re honored to be part of this global movement and excited to keep building brighter, solar-powered futures! ☀
#beVisioneers #Solar4Future+ #Sustainability #YouthInnovation #MercedesBenzFellowship