<< Background >>A number of studies and EU reports have highlighted the need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals in near future for sustainable growth and development. However, despite the need for STEM jobs, the reports and studies also indicated that the young learners do not want to pursue a career in STEM fields. Similarly, in the mentioned reports and research, we are facing global issues which are connected to the lack of STEM specialists. The global issues such as pollution and climate change that we have to face are complex problems, and the solution of these problems needs interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.Developing and increasing an understanding and taking action against the environmental problems and climate change are more needed than reading them from the textbooks. The students know that we should save our planet and that climate change is a vital problem for our world, but almost all of them do nothing to reduce their carbon footprint. Thus, the main aim of this project is to develop STEM-related skills and competencies for our children through STEM activities-inspired environments. In line with the aim of the project, our partnership is focused on developing students' skills and academic success in STEM disciplines while enabling them to create STEM solutions for environmental issues and to fight against climate change. As emphasised in the programme guide and the European Green Deal Communication, our schools have a key role for a successful transition to become climate-neutral by 2050. The project is also focused on developing our students' skills and awareness of environmental sustainability through designed STEM activities. Thanks to this project not only our students, but also the whole school community including parents will be aware of how individual consumption, habits, and lifestyle affects the environment and climate change. European Commission aims to strengthen “basic skills” and “key competencies” in EU member states for sustainable development and educational growth. In line with this strategy, regardless of the background and abilities of the children, we aim to improve our children’s “basic skills” as literacy, numeracy, science, and technology and “key competencies” such as knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help learners to find personal fulfillment and, later in life, find work and take part in society. The project is not only aimed to develop key competencies, but also 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, cooperation, communication, creativity, adaptability, and media literacy, which are vital for individuals.The problems such as climate change, pollution, poverty, epidemic diseases that have arisen in the 21st century are becoming increasingly complex. Therefore, these complex problems can be solved by individuals with 21st-century skills and interdisciplinary thinking. As a result, with this project, we aim for our students to have the competence to solve these complex problems.<< Objectives >>In recent years, STEM education as an educational approach has come dramatically to the forefront in many countries, as in the EU. Apart from meeting the increasing need for engineers and scientists for economical growth, the STEM education approach offers important opportunities for educators and learners. One of the opportunities is to develop STEM activities by using environmental issues and climate change in real-world settings. STEM education can help students to develop their key competencies, systems-oriented thinking skills as well as empathy towards environmental problems in these learning environments. Students can collect data through observations in a natural environment and analyse it to identify problems and research the solutions for the problems through engineering design. Moreover, they can develop solutions and test them, and share the solutions with their peers as well. According to the needs analysis we conducted in our schools, our science and mathematics teachers think that our students' level of success in this field is insufficient. Supporting this, our students’ results of local and national exams of science and mathematics are lower compared to other subjects. In addition, they do not enjoy learning from a textbook inside the school walls, so we should carry out the learning activities outside of the school walls. For this reason, we believe that STEAM education can be a solution to make science and mathematics lessons more meaningful, enjoyable for our students and improve students' achievement in this field. Also, developing environment-inspired STEM activities can support green initiatives and a sustainable future in general, positively. In this context, the main aim of this project is to develop STEM-related skills and competencies for our children through STEM activities-inspired environment. In line with the main of the project, specific objectives of the project are following: Students;-improving attitudes and interest STEM disciplines and STEM career -raising awareness and pursue taking action against environmental problems and climate change (“take the future in your hands”)-developing key competencies and transversal skills through STEM application (megatrends of the world today)-improving and expanding their understanding of STEM.- increasing STEM literacy, supporting lifelong interest and participation in STEM -improving communication skills while working in an international team (development of sustainable cross-border cooperation.)Teachers- educational leaders:-developing professional skills to practice new learning approaches in order to facilitate an innovative learning approach in their lessons (future skills)-exploring formative students' assessment methods for STEM education outcomes-developing communication skills in a foreign language while exchanging good practices-improving organisational skills by implementing seminars, dissemination and LTTA’sParents-İncreasing awareness of environmental issues and climate change-Reducing carbon footprints at least -Contributing recycling at their home and work<< Implementation >>-The STEM Education activities which are designed in an environmental context: We will apply STEM activities not only in our classroom but also we will apply the activities in an out-of-school context. Environmental issues and climate change will be used as a common theme for our activities. Thus, while students are learning, they will develop knowledge and awareness about environmental issues and climate change. The students who participated in developed activities will work in a team and develop solutions for environmental problems. They will work as scientists and engineers to understand the problem and develop solutions for the problem in a real-life context. Environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource waste, as well as climate change, can not only be solved by interactions of a part of our society. Therefore we will involve parents and NGOs in part of the activities of the project. Participating in these activities will develop our students' key competencies as well as 21st-century skills.The joint activities that we will apply in each partner schools: -Reduce your carbon footprint: Students will calculate their carbon footprints with their parents. They will calculate and reduce to carbon footprint every month. Also, each school set up a STEM-based project for reducing energy, water and stationery consumption and recycle. We will compare the amount of consumption before and during the project. - Save the planet with STEM solutions: The activities focused on developing solutions for environmental pollution such as water, soil, light pollution, and fighting against climate change. Students will develop STEM-based solutions for environmental and fighting climate change. - Design by Nature(Biomimicry): The students will develop STEAM-based models-prototype, solutions, eco-friendly products which are inspired by nature to save nature. - Robotics Course: The students will work in an international team in order to develop technological solutions ( such as smart irrigation systems, smart energy systems, etc.)-Take action for nature: Students will develop action plans against pollution and fighting climate change in their region. Leaflets will be prepared to raise awareness in the school/local community.-STEM career days: Professionals from the STEM field will be invited and/or the students will visit the STEM workers at their job. -STEM fair: Students will exhibit the STEM project every six months at their school. The neighborhood schools, community leaders, and parents will be invited.We will organise 2 TPM and 5 LTTAs to reach our aims. The first TPM will be organised in order to make clear each step of the activities and the second will be organised for the evaluation of the project and to disseminate and remain sustainable. The LTTAs will be organised to improve our students' understanding and develop their STEM-related skills as well as to develop 21st-century competencies.<< Results >>The project will not only increase the awareness and competencies of our students, teachers, education leaders and partner institutions in the field of STEM but also increase their awareness of environmental problems and climate change. Not only our target group but also parents, teachers and organizations in the neighboring schools will indirectly benefit from the results of the project. In order to increase the impact of the project and influence wider audiences, dissemination activities have been planned at every stage from the beginning of the project and beyond the project. All activities in the project are aimed at developing the key competencies of the participants in line with the European values and goals, as well as ensuring that the participants become democratic European citizens embracing European values. Also, the project will enable us to carry STEM disciplines out of the school walls to in an environmental context. While participants learning science in a different context, they will have the chance to experience hands-on activities. We are expecting ;We are expecting our students will be interested in science and also they will be able to read scientific news to think critically on scientific issues. To make them ready for the 21st-century and its complex problems we are expecting our students to develop their key competencies as well as 21st-century skills by attending the activities in this project. The project activities also designed and support the team working in collaboration. The mentioned complex problems need cooperation to be solved. All activities that we are going to apply allow to students working in a real-life context. Thus, the students will develop their competencies such as digital, creativity, self-confidence skills. Moreover, we are also expecting them to develop their awareness against climate change and reduce their carbon footprints and become STEM-literate democratic citizens of the EU.