The effects of environmental issues constitute a global legacy that future generations must contend with regardless of where they live. International community governments have committed to increasing awareness about environmental issues largely through their national educational systems, focusing on sustainability. Such education, however, tends to be limited to the classroom. Only by involving pupils as valid stakeholders in shared environmental issues, through activities that extend beyond classrooms, can we truly lay the foundations for a sustainable future. Developing partnerships between schools across Europe widens the scope of global awareness and responsibility. Transnational exchange of experiences is essential to develop pupils’ experience beyond their local environment, leading to a broader worldview and increased tolerance of the situation of others. To cultivate a sense of empathy and social justice, pupils need to be aware of the situation of peers elsewhere.The 2-year GEAR project seeks ways to increase the voice and agency of pupils in environmental matters by developing methodologies that, using existing environmental education as a point of departure, involve pupils more actively in their local environment. The purpose is to bring schools together, under the umbrella of environmental responsibility, to devise collective tools to break out of the classroom. (1)Bottom-up Pedagogical Approaches to actively engage pupils(2)Basic Skills and Competences are a means to an end rather than the end itself(3)ICT skills central to activities and dissemination(4)Local Communities of Practice to connect pupils with their environments(5)Nature Discourses: vocabulary and concepts to understand the environment(6)A Transnational Community of Practice: shared experiences and values internationallyThe project unfolds around a 4-element framework (Wind, Water, Earth, Sun). Activities will be geared for pupils at each school, covering a collective age range of 2 - 15 years (pre-primary to secondary). They are designed to promote interdisciplinary co-operation diversely in science, ICT, technology, arts and maths (STEAM) fields, and are approached in different ways by each partner, based on their pedagogical strengths. Pupils should develop a personal connection with the environment, increase their nature discourses, and feel more empowered in environmental matters. Each school will develop a community of practice; a social system concerned with the social nature of learning and involving our common undertaking, leading to identification with the community. The transnational aspect extends this, whereby, pupils and teachers create and become part of a transnational community of practice that shares responsible environmental awareness and values that cross borders.The countries of the 6 project partner schools extend from the north of Europe to the south, representing a range of different climates and contexts (urban/rural):(1)Rajala School, public primary, Finland (Co-ordinating Partner)(2)GBS De Kreke, primary, Belgium(3)Private School Themistoklis, S.A., primary and secondary, Greece(4)Dumlupinar Ortaokulu, public secondary, Turkey(5)Istituto Comprensivo Pablo Neruda, public nursery, primary, and secondary, Italy(6)Goizeko Izarra Ikastola, primary, Basque Country, SpainThe project also has connections with universities (University of Eastern Finland and PANTEION University), thus novel partnerships between schools and scientists can be explored. The 8 joint staff training events are for teacher training and developing collective tools. Teachers can share their experiences and good practice with partners. Participant teachers must disseminate material upon return. The International Classroom pupil mobility allows some pupils from all partner countries to come together in real time, and work together under the project for a week.The GEAR Toolkit will comprise tools in the form of didactical rationales, methods and methodologies from the project activities and qualitative measurement tools to be disseminated electronically. In addition, the results and impact of this project are closely linked to the enrichment of the pupils, teachers, and other adults involved. The greatest expected impact will be on the pupils in terms of enhanced environmental awareness and responsibility, better working skills to tackle activities, closer connection to their local environment, and inclusion in a broader transnational community of practice. These impacts will be measured qualitatively by developing project-specific tools.Climate change is the most serious problem faced by the world today, so the project covers a current topic and an area of education that will only increase in importance and significance. Environmental awareness and responsibility can only develop through active participation and inclusion, so GEAR is only a beginning towards developing environmental education pedagogy.