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with the broad aim of promoting learners’ scientific and ecological literacy in formal and extended school settings (Fazio and Karrow 2015). Citizen science has
been traditionally characterised as a top-down approach, comprising projects initiated by scientists and government agencies who enlist community members to collect data on issues with little relevance to citizens’ lives. However, during last years
and under the influence of critical science education, citizen science – combined
with activism – was recast as a bottom-up pedagogical approach intended to promote students’ interest in the community, the environment, life-long learning,
democracy and social justice (Britton and Tippins 2015; Roth and Lee 2002). This
approach resorts to education as a context to develop the competencies and community involvement of students, encouraging them to be active citizen scientists
who contribute to the well-being of their communities (Britton and Tippins 2015).
The ideology behind this combination of citizen science and activism puts an
emphasis on learning about the health of the local community, developing socially
responsible curricula, blurring the boundaries between subjects and breaking down
the walls of the school – facilitating the connection between the school learning and
the space outside the school where students and their families live (Britton and
Tippins 2015; Rodríguez 2015; Martinez and Alsop 2014). This way, citizen science
is not only about collecting and analysing hard data about natural phenomena.
Accordingly, students can be active citizens who are critically engaged in learning
about eco-socio-scientific issues and are committed to disseminating and denouncing the unscientific basis of prejudice and discrimination (Reis et al. 2015; Mueller
and Tippins 2012). Students move from a position of learning to being engaged in
acts of citizenship and practices of science through activism (Haverkos 2015).
Citizen science combined with youth activism promotes a deeper comprehension
of how science works and represents a powerful catalyst for empowering future citizens with the willingness and the higher-level abilities for participating in the global
effort of sustainability and assuming the responsibility for future generations. Youth
democratic activism develops young people’s critical scientific literacy, allowing
people to ‘think for themselves and reach their own conclusions about a range of
issues that have a scientific, technological and/or environmental dimension’
(Hodson 2011, p. 28). Critical scientific literacy allows learners ‘to take appropriate,
responsible and effective action on matters of social, economic, environmental and
moral-ethical concern’ (Hodson 2011, p. 28), increasing their capacity to make
choices rather than accept the prescriptions of others.
9.3 Supporting Youth Activism
According to Sleeter and Cornbleth (2011), the engagement of young people in
democratic activism requires students to feel themselves as having the rights,
responsibilities and competencies to participate in complex thinking, decisionmaking and problem-solving processes. These competencies and inclinations for
democratic activism are not promoted through the particular contributions of
9 Environmental Citizenship and Youth Activism
with the broad aim of promoting learners’ scientific and ecological literacy in formal and extended school settings (Fazio and Karrow 2015). Citizen science has
been traditionally characterised as a top-down approach, comprising projects initiated by scientists and government agencies who enlist community members to collect data on issues with little relevance to citizens’ lives. However, during last years
and under the influence of critical science education, citizen science – combined
with activism – was recast as a bottom-up pedagogical approach intended to promote students’ interest in the community, the environment, life-long learning,
democracy and social justice (Britton and Tippins 2015; Roth and Lee 2002). This
approach resorts to education as a context to develop the competencies and community involvement of students, encouraging them to be active citizen scientists
who contribute to the well-being of their communities (Britton and Tippins 2015).
The ideology behind this combination of citizen science and activism puts an
emphasis on learning about the health of the local community, developing socially
responsible curricula, blurring the boundaries between subjects and breaking down
the walls of the school – facilitating the connection between the school learning and
the space outside the school where students and their families live (Britton and
Tippins 2015; Rodríguez 2015; Martinez and Alsop 2014). This way, citizen science
is not only about collecting and analysing hard data about natural phenomena.
Accordingly, students can be active citizens who are critically engaged in learning
about eco-socio-scientific issues and are committed to disseminating and denouncing the unscientific basis of prejudice and discrimination (Reis et al. 2015; Mueller
and Tippins 2012). Students move from a position of learning to being engaged in
acts of citizenship and practices of science through activism (Haverkos 2015).
Citizen science combined with youth activism promotes a deeper comprehension
of how science works and represents a powerful catalyst for empowering future citizens with the willingness and the higher-level abilities for participating in the global
effort of sustainability and assuming the responsibility for future generations. Youth
democratic activism develops young people’s critical scientific literacy, allowing
people to ‘think for themselves and reach their own conclusions about a range of
issues that have a scientific, technological and/or environmental dimension’
(Hodson 2011, p. 28). Critical scientific literacy allows learners ‘to take appropriate,
responsible and effective action on matters of social, economic, environmental and
moral-ethical concern’ (Hodson 2011, p. 28), increasing their capacity to make
choices rather than accept the prescriptions of others.
9.3 Supporting Youth Activism
According to Sleeter and Cornbleth (2011), the engagement of young people in
democratic activism requires students to feel themselves as having the rights,
responsibilities and competencies to participate in complex thinking, decisionmaking and problem-solving processes. These competencies and inclinations for
democratic activism are not promoted through the particular contributions of
9 Environmental Citizenship and Youth Activism