Blue Schools: research, action, and youth leadership for water justice

One of the most exciting outcomes of the BLUEFRONT training in Matera was the collective planning of Blue Schools—an innovative model where young people become researchers and changemakers on water justice.

What are Blue Schools?

Blue Schools are not a physical place but a way of learning. They are schools, youth groups, and community spaces that adopt the BLUEFRONT methodology to integrate water research and action into everyday learning. In a Blue School, young people don’t simply receive knowledge; they generate it. They ask questions about water in their communities, collect data, analyse it, and take action to create change.

The approach ensures that the conversation around water is not confined to textbooks but connected to real lives, local challenges, and collective solutions.

The role of Participatory Action Research (PAR)

At the heart of Blue Schools lies Participatory Action Research (PAR). PAR is a cycle of inquiry where learners define their own research questions, design ways to investigate them, and collaborate on solutions. It is not research for the sake of theory, but research that leads directly to action.

In practice, this might mean:

• Mapping how water is used in a school or community.

• Interviewing local residents about challenges such as scarcity, pollution, or flooding.

• Collecting data on water quality or consumption.

• Sharing findings with peers, families, and local decision-makers.

• Designing awareness campaigns, exhibitions, or community workshops based on the results.

By using PAR, Blue Schools ensure that students are not passive recipients of information but active co-creators of knowledge and solutions.

Brainstorming in Matera

During the training in Matera, national teams gathered to brainstorm and plan their first Blue School workshops. Working in groups, they translated the principles of PAR into concrete ideas for their countries.

The sessions were lively and collaborative. Some teams imagined how to adapt PAR methods such as storytelling, role play, or community mapping into classroom settings. Others focused on systemic thinking, helping students see the connections between water, climate, and society. Many proposed ways to link school projects with local communities, ensuring that learning would extend beyond classroom walls.

The presentations that followed revealed a diversity of approaches, but also a shared commitment: every team wanted Blue Schools to be a space where young people feel empowered to research, reflect, and act on water issues that matter to them.

Why Blue Schools matter

Blue Schools address several of the core challenges identified by the BLUEFRONT project:

• Bridging knowledge and action – turning scientific and social research into practical tools for change.

• Strengthening youth agency – giving students the skills and confidence to lead in their communities.

• Connecting local and global – linking water issues in each school’s environment to broader European and global challenges such as climate change and sustainability.

• Building partnerships – encouraging collaboration between schools, NGOs, municipalities, and families.

Through these dimensions, Blue Schools embody the values of the European Green Deal, the EU Youth Goals, and Erasmus+: equipping young people to tackle climate challenges and building inclusive, participatory ways of learning.

The road ahead

The brainstorming in Matera was only the beginning. In the coming months, each national team will pilot their Blue School workshops, adapting the PAR methodology to their local contexts. These experiences will feed into the development of the BLUEFRONT Water Resource Research Handbook and the wider training programme.

As Blue Schools take root across Finland, Greece, Hungary, Malta, and Italy, they will form a network of youth-led laboratories of change. Each project, whether it focuses on water use in a rural community, pollution in a coastal city, or memories of melting glaciers, will contribute to a larger picture of how Europe’s youth can lead on water justice.

A new vision of education

Blue Schools are more than a project output. They represent a vision of education where learning is active, participatory, and deeply connected to the challenges of our time. They show that young people, when trusted with responsibility and given the right tools, can research, design, and implement solutions that inspire entire communities.

As BLUEFRONT continues its journey, the Blue Schools will stand as a living legacy of the project: places where curiosity turns into research, research turns into action, and action turns into a more sustainable and just future for all.