The project Criar ao Livre is a multidisciplinary pilot project aimed at students and teachers in the 8th year of the 3rd cycle of primary education at schools in the municipalities covered by the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve: Setúbal, Palmela, Grândola, and Alcácer do Sal.
It is an artistic and environmental education project that aims to create a place for each participant in the middle of nature, in harmony with the fauna and flora of the Troia peninsula.
The project was designed according to the following structuring ideas that reflect its ambitions:
- Strengthen the relationship with communities and the territory.
- Increasing access for pupils and their families to a unique natural and cultural heritage, helping to reduce economic, social and cultural inequalities.
- Contribute to the enrichment of the school community through experiences and content directly related to the curriculum and school goals.
- Matching the competencies of the 21st-century student profile through diversified experiences, activities and content.
- Contribute to implementing the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals through an integrated strategy with defined objectives and clear indicators.
The project recognises the transformative role of education in exercising faithful Global Citizenship, highlighting its link to 9 of the most essential Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Through creative processes, it contributes to building civic and environmental awareness and teaches respect for others, the natural world and collective historical and cultural heritage.
In the 8th grade, aspects of the conditions necessary for life on Earth are addressed. The dynamics between the Earth's subsystems are explored, allowing for a plural and unfinished scientific interpretation of the evolution of life on the planet and a recognition of the importance of scientific knowledge in promoting the sustainability of planet Earth.
On the other hand, the aim is to make students aware of the impact of human intervention on the Earth and the need to adopt active and fair citizenship behaviours consistent with sustainable development.
In this context, the project took place during the 2022/2023 school year around four fundamental axes:
- Criar ao Ar Livre presentation: a meeting for the teachers involved in the project to present the activity plan and share information.
- Workshop at school: an activity carried out in a school setting. The starting point was the richness of the ecosystem of the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve and its natural (and historical) heritage and the methodology used was games as a pedagogical tool, both for transmitting content in an effective and fun way and for promoting cohesion between peers. To this end, the giant board game "Who eats what?" was created, based on the trophic webs of the Sado estuary.
- (re)Criar ao Ar Livre: an activity that combined nature observation, environmental education and a collective art project, using the Explorer's Notebook received at the school workshop and the Curiosity Case as a starting point.
- Teachers' training: online training session focussing on using games as a pedagogical and creative tool.
As a way of leveraging the activities outlined, two types of support materials were created:
- Explorer's Notebook, a field diary aimed at getting to know the Sado Estuary and exploring it individually or together from scientific, artistic and empirical perspectives.
- Curiosity case, this is an educational resource to arouse students' curiosity and interest in the biodiversity of the Sado Estuary through the exploration and handling of 32 species of fauna and flora.
The pilot project in 2023 covered 13 schools and around 325 students. Watch the project video Here.








