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FAQs

If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please contact climate.detectives@esa.int

Climate Detectives is an ESA and ESERO school project for students up to 19 years old. Teams of students identify and investigate a real local problem related with environment and climate by using and analysing data from ground measurements and/or data from Earth observation satellites. After drawing conclusion students decide on actions they want to take to ‘make a difference’ and help raise awareness of the problem and help to reduce it. At the end, all participating teams share their research findings on the Climate Detectives platform and one team per country will be selected by their ESERO to take part in the Climate Detectives Summit

Starting in 2023-2024, Climate Detectives has a new category for younger students – Climate Detectives kids. By participating in the non-competitive Climate Detectives kids project, young students (-12 years old) will learn about Earth’s science and environment through selected learning resources and hands-on activities as well as understand the importance of respecting our environment. Teachers can choose up to 2 learning selected learning resources and activities to work on different Earth Science topics or create their own. After finishing an activity,  students will collect evidence of their discoveries and earn badges for each activity and a virtual certificate as a recognition of their detective work to understand and protect our home planet. The evidences collected will be displayed in a virtual gallery.

Climate Detectives

The Climate Detectives project features three steps, which are not focused on a special time range anymore.

  • Step 1– Identify a climate problem and submit your investigation plan, from 9 September
  • Step 2– Investigate the climate problem
  • Step 3– Share results and make a difference, until latest 4 April 2025

Teams have up to 8 months to complete their Climate Detectives projects. It opens at the 9 September 2024 and should be completed 4 April 2025 before the Climate Detectives Summit in May 2025. It is recommended to check the national dates of your country.

Climate Detectives Kids

The project is open from 9 September 2024 to 4 April 2025.  Teams can submit the activities all at once or in different moments.

Climate Detectives 

To join the Climate Detectives advanced category you must be part of a team (2 students up to the whole class) and supported by a teacher or educator.  If there is a national organiser in your country, you have to apply to the project through it. Check if there is a project being run in your country here and find out if you have to submit an investigating plan or if you can get feedback for it from national experts. 

If there is no national organiser, teams have to apply to the project through the ESA Education office. The investigation plans is not mandatory to be submitted. Teams should read carefully the eligibility criteria of the project before joining it.

Climate Detectives Kids 

To join the Climate Detectives kids project you can apply to the project through the ESA Education Office. To receive a badge it is mandatory to submit an evidence of at least one completed activity. Teams should read carefully the eligibility criteria of the project before joining it.

Yes. In both Climate Detectives or Climate Detectives Kids, a teacher can sign up student teams for the Climate Detectives and for Climate Detectives Kids version. 

Climate Detectives

Participation is open to teams of school students up to (and including) 19 years old. For Climate Detectives, Students must be from a school located in an ESA Member State, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia. ESA will also accept entries from primary or secondary schools located outside of Europe and Canada if such schools are officially authorised and/or certified by the official Education authorities of an ESA Member State, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia (for instance, French school outside Europe officially recognised by French Ministry of Education or delegated authority).

Climate Detectives Kids

To join the Climate Detectives kids project students are encouraged to work with at least 1 other person up to the whole class. Each team must be supported by a Team Leader (teacher, mentor, educator, or parent).  Family teams are welcome. There is no minimum or maximum number of team members required to participate. At least 50% of the team members must have the nationality of an ESA Member State. Further to the 22 Member States, also Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, based on their agreements with ESA, qualify to fully participate in the programmes of the ESA Education Office. 

Climate Detectives 

Teams from a country with a National Organisers can submit their investigation plan and final results of the project in their national language. If they have to submit an investigation plan depends on their National Organiser.  If there is no National Organiser, teams have to apply to the project through the ESA Education office. Both, investigation plan and final project results can be submitted in the national language. 

Climate Detectives Kids 

To give evidence of joining the Climate Detectives Kids project, different kind of documentation can be uploaded, e.g., drawings, posters, etc. Therefore, the language is free to choose. 

Climate Detectives

Yes.  The project must include the use of data (from Earth Observation satellites OR ground measurements) and entries should point out the relation with environment or climate.  To ideas on how to access satellite data have a look here.

Climate Detectives 

Yes. All teams that share their final projects on the Climate Detectives platform will receive a certificate of participation by email for their Climate Detectives work in the advanced category.  

Climate Detectives Kids

For every activity submitted by the teams of Climate Detectives Kids, teams will receive a badge. After submitting the evidence for two completed activities, teams will receive a certificate. 

If you experience problems or have further questions, please contact the ESA Education Team by writing an e-mail to climate.detectives@esa.int . When applicable, teams should contact their national organiser first.